Overview
Background
Dr Chang's research interests lie in the fields of pragmatics, intercultural communication and business negotiation, with a focus on studying face, (im)politeness and humour. She is the author of face and face practices in Chinese talk-in-interactions: an empirical analysis of business interactions in Taiwan (2016, Equinox). She has also published a number of papers in edited volumes and international journals such as Journal of Pragmatics, Intercultural Pragmatics, International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language teaching, Journal of Politeness Research, Pragmatics, Multilingua, Lingua, and East Asian Pragmatics.
Her current research includes anaylsis of initial interactions in inter/intra-cultural settings and the role of humor in Australia-Chinese intercultural interactions.
Availability
- Dr Melody Chang is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, Griffith University
Research interests
-
Pragmatics
-
Intercultural communication
-
Applied linguistics
Works
Search Professor Melody Chang’s works on UQ eSpace
2025
Conference Publication
Assessments and Assessment Responses in Initial Interaction in Mandarin Chinese
Chang, Wei-Lin Melody (2025). Assessments and Assessment Responses in Initial Interaction in Mandarin Chinese. 4th Discourse, Culture and Interaction conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 5-6 December 2024.
2025
Conference Publication
Who’s at fault? Online public shaming and the contestation of moral culpability
Chang, Wei-Lin Melody, Haugh, Michael and Su, Hsi-Yao (2025). Who’s at fault? Online public shaming and the contestation of moral culpability. The 19th International Pragmatics Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 22-27 June 2025.
2025
Conference Publication
Mutual (mis)understanding in intercultural first conversations
Haugh, Michael and Chang, Wei-Lin Melody (2025). Mutual (mis)understanding in intercultural first conversations. The 19th International Pragmatics Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 22-27 June 2025.
2025
Conference Publication
The paradoxical role of jocular wordplay in intercultural L1-L2 initial interactions
Haugh, Michael and Chang, Wei-Lin Melody (2025). The paradoxical role of jocular wordplay in intercultural L1-L2 initial interactions. Wordplay and Exclusion, Würzburg, Germany/online, 30–31 May 2025.
2025
Conference Publication
Conversational humour and rapport in Australian-Chinese intercultural initial interactions
Haugh, Michael and Chang, Wei-Lin Melody (2025). Conversational humour and rapport in Australian-Chinese intercultural initial interactions. 31st Australasian Humour Studies Network, Adelaide, SA Australia, 19-21 February 2025.
2025
Journal Article
“Being your son is rather tiring”: Assessments and assessment responses in initial interactions in Mandarin Chinese
Chang, Wei-Lin Melody (2025). “Being your son is rather tiring”: Assessments and assessment responses in initial interactions in Mandarin Chinese. Journal of Pragmatics, 235, 43-59. doi: 10.1016/j.pragma.2024.11.001
2024
Conference Publication
“Being your son is rather tiring”: Assessments and Assessment Responses in Initial Interaction in Mandarin Chinese
Chang, Wei-Lin Melody (2024). “Being your son is rather tiring”: Assessments and Assessment Responses in Initial Interaction in Mandarin Chinese. International Symposium on Chinese Language and Discourse, Singapore, 30 July - 2 August 2024.
2024
Conference Publication
Cross-generational study of conversational humour amongst Taiwanese speakers of Mandarin Chinese: metapragmatic commentary on humour practices
Chang, Wei-Lin Melody (2024). Cross-generational study of conversational humour amongst Taiwanese speakers of Mandarin Chinese: metapragmatic commentary on humour practices. 30th Australasian Humour Studies Network, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 7-9 February 2024.
2024
Book Chapter
Pathways to teaching global languages: challenges, opportunities, and implications for Asian language teachers in Australian schools
Fillmore, Naomi, Disbray, Samantha, Haugh, Michael, Chang, Wei-Lin Melody, Crump, Des and Hashimoto, Kayoko (2024). Pathways to teaching global languages: challenges, opportunities, and implications for Asian language teachers in Australian schools. Rethinking the Asian language learning paradigm in Australia. (pp. 17-44) edited by Kayoko Hashimoto. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-74149-4_2
2023
Conference Publication
The metapragmatics of offence and online public shaming in Chinese
Chang, Wei-Lin Melody, Haugh, Michael and Su, Hsi-Yao (2023). The metapragmatics of offence and online public shaming in Chinese. The 18th International Pragmatics Conference, Brussels, Belgium, 9-14 July 2023.
