Course Description: This two-semester course introduces students to five core components in linguistics: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics. It will provide students with a solid grounding in fundamental concepts and methodologies of these five linguistic areas, which will enable them to tackle linguistic problems systematically and help them understand that despite superficial diversity, human languages share fundamental similarities in terms of the universal principles that govern their possible structures. This aim will be approached and achieved through exploring language data. Methods of formal analysis will be applied to data drawn from a variety of languages, with a focus on the analysis and comparison of English and Chinese. Systematic properties generalized from the analysis will be discussed in relation to their application to language teaching and other fields.

Course Description: This course examines how language is used in social interaction and how language use varies across individuals, situations, communities, and regions. It also considers language policy, language change, and the social factors that shape linguistic choices. Particular attention is given to analysing language-related issues in Hong Kong through contemporary sociolinguistic perspectives.

Course Description: This course deals with language above sentence (text) and beyond sentence (meaning in context) as a social and interactive process. A range of techniques and approaches to the study of discourse will be introduced, including the essential concepts of pragmatics, genre analysis, text cohesion and generic structure, and functional analysis of clauses. The course will also examine applications of discourse analysis in cross-cultural (mainly Chinese and English) settings and in educational settings (i.e. teacher-student interaction in the classroom).

Course Description: The course aims to prepare students to successfully engage in research in language studies, in particular to support dissertation writing later in the Programme and to lay the foundation for students’ research in their workplaces/future study programmes. The course deals with basic research skills such as identifying a researchable area of genuine interest, framing and understanding the purpose of research questions, accessing information, locating one's own work in the scholarly literature, collecting and analyzing language data, and producing written reports of research projects in acceptable formats. Students will be introduced to research in language studies and be encouraged to identify their own areas of interest. Attention will be drawn to current research methods and tools. Much of the teaching will be concerned with approaches to the collection, description, and analysis of data in the field of language studies.

Course Description: Recent years have witnessed increasing momentum in the development of all fields in the study of language. This course intends to provide an open forum for the exchange of ideas and the exploration of other topics or fields which are relevant to the concerns of the MA in Language Studies Programme. It is reserved as a slot for new and welcome input which may not have been considered in the current syllabuses of the Programme and which, therefore, may go beyond the scope of materials already offered. Intended learning outcomes, Teaching and learning activities, methods of assessment, textbook/required readings are to be determined by the instructor, in consultation with the Programme Director.

Course Description: The major aims of this course are to help students understand the principles and practices in methods, course design and assessment in language teaching; to examine and critically analyze these principles and practices at different levels of language education with special reference to the curriculum and context of Hong Kong; and to enable students to develop suitable methods, syllabuses, materials and assessment techniques for the contexts that are of immediate concern to them.

Course Description: The course aims at helping students to acquire a new perspective on the English language in its totality -- not as the language of a few traditional English-speaking countries but as a de facto world language, with several ‘old’ and ‘new’ varieties which exhibit their own linguistic features and functions, and to enable students to analyze the linguistic as well as social, political, cultural and educational issues arising from the emergence of English as a world language.

Course Description: This course aims to examine the varied relationships between language and education. It helps to explore the role that education plays in learning language, particularly in learning an L2 (namely, both second language and foreign language) language. It develops an understanding of the characteristics of language learning in natural and educational settings and discusses issues relating to education in language classrooms.

Course Description: This course aims to deal with both first and second language acquisition, with the emphasis being on the latter. Theories of first and second language acquisition are introduced with the aim of providing students with the tools to evaluate theories in light of research and their own experience. Specific problems and important patterns of first and second language acquisition processes are compared and discussed against the background of the introduced theories. Students will have practice analyzing real language data. Emphasis will also be placed on the impact of individual differences in second language acquisition.

Course Description: The course aims to introduce students to an in-depth study of a particular theoretical framework or issue in the area of discourse studies. The selected topic may vary from time to time, with a focus either on a theory/framework (for example, intercultural/ cross-linguistic/interlanguage pragmatics, conversation analysis, gender and discourse) or on an issue (for example, business discourse, classroom discourse, mediated discourse). Regardless of the approach or issue selected, students will be encouraged to compare and criticize the alternative approaches to the study of discourse, to collect and analyze authentic discourse data against different frameworks, and to apply the theory/framework to facilitate effective interpersonal or intercultural communication whenever possible.

Course Description: This course introduces students to corpus linguistics and its applications in language teaching. A corpus is a large collection of authentic language texts that can be analyzed using computer tools to reveal patterns of word use, grammar, and collocation. Students will learn to use corpus tools and apply corpus findings to materials design, syllabus planning, and classroom activities. The course also explores how teachers can use corpora to identify learner errors and design data-driven learning tasks. By the end of the course, students will have gained practical skills that bridge research and teaching, preparing them for future careers in language education or applied linguistics.

