Dr. Mengfei Liu is currently an Assistant Professor of TESOL at Wenzhou-Kean University, where she engages in the work of teaching graduate courses in education, advising and mentoring students, conducting research and participating in scholarly activities, and contributing to professional services. Dr. Liu earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Florida and her Master of Education from Vanderbilt University. Dr. Liu has had extensive experience teaching at both the K-12 and university levels in the United States, working with learners and pre-service teachers from diverse backgrounds. Shaped by her experiences and identities, her main research agenda focuses on preparing teachers to work with emergent bilinguals/multilingual learners and the intersection of multilingual learners’ language and content learning, language practice, and identity.

Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction (Specialization: ESOL and Bilingual Education), University of Florida

M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning (Track: English Language Learners), Vanderbilt University

Higher Education:

Lecturer, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen

Postdoctoral Fellow and Course Instructor, Purdue University

Graduate Teaching Assistant (as independent course instructor), University of Florida

K-12:

Teaching Assistant and Classroom Teacher for Elementary Grades, University School of Nashville

Chinese Teacher, The Nashville Chinese School

Assistant Lead Teacher, Engineering for Kids Program

Program Intern for ESL Youth and Summer Programs, Nashville International Center for Empowerment

Student Teacher for Middle School ELA and ELL classes, Metro Nashville Public School

Translanguaging

Bi/multilingual learners

Teacher preparation

Language and content learning

Systemic Functional Linguistics (teaching application)

Critical language awareness

Language attitude and ideology

Liu, M. Exploring Translanguaging in EMI Teacher Education: Teachers' Beliefs and Perceptions. AsiaTEFL International Conference. Hong Kong SAR, July, 2025.

Liu, M. & Sultana, R. From Using AI to Thinking with AI: Toward Empowered and Dialogic Engagement for Language Educators. 2025 International Conference on English Language Education in the AI Era. Shenzhen, China. July, 2025.

Liu, M. Infusing ESOL Content for Teaching Multilingual Learners: Perspectives and Stories from Two Teacher Educators. Language and Culture Conference. Suzhou, China. February, 2025.

Liu, M. (2022). Making sense of infusing linguistic diversity content into teacher education course: Teacher educators’ perspective. In S. Karpava (Ed.), Handbook of research on multilingual and multicultural perspectives on higher education and implications for teaching (pp.236-255). IGI Global.

Liu, M. ESOL Infusion: What Can We Learn about Faculty Development?. English for Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) International Convention and English Language Expo (virtual). July, 2020.

Liu, M. A Teacher Educator’s Views and Experiences of Integrating Diversity-related Content in Mainstream Teacher Education Course. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). Atlanta, GA. February, 2020. 

Liu, M. General Education Faculty's Perceptions and Experiences of ESOL Infusion. Southeast Regional TESOL Conference. Orlando, FL. November, 2019.

Liu, M. An ITA’s Learning in a Community of Practice. TESOL International Convention and English Language Expo. Atlanta, GA. March, 2019.

 Liu, M. ELLs in Mainstream Classrooms: A Puzzle to Solve for Teacher Preparation. Pennsylvania TESOL East Conference. Philadelphia, PA. November, 2018.