2023
Conference Publication
Epistemic territories and the preference for knowability and agreeability in intercultural first conversations
Haugh, Michael and Chang, Wei-Lin Melody (2023). Epistemic territories and the preference for knowability and agreeability in intercultural first conversations. The International Conference of Conversation Analysis (ICCA23), Brisbane, QLD Australia, 29 June- 2 July 2023.
2023
Book Chapter
(Dis)agreeability in intercultural first conversations among Australian and Taiwanese university students
Haugh, Michael and Chang, Wei-Lin Melody (2023). (Dis)agreeability in intercultural first conversations among Australian and Taiwanese university students. Negotiating intercultural relations: insights from linguistics, psychology, and intercultural education. (pp. 15-34) edited by Troy McConachy and Perry Hinton. London, United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Academic. doi: 10.5040/9781350276963.0009
2022
Book Chapter
Sociopragmatics and intercultural interaction
Haugh, Michael and Chang, Wei-Lin Melody (2022). Sociopragmatics and intercultural interaction. The Cambridge handbook of intercultural pragmatics. (pp. 420-444) edited by Istvan Kecskes. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/9781108884303.017
2022
Journal Article
The role of ‘familiarity’ in Mandarin Chinese speakers’ metapragmatic evaluations of Australian conversational humour
Chang, Wei-Lin Melody and Sinkeviciute, Valeria (2022). The role of ‘familiarity’ in Mandarin Chinese speakers’ metapragmatic evaluations of Australian conversational humour. The European Journal of Humour Research, 10 (2), 74-95. doi: 10.7592/EJHR.2022.10.2.651
2022
Conference Publication
“Is it supposed to be funny?” L2 speakers’ recognition, understanding and appreciation of Australian conversational humour
Chang, Wei-Lin Melody and Sinkeviciute, Valeria (2022). “Is it supposed to be funny?” L2 speakers’ recognition, understanding and appreciation of Australian conversational humour. (Inter-)cultural perspectives on humour in the globalised world, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 20 June 2022.
2022
Conference Publication
Epistemic authority in intercultural first conversations
Chang, Wei-Lin Melody and Haugh, Michael (2022). Epistemic authority in intercultural first conversations. The 9th Intercultural Pragmatics and Communication conference (INPRA-9), Brisbane, QLD Australia, 21-23 June 2022.
2022
Conference Publication
“Is it supposed to be funny?” L2 speakers’ recognition, understanding and appreciation of Australian conversational humour
Chang, Wei-Lin Melody and Sinkeviciute, Valeria (2022). “Is it supposed to be funny?” L2 speakers’ recognition, understanding and appreciation of Australian conversational humour. Symposium: (Inter-)cultural perspectives on humour in the globalised world, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 20 June 2022.
2022
Book Chapter
Chinese conversational humour over time: contemporary practice and tradition in Taiwanese cultures
Chang, Wei-Lin Melody and Haugh, Michael (2022). Chinese conversational humour over time: contemporary practice and tradition in Taiwanese cultures. Humour in Asian cultures: Tradition and Context. (pp. 188-210) edited by Jessica Milner Davis. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003176374-9
2021
Conference Publication
Displaying embarrassment in Taiwanese business negotiations
Chang, Wei-Lin Melody and Haugh, Michael (2021). Displaying embarrassment in Taiwanese business negotiations. The 17th International Pragmatics Conference, Winterthur, Switzerland, 27 June - 2 July 2021.
2021
Journal Article
Taking it too far: the role of ideological discourses in contesting the limits of teasing and offence
Chang, Wei-Lin Melody, Haugh, Michael and Su, Hsi-Yao (2021). Taking it too far: the role of ideological discourses in contesting the limits of teasing and offence. Pragmatics. Quarterly Publication of the International Pragmatics Association (IPrA), 31 (3), 382-405. doi: 10.1075/prag.20003.cha
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Melody Chang is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Emerging intercultural communication styles among Japanese and Australian entrepreneurs
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Michael Haugh
-
Doctor Philosophy
Relationship management in everyday Mainland Chinese and Chinese-Australian family talk
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Valeria Sinkeviciute
Completed supervision
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Conversational humour in intercultural initial interactions in English
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Valeria Sinkeviciute, Professor Michael Haugh
Media
Enquiries
For media enquiries about Dr Melody Chang's areas of expertise, story ideas and help finding experts, contact our Media team: