Contact
Biography
Melissa Yoong works in the area of language, gender and sexuality. Her research investigates the ways in which language use (e.g. in the media) upholds or challenges gender- and sexuality-based inequalities related to work, family, migration and more. Through systematic, detailed analysis of written and spoken texts, her studies have shed light on how language that may seem neutral, benign, or even progressive and empowering can reinforce stereotypes, bias and discrimination. She has also explored how individuals and groups deploy linguistic strategies to resist unfair practices and prejudice, and advocate for social justice. She has collaborated with researchers within and beyond the field of sociolinguistics from universities in Malaysia, the UK, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia. She recently completed her second book, which is on researching language, gender and sexuality in professional life (2025, Routledge).
Melissa has been invited to speak on issues of gender equality by, among others, the British High Commission, Unilever, and Springer Nature. She has also shared her expertise with public, institutional and academic audiences in interviews for podcasts, radio shows and press articles. She delivered a keynote on 'Bodily Autonomy: The Role of Media in Promoting Gender Equality in Malaysia' for the Malaysia Women & Girls Forum (MWGF) 2021 organised by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Malaysia and UN Malaysia.
Melissa is a board member of University of Nottingham's Asia Research Institute Malaysia, a member of UNM's People and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion committee, and an affiliate with the Linguistic Profiling for Professionals (LiPP) business unit based at the University of Nottingham, UK. Prior to joining the University of Nottingham, she was a consultant with Accenture, where she implemented business and technology solutions for global and regional companies in Malaysia, London, Manchester and Hong Kong.
Teaching Summary
Undergraduate modules
- ENGL1036 Introduction to Linguistics
- ENGL2032 Discourse and Society
- ENGL2049 Language, Gender and Sexuality
Postgraduate modules
- ENGL4292 Approaches to Language and Linguistics
- ENGL4311 Language, Gender and Sexuality
Selected Publications
YOONG, M., 2025. Researching Language, Gender and Sexuality at Work: A Student Guide. London: Routledge (in print).
Past Research
Please click on the 'Publications' tab above for details of my monograph, journal articles and book chapters. You can also view them via my ORCID profile.
Keynotes and Invited Talks:
YOONG, M. 2023. "Let's Just Gather the Forces": Exploring Practices of Power and Resistance in Postfeminist Discourse. Keynote presented at the 3rd Gender Studies Conference, University of Nottingham Ningbo Campus, China.
YOONG, M. 2022. Rehabilitating the Language of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Malaysia's Women's Empowerment Discourse. Invited plenary paper presented at 1st Asia Pacific Conference on Language and Gender, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia.
YOONG, M. 2021. Bodily Autonomy: The Role of Media in Promoting Gender Equality in Malaysia. Keynote presented at the Malaysia Women & Girls Forum 2021, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
YOONG, M., 2019. The Discursive Legitimation of the Political Gender Gap in Twitter Debates. Keynote presented at 12th British Association of Applied Linguistics (BAAL) Language, Gender and Sexuality SIG Event, Birmingham City University, UK.
Conference Presentations:
YOONG, M. and WONG, X., 2023. Feminist Resistance in and against Neoliberal, Postfeminist Entrepreneurship Discourse: A Case Study of a Sustainable Social Enterprise. At: 12th International Gender and Language Association Conference, University of Queensland, Australia.
YOONG, M., 2021. Rethinking Women's Empowerment Through Global Householding: A Critical Analysis of Interpellations and Absences in Online Discourse. At: 11th International Gender and Language Association Conference, Queen Mary University of London, UK.
YOONG, M., 2018. "China Dolls", Madonna Wives, and Vanishing Husbands: Media-mediated Identities of Malaysia's Chinese Diaspora and Economic Migrants. At: 10th International Gender and Language Association Conference, University of Botswana, Botswana.
YOONG, M., 2017. Women, Work, and Having It All: Professional Discourses and Identities in Malaysian Media. At: 6th University of Malaya Discourse and Society International Conference, University of Malaya, Malaysia.
YOONG, M., 2016. "Create Opportunities for Yourself!": Neoliberal Postfeminism in a Malaysian Women's Magazine. At: 9th International Gender and Language Association Conference, City University, Hong Kong.
YOONG, M., 2014. The Air Hostess and the Chairman: Developing Learner Awareness of Politically Incorrect Language in Newspapers in Education. At: 12th International Asia TEFL Conference, Kuching, Malaysia.
YOONG, M., 2013. Sexism on UNMC Students' Facebook "Confessions" Page. At: Ms Education: Women, Equality and Education in the 21st century, University of Nottingham, UK.
Short Pieces:
YOONG, M., 2018. No more 'leaning in' - the neoliberal myth of the superhero businesswoman holds us all back. The Conversation. Available at: http://theconversation.com/no-more-leaning-in-the-neoliberal-myth-of-the-superhero-businesswoman-holds-us-all-back-101922
YOONG, M., 2014. Pull up a chair, we need to talk about sexist language at work. The Conversation. Available at: http://theconversation.com/pull-up-a-chair-we-need-to-talk-about-sexist-language-at-work-31869
Media Interviews:
CALLAHAN, J., MAVIN, S., and YOONG, M., 2022. HRD & Gender. Human Resource Development Masterclass. Available at: https://www.ahrd.org/page/HRD-Masterclass-Podcast-Series
FARID, A., 2022. Enforcing 'proper' use of Bahasa Malaysia with penalties 'unfortunate', say linguists. The Malaysian Insight. Available at: https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/s/388111
BAILEY, L. and YOONG, M., 2016. Gender in the Workplace. BFM. Available at: https://www.bfm.my/podcast/the-bigger-picture/live-learn/lucy-bailey-melissa-yoong-gender-in-workplace