32.3398, Rising Stars: Meet Hye Min Yoon!

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-32-3398. Thu Oct 28 2021. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 32.3398, Rising Stars: Meet Hye Min Yoon!

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Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2021 23:46:28
From: LINGUIST List [linguist at linguistlist.org]
Subject: Rising Stars: Meet Hye Min Yoon!

 
The scientific study of language has opened a unique window into the brain and
developed into an integral part of understanding the neurological processes
and cognitive functioning of humans. In particular, the subfield of second
language acquisition and its intersections with cognitive psychology and
neuroscience have created the space for researchers to work together towards a
future of better supporting learners of all backgrounds and experiences, by
enhancing their cognition. 

Building on the current literature, my greatest curiosity stems from the
relations between psychophysiology and second language acquisition. My
research questions include the role of sleep-dependent memory consolidation in
language learning, the effect of slow, deep breathing and oxygen saturation on
students’ focus and attention in the foreign language classroom, and the
efficacy of cardiorespiratory synchronization in facilitating hippocampal
improvement when acquiring a second language. 

Currently, I am working to bridge these interdisciplinary research gaps under
the guidance of my incredible mentor professors through my B.A. honors thesis,
in which I analyze the impact of short-term abdominal breath-control on second
language word learning. Through this empirical study, I am hoping to explore
the cost-free method of breath-control that could potentially strengthen not
only students in the foreign language classroom but also those in classrooms
of diverse areas of study, empowering learners of different ages across the
world and particularly those who are disadvantaged and may not have had equal
opportunities to enhance their cognition. 

The greater picture of my research interests addresses the relationship
between well-being and academic performance. Especially given the recent
circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, many students have reported increased
levels of anxiety and depression and difficulty in concentrating on their
academic work. I believe that groundbreaking approaches to cultivating
psychophysiological well-being that can generalize to education as a whole can
be examined through the empirical study of second language acquisition, given
recent research with findings that demonstrate practical methods, such as
mindful breathing, to lower foreign language anxiety as a starting point. 

The study of linguistics constantly drives me to ask research questions which
I hope to pursue by embarking on a Ph.D. program in second language
acquisition following my undergraduate career. I hope to further contribute to
the field of linguistics and its interwoven disciplines by eventually becoming
a research professor, and I look forward to collaborating with scholars from
different fields for the rest of my life. 

However, what excites me the most is that the field of linguistics, to say the
least, is a tool of empowerment to change the future of education—and I am so
beyond grateful to be able to find my identity within it.

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LINGUIST List: Vol-32-3398	
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