Life is like a chess game, where key decisions such as choosing a university and pursuing a career are critical moves that shape one’s path, leading to unforeseen outcomes. Wang Songyi and Dong Junhao, alumni of Bachelor of Science in Computing, navigated a career path towards one of the world’s premier cloud computing enterprises, Amazon Web Services (AWS), based in the United States, following their graduation. Here, they commenced their journeys as software development engineers, stepping into the realm of professional growth. How did these two engineers chase their dreams and secure positions at this renowned international corporation?
The parable of the “blind men and the elephant” vividly illustrates how individuals can perceive a single entity in diverse ways due to their distinct experiences and perspectives. Similarly, learning a foreign language requires an open attitude to understand the evolution of vocabulary, cultural subtleties, thinking patterns, and social contexts. By integrating and contemplating various linguistic components, learners can achieve a profound understanding and mastery of a new language.
Associate Professor Teng Feng of the Faculty of Languages and Translation has extensive involvement in applied linguistics, particularly in second language acquisition and computer-assisted language learning. Revered as a luminary in linguistics, he has garnered notable accomplishments over the years. From 2021 to 2024, Professor Teng consistently secured a position within the top 2% of scientists globally, as recognised by Stanford University. Furthermore, he stands as one of China’s top ten exemplary scientists specialising in language and linguistics, representing the sole scholar from Macao to grace this prestigious list. In this interview, Professor Teng shares his wealth of experience in foreign language instruction, elucidating complex foreign language learning concepts through the lenses of psychology and pedagogy in an accessible and enlightening manner.