Papers by Valerie Yap
ICERI2020 Proceedings, Jul 10, 2020
The capstone project (CP) or its equivalent, as the most demanding assignment in undergraduate pr... more The capstone project (CP) or its equivalent, as the most demanding assignment in undergraduate programmes, requires students to showcase the knowledge and skills they have developed during their studies. To produce a good quality CP, students need to attend to both the content and the presentation, the latter of which includes their ability to effectively and appropriately use the target language. This is challenging in the context of Hong Kong’s tertiary education for two reasons. Almost all universities mandate that CPs be written completely in English, although English is not the mother tongue of most students. Further, there is a lack of curriculum space in the final year of the undergraduate program to offer targeted English language courses for helping students complete their CP. During the first months of the COVID19 pandemic, the situation was further exacerbated by the inability of students to meet their supervisors in person to discuss the writing and progress of their final-year project.
To address the CP language needs, a team of teachers and technical staff from five universities developed an in-house mobile app that offers discipline-specific support to final-year undergraduate students focusing on the English they needed to deliver their capstone project. The app offered three major functions: the learning tool, as the main function, provided discipline-specific English language learning tips; and two other functions provided opportunities for students to self-manage their project and communicate more efficiently with their supervisors. This article presents the findings from an exploratory case study using data collected from two groups of students, one group before the COVID pandemic and the other during COVID, and examines students’ use of the app and their perceptions of it especially when the pandemic prevented face-to-face learning on campus.
The migration of Filipinos to Hong Kong is part of the global Philippine diaspora. Although the F... more The migration of Filipinos to Hong Kong is part of the global Philippine diaspora. Although the Filipino community in Hong Kong is predominantly composed of Filipino women working on contract as domestic workers, it is not the complete picture. Over the last two decades, the Philippine community has become more diversified and a group of Filipinos from different social and economic backgrounds are working as professionals in the fields of finance, engineering, architecture and information technology. This exploratory paper seeks to shed light on Filipino professionals living in Hong Kong. This paper takes a two-fold approach. First, it seeks to identify at the macro-level the policies and programmes initiated by the Hong Kong government to attract professionals and skilled foreign talents in general. The second part will take on a micro-level look at how professionals have coped, adjusted and settled in Hong Kong. This will be done through recounted excerpt narratives of Filipino professionals.
The Twelfth International Convention of Asia Scholars (ICAS 12)
The outbreak of the coronavirus has upended people's lives with marginalized populations the most... more The outbreak of the coronavirus has upended people's lives with marginalized populations the most impacted. In Hong Kong, domestic workers face pressure from their employers who expect them to simultaneously keep the household clean and COVID-free, and to provide care duties to families, children and the elderly. Many workers have reported taking on additional workload, working longer hours and in some cases, continuing to work through their days off. Concurrently, domestic workers worry about their families back home who may have lost jobs or had fallen ill during the pandemic. Workers carry the additional financial burden to support and keep everyone afloat in this time of global health crisis. With few social protections and lack of policies to protect domestic workers in Hong Kong, they are left vulnerable, and their health and well-being severely affected. This paper seeks to explore the impacts of COVID-19 on Filipina domestic workers in Hong Kong. Through preliminary surveys and semi-structured interviews, the paper examines how domestic workers have adjusted to the 'new normal', and made use of varying strategies and resources to survive in this time of crisis. The paper also discusses the issues and challenges faced by domestic workers, and contemplates on the uncertainties of COVID-19 and lasting after effects of the pandemic on this community.
Filipina Christians pack their religion as they migrate overseas for work. And although Filipinas... more Filipina Christians pack their religion as they migrate overseas for work. And although Filipinas in search of work overseas do not list religious freedom and tolerance as one of their considerations for a destination country, once they have settled, religion functions as a coping mechanism in dealing with the migration process and serves to link migrants with their homeland. This paper explores this overlooked area in the research on Filipina domestic workers in Hong Kong. It examines Filipina domestic workers' religious beliefs and practices, and how these practices compare to those in their country of origin. It also examines how they make use of their religiosity as a survival and adaptive strategy in a city-state that has no state religion.
The Filipino immediately felt at home in Guam…It was not, however the mere fact that he worked in... more The Filipino immediately felt at home in Guam…It was not, however the mere fact that he worked in climes similar to that of the Philippines that made the Filipino feel at home. Here in the island bastion, he was with people whose culture is like his, hammered out of the anvil of Castillan rule for over three centuries. (Abcede 1955, 6-8)
Book Reviews by Valerie Yap
Nordic Journal of Migration Research, 2020
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Papers by Valerie Yap
To address the CP language needs, a team of teachers and technical staff from five universities developed an in-house mobile app that offers discipline-specific support to final-year undergraduate students focusing on the English they needed to deliver their capstone project. The app offered three major functions: the learning tool, as the main function, provided discipline-specific English language learning tips; and two other functions provided opportunities for students to self-manage their project and communicate more efficiently with their supervisors. This article presents the findings from an exploratory case study using data collected from two groups of students, one group before the COVID pandemic and the other during COVID, and examines students’ use of the app and their perceptions of it especially when the pandemic prevented face-to-face learning on campus.
Book Reviews by Valerie Yap
To address the CP language needs, a team of teachers and technical staff from five universities developed an in-house mobile app that offers discipline-specific support to final-year undergraduate students focusing on the English they needed to deliver their capstone project. The app offered three major functions: the learning tool, as the main function, provided discipline-specific English language learning tips; and two other functions provided opportunities for students to self-manage their project and communicate more efficiently with their supervisors. This article presents the findings from an exploratory case study using data collected from two groups of students, one group before the COVID pandemic and the other during COVID, and examines students’ use of the app and their perceptions of it especially when the pandemic prevented face-to-face learning on campus.