MAAL7002 Applied Linguistics in the Workplace
COURSE TEACHER:
Dr. Sherman Lee
Email: sleehku@hku.hk
Overview
In the contemporary workplace, communication extends beyond language-in-use to encompass a range of social and relational issues. This course introduces key aspects of workplace communication research in applied linguistics and examines how discourse operates across a range of workplace and professional contexts.
Aims
The course aims to develop participants’ critical understanding of discourse and communication across a range of workplace and professional contexts. It introduces key theoretical concepts and analytical approaches including rapport management, identity, roles, and interactional strategies, for examining authentic workplace discourse and interaction.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students 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 or professional setting
Assessment
Students will complete a 2,500-word paper (+/- 10%) critically examining authentic discourse from a workplace context. The analysis will be based on written and/or spoken data and will apply relevant concepts, frameworks, and approaches from the course. It should present a clear, data-driven and theoretically informed analysis, supported by illustrative examples and relevant literature. A short reflective component on the analytic process is also required. Further details will be provided at the start of the module.
GenAI Policy
Responsible and transparently documented use of GenAI is permitted for brainstorming and language editing. It is not permitted for generating analysis or writing any sections of the paper. Students are encouraged to use AI as a thought partner; however, the final submission must demonstrably represent the student’s own intellectual work. A complete GenAI Use Declaration is required where GenAI has been used.
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. (2020). Introducing language in the workplace. Cambridge University Press.
Schedule (Semester 1)
| Session | Topic |
| 1 | Introduction: Key concepts in the study of workplace 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 in the workplace |
| 6 | Transactional communication at work |