MAAL7002 Applied Linguistics in the Workplace
COURSE TEACHER:
Dr. Sherman Lee
Email: sleehku@hku.hk
OVERVIEW
In the contemporary workplace, communication is not only concerned with language-in-use but embraces a range of social issues. This course introduces to participants key aspects of workplace communication or organisational interactions that are pertinent to applied linguists such as rapport management, identities, roles, and interactional strategies across a range of professional contexts.
AIMS
The course intends to develop students’ critical understanding of discourse and communication in a range of professional contexts. In addition to covering relevant theoretical concepts of workplace communication, course participants will be introduced to a variety of analytical approaches.
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this course, students should be able to understand and critically evaluate workplace communication in relation to key theoretical notions/concepts and by applying a range of methodological approaches.
KEY REFERENCES
- Bhatia, V. and Bremner, S. (Eds.) (2014). The Routledge handbook of language and professional communication. Routledge.
- Lau, K. (2012). Learning to become a professional in a textually-mediated world: A text-oriented study of placement practices. Peter Lang.
- Vine, B. (Ed.) (2018). The Routledge handbook of language in the workplace. Routledge.
- Vine, B. (Ed.) (2020). Introducing language in the workplace. Cambridge University Press.
PROVISIONAL SCHEDULE
| Session | Topic |
| 1 | Key concepts and approaches to exploring workplace communication |
| 2 | Interactional sociolinguistics, rapport management and workplace culture |
| 3 | Transactional talk vs relational talk in the workplace |
| 4 | Managing problematic communication and conflicts |
| 5 | Gender, identities and roles |
| 6 | Applied linguistics across workplace settings and contexts |
ASSESSMENT An essay of 2.500 words (±10%)
Collect and discuss written and/or spoken data from any workplace / professional setting with reference to the concepts and/or approaches covered on the course. If you would like to discuss alternative concepts/approaches, please seek approval from the teacher first. Specific details of the assignment will be provided at the beginning of the course.