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 key aspects of workplace communication research that are relevant to applied linguists, such as rapport management, identities, roles, and interactional strategies, across a range of workplace and professional contexts.
AIMS
The course aims to develop participants’ critical understanding of discourse and communication in a range of workplace and professional contexts. In addition to covering theoretical concepts, it will introduce a variety of analytical approaches for examining authentic workplace discourse and interactions.
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this course, participants should be able to:
- Explain and illustrate the relevance of studying language use in the workplace
- Demonstrate an understanding of theoretical and methodological issues related to studying workplace communication
- Apply that knowledge to describe and critically analyse authentic discourse from a workplace setting
KEY REFERENCES
- Schnurr, S. (2013). Exploring professional communication: Language in action. Routledge.
- 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 in studying workplace and professional communication |
| 2 | Methodological approaches to exploring workplace discourse |
| 3 | Identities, roles and gender in the workplace |
| 4 | Rapport management and workplace culture |
| 5 | Managing problematic communication and conflict talk in the workplace |
| 6 | Transactional communication across workplace contexts and settings |
ASSESSMENT
Write a paper of 2,500 words (+/- 10%) that critically examines authentic discourse from a workplace setting. Collect written and/or spoken data from any workplace or professional setting. Provide a detailed description of the data and conduct a thorough analysis of the communication or interactional episode, with reference to the concepts and approaches covered in the course. If you would like to discuss alternative concepts/approaches, please seek prior approval from the teacher. Further details of the assignment will be provided when the course begins.