/wdwg
wilkinson daniel wong gonzales
Assistant Professor of Applied English Linguistics
The Chinese University of Hong Kong,
Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
wdwonggonzales@cuhk.edu.hk
/about me
Hello! I am Wil Gonzales, a linguist with a passion for exploring the nuances of language in diverse and multilingual settings. From language contact to applied linguistics, my research delves into the ways in which language evolves and adapts in different contexts. I am privileged to not only share my love of language with my students but also to constantly expand my own knowledge in this fascinating field. I am currently an Assistant Professor of Applied English Linguistics at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. In the summer of 2023, I was Visiting Professor at the University of Regensburg in Germany.
I am grateful for the training and mentorship I received from esteemed scholars around the world, which has brought me to where I am today. I first pursued a Bachelor's degree in Secondary Education with a focus on English at De La Salle University in the Philippines, and later completed a Master's degree in English Language and Linguistics at the National University of Singapore. My journey led me to the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (USA), where I received my Ph.D. and Master's in Linguistics and post-graduate certificates in Cognitive Science and Data Science. These experiences have shaped me into the sociolinguist I am today and continue to inspire me to push the boundaries of my understanding of language and society.
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My most recent and notable achievement is the publication of my first book/monograph: Our People’s Language: Variation and change in the Lánnang-uè of the Manila Lannangs. Check it out when you have time!
/highlights
NEW BOOK (2025): Our People’s Language: Variation and change in the Lánnang-uè of the Manila Lannangs
(Dân láng-e uè: Mga Manilá Lánnáng-e Lánnang-uè-e pagka-varỳ kâp pagka-pièn)
This book pioneers the study of Lánnang-uè, deeply embedded in Manila’s Lannang community’s culture. It approaches Lánnang-uè not just as a language but as a vibrant social practice, highlighting its variability and complex social meanings (e.g., identity-marking). Over six years and with more than 150 participants, the monograph integrates contemporary, community-focused, and critical sociolinguistic frameworks to explore and document linguistic variation as well as change signaling attrition, challenging reductive academic views. Employing diverse methodologies—surveys, elicitation, interviews, computational modeling, and ethnography— the work offers a nuanced depiction of Lánnang-uè’s diversity. A decolonial stance is advocated, emphasizing the complex practices that define the language and its speakers’ identity. It critiques the idea of a uniform linguistic standard, presenting Lánnang-uè as shaped by local, diverse, and inclusive practices, urging a reevaluation of language ownership and authenticity. This monograph is crucial for scholars in sociolinguistics, language variation, and contact linguistics, informing language revitalization efforts and enriching global discussions on linguistic diversity and discrimination.
/as a sociolinguist
As a sociolinguist, I am fascinated by the intricate ways in which language interacts with society, especially in the diverse and multilingual context of the Philippines and Southeast Asia. Whether exploring language variation, change, or contact, I am constantly seeking new ways to understand the dynamic relationship between language and culture. My research employs a wide range of techniques, including corpus-based analysis, experimental methods, ethnographic fieldwork, and computational approaches, as I delve into diverse datasets ranging from natural speech to social media data.
I have a keen interest in the study of Sino-Philippine languages such as Lánnang-uè and East Asian languages like Putonghua/Mandarin, Hokkien and Colloquial Singapore English (or "Singlish"). In my research, I often incorporate a social perspective by examining the diverse sociolinguistic contexts in which these languages are used.
/recent publications
/projects
/as a data scientist
I have had the opportunity to collaborate with and lead two dynamic and multi-talented teams – the Alzheimer's Disease Machine Learning team at the Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation at the University of Michigan, and the Natural Language Processing team of Digital Alpha Technologies in New York. In these roles, I have been able to leverage my expertise in corpus development and analysis, using a combination of machine learning and computational techniques to drive innovative research and development. Whether working with data from healthcare or natural language processing, I am constantly seeking new ways to apply my skills and make meaningful contributions to my field.
/tools
SubCorp (Python)
A tool that creates a tagged (sociolinguistic) corpus based on SRT files from YouTube
2021
EasyYTGet (Python)
A free application that automatically downloads videos and audios given a list of links or a link
2021
TweetCorp (Python)
A wrapper application that, from a simple query GUI interface, scrapes, preprocesses, and tokenizes Twitter tweets by sentence using a mix of rule-based and neural network splitting algorithms before compiling them into a CSV corpus file. Includes sociolinguistic demographic prediction support using Deep Learning with Wang et al’s 2019 M3 application
2021
SpeechSuite (Python)
An application that uses speech detection, segmentation, LSTM-based network embedding, and spectral clustering to transcribe, diarize, and tag American English audio. Under development: Support for Philippine English and Filipino
2021
Corpus of Philippine Englishes-Twitter Component Corpus Suite (Python)
An application that compiles
and preprocesses COPE, allows for data querying, which is used to subset the corpus. Includes sociolinguistic demographic prediction support using Deep Learning with Wang et al’s 2019 M3 application
2021
Financial Data Extractor (Python)
A tool that takes in a list of SEC-registered companies and returns a CSV with extracted financial information (e.g., revenue segmentation by region) from 10-Q/10-K filings. Developed for Digital Alpha Technologies, Inc. New York, USA
2020
/affiliations
/as an educator
Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of teaching and mentoring students across the globe – from the Philippines and Singapore to the United States and Hong Kong. As a licensed professional teacher in the Philippines, I continue to work hard to understand and navigate the nuances of education and am dedicated to supporting the success of my students. My expertise and passion for teaching allow me to interact with the complexities of the field and make a positive impact on the lives of those I teach.
My dedication to teaching was recognized when I placed 6th out of 53,090 exam takers overall, with a top ranking of 1st in English. Whether working with students in the classroom or through mentorship, I am committed to helping others reach their full potential and achieve their goals.
/courses taught
/awards
2021
The Deborah Keller-Cohen Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
University of Michigan
2018
Graduate Students’ Teaching Award (GSTA)
National University of Singapore
2018
The Braj B. Kachru Student Award
23rd International Association of World Englishes (IAWE) Conference, International Association for World Englishes
2016
Eduardo Cojuanco, Jr. Award for Teaching Innovation
De La Salle University
2016
Jose Rizal Award – Jose Rizal Honors Society
De La Salle University
2016
Distinction Award (Rank 1 - English specialization, Rank 6 - overall, 53,090)
Professional Regulation Commission, Manila, the Philippines
2016
Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis Award
De La Salle University