Course Description: The aims of the course are to enable students to study and analyze how language users find socially appropriate language for the contexts they encounter and what the rules of language use are; to raise their pragmatic awareness; and to explore ways to learn and teach pragmatic competence in English language classrooms, with particular reference to the Hong Kong context.

Course Description: In this course students will be introduced to theories, methods, and analytical frameworks used to research language, gender and sexuality. Through the discussion of a selection of research case studies, students will learn the practical steps and ethical considerations involved when gathering linguistic data on gender and sexuality. In this way, the course content will enable students to draft a proposal for an original research project in this area.

Course Description: This course examines the relationship between language, culture, and communication in intercultural contexts. Drawing on theories from sociolinguistics, pragmatics, and discourse analysis, we explore how cultural values shape communicative practices, including verbal and non-verbal behavior, politeness strategies, and conversational norms. Special attention is given to intercultural encounters involving English as a global lingua franca, with examples drawn from professional, educational, and everyday settings. Students will develop analytical skills to identify and interpret communication breakdowns, and reflect on their own intercultural competence. The course is designed for those interested in applying linguistic knowledge to real-world intercultural interactions.

Course Description: This course explores the theory and practice of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) within digitally mediated environments. Drawing on corpus linguistics, genre analysis, and multimodal discourse studies, we examine how specialized language varieties such as academic, professional, and technical are shaped by digital tools and platforms. Students analyze authentic digital texts and design ESP materials informed by learner needs and technological affordances. The course also addresses the role of AI, online corpora, and data-driven learning in ESP pedagogy, preparing students to respond to the evolving demands of English in professional and academic contexts worldwide.

Course Description: This course aims to provide students with an overview of how language functions politically, including the construction of social and individual identity. It will examine not only the political and identity-related use of language, but also how the structure of languages themselves has been moulded by these uses and functions. The linguistic issues in Hong Kong and Greater China Region, as well as cultural issues arising from class discussions, will be focused on. These issues will also be discussed in comparison with the language use and cultures of various communities. As an area of study which is by nature interdisciplinary, this course will draw ideas from the fields of linguistics and English studies, as well as adjacent disciplines such as cultural studies, sociology and political science. On this basis, this course serves as a good platform for students to develop a critical awareness on the different academic approaches employed by, not only linguistics, but also various fields of knowledge.

Course Description: The course has two primary goals: (i) To study the sound system and pronunciation features of English, both segmental and suprasegmental, based on internationally accepted models (such as Received Pronunciation); (ii) To discuss and evaluate theoretical and pedagogical approaches to the acquisition and teaching of English pronunciation in an ESL/EFL context (such as Hong Kong). A secondary goal is to raise the students’ awareness of their own pronunciation and the potential for improvement.

Course Description: The course aims to familiarize students with the topic of tonology. All the world’s 9000 or so languages arguably use tone in one way or another. Understanding how tone works is a crucial and critical part of appreciating the structure of natural languages.

Course Description: This course aims to acquaint students with the teaching and learning of second language (L2) pronunciation with reference to different theoretical models and empirical evidence. The course firstly introduces the acquisition of L2 phonology with reference to child first language (L1) acquisition, followed by theories of L2 phonological acquisition and a discussion of linguistic and social factors affecting the acquisition of an L2 sound system. To train students’ abilities in applying theories into practice, this course also offers opportunities for students to develop a pronunciation curriculum by considering the goals, models, and issues, and to create practical guidelines for the teaching of vowels, consonants, and suprasegmentals.

Course Description: This course introduces students to key critical frameworks for analyzing the intersections of language, literature, and society. Drawing on theories from critical discourse analysis, narratology, stylistics, and poststructuralism, we examine how literary and non-literary texts construct meaning, represent identities, and reproduce or challenge ideologies. Students will engage with a range of genres and discursive contexts, developing analytical tools to uncover the social, cultural, and political dimensions of language use. The course bridges literary studies and linguistics, encouraging students to reflect on the role of critical inquiry in understanding texts and their wider contexts.

Course Description: Choose the Dissertation option and replace 6 elective units with an independent research project (Dissertation) guided by our faculty. Dissertation: Students opting for the dissertation must submit a preliminary proposal as the final assignment for the Research Methodology course. To be granted permission, they must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.33 (B+ or above) in their first semester (full-time) or first year (part-time) and have their proposal approved by the Programme Director, in consultation with the instructor of Research Methodology. If not approved, students must complete two additional elective courses. The dissertation is a 15,000-word capstone project taken in the final semester, allowing for deep, independent study on a topic related to their coursework. It aims to develop specialised research skills and perspectives valuable for academic or professional careers. Proposals and any subsequent requests for topic changes require Programme Director approval. The dissertation is examined by two internal examiners, including the supervisor, with a third examiner appointed if a consensus on the grade cannot be reached. Assessment criteria include the research problem definition, data quality, argumentation, conclusions, and presentation.