This course provides an opportunity for all us to critically reflect on our own position in contemporary globalisation and centres on it relation to language and communication, critically examining some widely held notions, such as the view that globalization has resulted in the homogenization of cultures and languages, and in the hegemony of English. The course investigates the politics of language and globalization, in how various nations, particularly those in Asia, struggle with the balance between their indigenous languages and languages of global import and/or wider local significance, e.g., English or Mandarin. The course also addresses the phenomenon of globalisation bringing communities and languages into contact, the consequences of which are often viewed as situations of peril, involving the endangerment of languages, as well as the evolution of new linguistic varieties such as World/New Englishes.

We also deal with how globalisation has impacted every aspect of our lives, on tourism, global population flows, the world of work, and health. The effect of culture as it moves on the global stage is also dealt with, bringing with it issues of cultural appropriation and the concept of authenticity and who can speak for whom.

A course such as this must also discuss the impact of the digital age on globalisation, in which information, both true and false, spreads faster than ever. The same technology that provides easy access to data across the globe can advance the distortion of truth and the normalization of lies. Technology has also meant that local and global protest movements have changed in novel ways that do not neatly conform to our understandings of their trajectories before the advent of digital technologies. Many of these developments have cultural and political roots that predate the Internet but have found a fuller expression in conjunction with the capabilities provided by technology.

Ultimately, this course aims to create space where we can develop critical faculties for discussing and writing about globalisation.

 

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World Englishes, lingua franca, social movements, tourism, remote-working, identity, migration, digital truth, health & pandemics, language ideologies, translanguaging, networked globalised protest

 

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Wednesdays 09:30 – 12:20, Room tba

The course will consist of lectures immediately followed by tutorials or the other way around. The lectures will provide students with detailed overviews of current issues and discussions in the field of language, communication and globalisation. The tutorials will be student-led and will offer opportunities for in-depth discussions of the weekly readings. The tutorials will also introduce students to important study skills, such as critical writing strategies and slow reading techniques. In the latter half of the semester, students are asked to prepare short presentations on topics of their choice. It is mandatory to book at least two office hours to discuss your learning progress, plan your written assignments and discuss your personal views within globalisation. Students who miss more than three classes, for whatever reason, will be considered as not having completed the course and will not receive a final grade.

 

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Assessment is 100% coursework, which comprises five components as listed below. A failure to complete a component on the specified due date will result in a 0 for that particular proportion of the grade. Further specification about the content, analysis and formatting as well as grading of your coursework will be distributed at the beginning of the semester.

1. 6 October:       Case study of first 4 weeks’ topic (500 words, 20%)
2. 18 October:     Idea for an essay (10%),
3. November:      In-class presentation (10%)
4. 1 November:   Essay draft (10%)
5. 23 December: Final essay (2,000 words, 50%).

 

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1. You will understand how globalisation is shaped by complexity.
2. You will learn how globalisation affects language and different aspects of society.
3. You will learn how to challenge simplistic understandings that depict globalisation as leading to homogenisation and/or greater equality.
4. You learn how to critique globalised societies.
5. You will begin to unlearn your own position in globalisation and critically reflect on your position within it.  
6. You will acquire the patience to work through, understand and critically evaluate difficult academic articles.
7. You will learn and revise key writing skills that help you present your ideas to a specialised audience in a critical fashion.

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(students are expected to read core readings before class; tutorial structure will be finalised in the first two weeks of the course)

Lecture: Language, Communication, & Globalization

Tutorial: Introduction

Core Readings

1. Blommaert, J. (2016). “From Mobility to Complexity in Sociolinguistic Theory and Method. In: Nikolas Coupland (ed.) Sociolinguistics: Theoretical Debates. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 242-261.

2. Skutnabb-Kangas, T., and Phillipson, R. (2010). The Politics of Language in Globalisation: Maintenance, Marginalization, or Murder. In Coupland, Nicolas (ed.). Handbook on Language and Globalization.  Oxford: Blackwell: 77-100.

3. Hall, K. (2014). “Hypersubjectivity: Language, Anxiety, and Indexical Dissonance in Globalization”. Journal of Asian Pacific Communication 24(2):261-273.

Optional Reading

Mikanowski, J. (2018). “Behemoth, Bully, Thief: How the English Language is Taking over the Planet.” The Guardian, 27 July. Accessed https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jul/27/english-language-global-dominance.

Lecture: World Englishes and Beyond

Tutorial: To Be Confirmed

Core Readings

1. Kirkpatrick, A. (2006). “Which Model of English: Native-speaker, Nativized or Lingua Franca?”.

2. Matthew Michaud, M., & Colpitts, B.D.F. (2015). “English as a Lingua Franca: Globalization, Ownership, and the Diversification of English” Kwansei Gakuin University Humanities Review 20, 2015 Nishinomiya, Japan.

