Programme Handbook

For students
admitted in 2020-21

Programme Handbook

For students
admitted in 2019-20

Programme Handbook

For students
admitted in 2018-19

Programme Handbook

For students
admitted in 2017 - 18

Description

Language and Communication is an interdisciplinary programme within the Faculty of Arts, which centres on the study and use of language in society in a multilingual, globalized world. It thereby focuses on both languages of global import, such as English, as well as those with local significance, and on how they are appropriated and positioned in multilingual, cosmopolitan contexts of Asia. The programme provides the theoretical foundations and applied contexts for understanding and addressing linguistic and social questions of language and communication. It equips students with the intellectual and practical tools to critically examine, intelligently reflect on, and competently participate in communicative situations, in real-world contexts, such as in the workplace as well as in more informal sites of multilingual communication. The Language and Communication programme takes particular pride in engaging in experiential learning, from internships and projects in courses involving fieldwork in Hong Kong, to initiatives such as overseas field trips. In addressing the need in society for linguistically versatile and culturally sensitive leaders in the 21st-century knowledge economy of Asia’s world city and beyond, the programme aims at honing transferable skills for a wide range of careers, including education, materials development, editing and publishing, public administration, public relations, marketing, the media, event organization, tourism, cultural affairs and global creative industries.

The courses of the Language and Communication programme incorporate a variety of teaching and learning methods, including formal lectures, seminars, small group tutorials, workshops, and online learning. They are mostly assessed by coursework, including oral presentations, in-class tests and quizzes, essays and research projects and portfolios. They are designed to provide students with skills of accurate and historically sensitive analysis, critical reading and thinking, and clear and coherent argument in both writing and speaking.

Students are encouraged to discuss their study plans and course selections with the UG Coordinator, their Academic Advisers, or any teachers in the Language and Communication programme.

Click here for the pdf version.

On successful completion of the major or minor in Language and Communication, students should be able to: 

• identify and critique relevant issues in the study of language and communication, and apply theoretical and methodological knowledge to real-world social and linguistic data;
• critically evaluate established knowledge and creatively apply it to novel, contemporary contexts of communication, in this multilingual, globalized world, in particular in the settings of Hong Kong and Asia;
• critically reflect upon the strengths and weaknesses of their own and others’ viewpoints and communicative practices, and challenge taken-for-granted assumptions about language and communication;
• identify, appreciate and critically examine the role of diversity in languages and communicative strategies across cultures and time, and how this shapes one’s linguistic identity and comes to bear upon communicative situations, drawing on cross-cultural perspectives in the study of language and communication;
• use the necessary intellectual, communicative and practical skills to participate in intellectual discussions of linguistic and social issues and collaborate productively in research projects, in and for both institutional and real-world contexts; and
• demonstrate an understanding of the complexities of contemporary social and political issues of language and communication in the context of globalization – such as the appropriation and positioning of languages of global significance, in particular English, and the fine balance struck with other local languages, with a view to sustainability in multilingual, cosmopolitan contexts of Asia, – which allows for intelligent, significant and responsible contributions to society.

Click here for the pdf file.

Below is a summary of the full syllabuses. For the full syllabuses with course descriptions, please click here.

*New courses added to the relevant course list shall also be counted towards the major/minor for students admitted in the earlier cohort(s).

Students intending to declare a major or minor in Language and Communication in the second year must pass at least one introductory LCOM course from List A “Historical and Theoretical Foundations” (6 credits) in the first year.

Admission to all introductory courses is on the basis of academic record including a minimum Level 5 in English Language in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) examination, or an equivalent score in another recognized English proficiency test.

To complete the requirements of the major, students must take:

1. 30 credits of introductory courses (including the first-year prerequisite), normally taken in the first two years of study, which consist of:

   (a) 12 credits from List A (of which at least 6 credits must be from LCOM as a first-year prerequisite);
   (b) 6 credits from List B;
   (c) 12 credits from List C; and

2. 48 credits of advanced courses, which consist of:

   (a) 24 credits from the ENGL and LCOM course lists below (of which 12 credits must be from LCOM, and 12 credits from either ENGL or LCOM), which must include a capstone course to be taken preferably in the final year;
   (b) 24 credits from any other programmes from the list below (i.e. which are not ENGL and LCOM courses).

To complete the requirements of the minor, students must take:

1. 18 credits of introductory courses (including the first-year prerequisite), which consist of:

   (a) 6 credits of LCOM course from List A (first-year prerequisite);
   (b) 6 credits from List B;
   (c) 6 credits from List C; and

2. 18 credits of advanced courses (of which at least 6 credits must be from LCOM).

The courses in this list will introduce students to the history and organization of diverse areas of linguistic scholarship. Students will acquire a general overview of selected areas and issues, including major theoretical distinctions or classifications and their historical development over time.

The courses in this list will introduce students to the practice and methods of critical reading, analysis and writing, focusing on different areas of literary and linguistic study. Students will acquire a basic grasp of analytical distinctions and terminology, and learn to ask questions and construct critical arguments.

African Studies

Comparative Literature

European Studies

General Linguistics

Global Creative Industries

Hong Kong Studies

Japanese Studies

Korean Studies

Translation

Students should note that LING1000 is the pre-requisite for the five other introductory LING courses. However students who have completed any introductory course in List A may enroll in these LING courses without the pre-requisite LING course.

In order to enroll in any advanced courses in English Studies or Language and Communication, students must normally have completed 18 credits of introductory courses, with at least 6 credits from both List A and List B.

Students should note that they bear the responsibility of fulfilling the necessary pre-requisites, if any, for advanced courses in other programmes. Students who have completed any introductory course in List A may however enroll in some of the advanced LING courses in the list below without having to do the pre-requisite and/or introductory LING course(s), though it may still be preferable to do so.

American Studies

China Studies

Comparative Literature

English Studies

European Studies

General Linguistics

Global Creative Industries

Hong Kong Studies

Japanese Studies

Korean Studies

Language and Communication

Philosophy

Translation

• ENGL2164/ LALS3010/ LLAW3251 Beginnings of English law and literature
• ENGL2184/ LCOM2007 Visual communication

For more information, please refer to https://cics.hku.hk/the-list-of-badged-courses/

Please check here for course offerings and time-table of 2022-23.

Dr Brian King
School of English
The University of Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 3917 4474
Fax: (852) 2559 7139
Email: bwking@hku.hk