Extra Reading

3.  Leimgruber, J.R.E. (2013). “The Trouble with World Englishes.” English Today 29(3): 3-7.

Lecture: Translanguaging

Tutorial: To Be Confirmed

Core Readings

1. Hiramoto, M., & Wong, A.D. (2015). “Unsettling Boundaries: Taking Stock of Trans-Perspectives in Sociolinguistics.” Social Problems 62: 15–39.

2. Li, Wei. (2018). “Translanguaging as a Practical Theory of Language.” Applied Linguistics 39(1): 9–30.

3. MacSwan, J. (2017). A Multilingual Perspective on Translanguaging.” American Educational Research Journal 54(1): 167–201.

Optional Readings

1. Creese, A., Blackledge, A., & Hu, R. (2018). “Translanguaging and Translation: The Construction of Social Difference Across City Spaces.” International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 21(7): 841–852.

2. Li, Wei & Zhu, Hua. (2019). “Tranßcripting: Playful Subversion with Chinese Characters, International Journal of Multilingualism, 16(2): 145-161.

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Lecture: Truth in the Digital Age

Tutorial: To Be Confirmed

Core Readings

1. Emspak, J. (2020). “Truth, Untruth and Technology.” In Technology vs. Truth: Deception in the Digital Age. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/store/ebooks/technology-vs-truth-deception-in-the-digital-age/ (this reading to be confirmed).

2. Viner, K. (2016). “How Technology Disrupted the Truth.” The Guardian, 12 July. Accessed from https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jul/12/how-technology-disrupted-the-truth. “Visual Truth in the Digital Age: Towards a Protocol for Image Ethics”.

Optional Reading

Lacković, N. (2020). “Thinking with Digital Images in the Post-Truth Era: A Method in Critical Media Literacy.” Post-digital Science Education 2, 442-462.

Lecture: Outsourcing Identities and Working Remotely

Tutorial: To Be Confirmed

Core Readings

1. McMillin, D.C. (2006). “Outsourcing Identities: Call Centres and Cultural Transformation in India.” Economic and Political Weekly 41(3): 235-241.

2. Rajan-Rankin, S. (2018). “Invisible Bodies and Disembodied Voices? Identity Work, the Body and Embodiment in Transnational Service Work.” Gender, Work & Organization (Special Issue: Bodies & Intimate Relations) 25(1): 9-23.

3. Lund, S., Madgavkar, A., Manyika, J., & Smit, S. (2020). “What’s Next for Remote Work: An Analysis of 2,000 Tasks, 800 Jobs, and Nine Countries”. McKinsey & Company, 23 November, accessed at https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/whats-next-for-remote-work-an-analysis-of-2000-tasks-800-jobs-and-nine-countries.

Optional Reading

1. Park, J. (2014). “‘You Say Ouch and I Say Aya’ Linguistic Insecurity in a Narrative of Transnational Work.” Journal of Asian Pacific Communication 24(2): 241–260.

SUBMISSION: Case Study due (10%)

Reading Week ***no classes ***

Please use this week to review completed readings and do your own literature research to deepen

your knowledge of topics that you find fascinating.

Lecture: Border Crossings: The Global Flow of People

Tutorial: To Be Confirmed

Core Readings

1. Turken, S. & Rudmin, F.W. (2013). “On Psychological Effects of Globalization: Development of a Scale of Global Identity.” Psychology & Society 5(2): 63–89.

2. Taylor, C. (2020). “Representing the Windrush Generation: Metaphor in Discourses Then and Now.” Critical Discourse Studies 17(1): 1-21.

Optional Readings

1. Gatopoulos, D., & Kantouris, C. (2021). “AI-powered Lie Detectors, Interview Bots:

Migrants to Face Digital Fortress at Europe’s Border.” Sydney Morning Herald, June

Accessed https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/ai-powered-lie-detectors-interview-bots-

migrants-to-face-digital-fortress-at-europe-s-border-20210601-p57www.html.

2. Blommaert, J. (2001). “Investigating Narrative Inequality: African Asylum Seekers’

Stories in Belgium.” Discourse & Society 12(4): 413-449.

IDEA for Essay Due (10%).

Lecture: Tourism and the Global Self

Tutorial: To Be Confirmed

Core Readings

1. Heller, M., Jaworski, A., & Thurlow, C. (2014). “Introduction: Sociolinguistics and Tourism – Mobilities, Markets, Multilingualism.” Journal of Sociolinguistics 18(4): 425–458.

2. Smith, S.P. (2019). “Landscapes for ‘Likes’: Capitalizing on Travel with Instagram.” Social Semiotics, DOI: 10.1080/10350330.2019.1664579.

Optional Readings

1. Liu, J.H., & Macdonald, M. (2016). “Towards a Psychology of Global Consciousness Through an Ethical Conception of Self in Society.” Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour 46(3): 310-334.

2. Dennett, A. & Song, H.  (2016). “Why Tourists Thirst for Authenticity – And How They Can Find It.” The Conversation, 26 November. Accessed from https://theconversation.com/why-tourists-thirst-for-authenticity-and-how-they-can-find-it-68108.

Lecture: Global Culture & Local culture in a Global Context

Tutorial: Student Presentations

Core Readings

1. Hassi, A. & Storti, G. (2012). “Globalization and Culture: The Three H Scenarios.”

DOI: 10.5772/45655. https://www.intechopen.com/books/globalization-approaches-to-diversity/globalization-and-culture-the-three-h-scenarios.

2. Mosley A.J. & Biernat M. (2020). “The New Identity Theft: Perceptions of Cultural Appropriation in Intergroup Contexts.” Journal of Personal Social Psychology. “The New Identity Theft: Perceptions of Cultural Appropriation in Intergroup Contexts.” doi: 10.1037/pspi0000327.

Optional Readings

1. Park, J. & Kim, Y.Y. (2020). “Analyzing the Reasons for the Global Popularity of BTS: A New Approach from a Business Perspective.” DOI: 10.51240/jibe.2020.1.2

SUBMISSION DUE – 1 November 2020: essay draft (10%)

Lecture: Ideologies of Global Health: Pandemics & Health for All

Tutorial: Student Presentations

Core Readings

1. King, N.B. (2002). “Security, Disease, Commerce: Ideologies of Postcolonial Global Health. Social Studies of Science 32: 763–89.

2.Alkire S., & L. Chen (2004). “Global Health and Moral Values.” Lancet 364; 1069–1074.

Extra Reading

Optional Reading

Kickbusch, I. (2004). “From Charity to Rights: Proposal for Five Action Areas of Global Health. Journal of Epidemiological & Community Health 58: 630-631.

Lecture: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protests: Dissent in an Age of Globalization

Tutorial: Student Presentations

Core Readings

1. Tufekci, Z. (2017). “Chapter 1: A Networked Public”. Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest. NY: Yale University Press.

2. Tufekci, Z. (2017). “Chapter 5: Technology and People.” Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest. NY: Yale University Press.

Optional Readings

1. Kaldor, M. (2003). “The Idea of Global Civil Society.” International Affairs 79(3): 583-593.

2. Dodson, K. (2015). “Globalization and Protest Expansion.” Social Problems 62(1): 15-39.

Lecture: Recap, Discussion, & Closing: The Future of Globalization

Tutorial: Student Presentations

No assigned readings.

SUBMISSION DATE – 23 DECEMBER 2021: final written assignment (2000 words).

 

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Definitions

The University’s definitions on “plagiarism” are as follows:

Plagiarism refers to “direct copying of textual material or wilful use of other people’s data and ideas, and presenting them as one’s own without acknowledgement, whether or not such materials, data and ideas have been published” (Paragraph 6, HKU’s “Regulations Governing Students’ Academic Conduct Concerning Assessment”). In other words, a person is committing plagiarism if he/she paraphrases or quotes the work of another person without clearly identifying (according to academic conventions) the borrowed material and documenting its source.

Self-plagiarism refers to “reuse of one’s own data or repeat of previously published written work, or part thereof, in a ‘new’ publication without acknowledging that the data set has been used or written work has been published elsewhere” (Paragraph 3.1, HKU’s “Policy on Research Integrity”). For instance, if a student re-uses largely or fully the contents of his/her past assignment submitted elsewhere and without acknowledging so in the “new” assignment, it can constitute self-plagiarism.

Plagiarism is a very serious offence and it is strictly prohibited in all assignments and examinations: “A candidate shall not engage in plagiarism nor employ nor seek to employ any other unfair means at an examination or in any other form of assessment” (Paragraph 6, HKU’s “Regulations Governing Students’ Academic Conduct Concerning Assessment”). Students should use proper citations and provide sources wherever necessary.

Protocol on the Handling of Plagiarism

There are severe penalties for plagiarism in the School of English. Students found plagiarizing may be failed not only in the plagiarized oral or written assignment but in the course. Their case will also be considered by a School panel which may decide on further penalties depending on the gravity of the offence. This may involve disclosure of the plagiarism committed to teachers of other courses within the School. The panel may also decide to lodge a complaint with the University's Disciplinary Committee which can result in other penalties. For details, please refer to the “Protocol on the Handling of Plagiarism” available on the Faculty’s website.

Guidelines

There are clear university guidelines in the “What Is Plagiarism” booklet. Students should read these guidelines carefully and revisit them from time to time, especially before submitting an assignment. Ignorance about the nature and definition of plagiarism is never an excuse and will not be accepted. The School of English prepared the “Guidelines for Citing and Documenting Sources” (PDF) for students to download.

Originality Checking of Assignments

Please read HKU’s Turnitin webpage for information on this originality checking engine, which “offers originality checking on students' work for proper citation or potential plagiarism. Once a paper is submitted to Turnitin, it will compare with documents in a continuously updated database consisting of current and archived web pages, millions of student papers worldwide, and collections of newspapers, magazines, scholarly journals, e-Books and e-Texts”.

Final advice: In case of doubt, consult your teachers or tutors.