Curriculum Structure

This course examines the cycle of curriculum design and renewal in English language programmes with particular emphasis on their theoretical basis and practical implementation with reference to secondary and tertiary contexts.

This course provides an overview of key methods for researching applied linguistics. By the end of the course, participants will be able to identify, describe and evaluate the relevance of research methods.

This course provides an overview of key approaches and current trends of second language acquisition (SLA). By the end of the course, participants will have a clear understanding of the relationship among different SLA theories, as well as the methodology/techniques used in collecting second language data.

This course adopts a functional view of grammar to understand language as a stratified system. At the end of the course, participants will be able to identify and describe the language use and function in some common genres, apply relevant grammatical categories to critically analyse and interpret language data and diagnose problems of language learners.

This course introduces candidates to a range of approaches to the analysis of spoken discourse. These include Conversation Analysis, Pragmatics, and Semantics. At the end of the course, participants should be able to describe, compare and apply the different approaches to analyze spoken texts.

This course introduces the fundamental principles of language testing and explores the design, trialling, moderation, validation and evaluation of testing instruments.

This elective course introduces latest research and theory on vocabulary teaching and learning with the aim of critically reviewing pedagogy for teachers and learners alike. Some key topics include goals of vocabulary acquisition, dimensions of morphological/lexical/collocational knowledge, teaching and learning strategies in general and specialized domains, dictionaries and contexts, testing, corpora and computer-assisted vocabulary learning. The course provides ways of assessing learners’ word power and reviews on-line approaches to vocabulary teaching aids such as the use of corpora and autonomous lexical development.

This course will bring candidates up to date with developments in writing pedagogy. It reviews theoretical and practical developments that have influenced the teaching of writing in recent years and looks in particular at process, genre and critical approaches to writing and discourse studies.

This course prepares teachers to use technology effectively in their professional practice. It explores some of the key issues in current and emerging uses of technology in language teaching and learning. It looks in particular at concepts of Computer-Assisted Language Learning, network-based teaching and learning, and digital literacies. It discusses the use of various technological tools, resources, materials and activities in enhancing teaching and learning. It examines the use of technology from pedagogical and socio-cultural perspectives particularly with reference to language education. No prior experience in teaching using technology is required.

This course examines the impact of gender as a sociolinguistic variable in female and male speech. Students will learn the linguistic features associated with gender-specific speech in different communities, and examine the major theoretical and methodological approaches to the analysis of gender representation in language, particularly the role of language in shaping gender identities, and legitimising and contesting gender ideologies. Topics such as sexism and language use in different cultural contexts, and gender-based language reforms will also be addressed.

This course engages participants in exploring how teachers of English as a second/foreign language learn, teach, and research in their pursuit of professional development. Topics include the expertise of language teachers, the transition from general to academic English teachers, the teaching of English skills for specific purposes, teachers’ beliefs and practices, reflective practitioners, teacher learning and teacher research, teacher autonomy, agency, and teacher identity.

This course consists of a series of interactive workshops which will focus on the skills needed to enter into the research phase leading to the production of a dissertation. By the end of the workshops, candidates will be able to design and carry out their own research plan. As a result, they will be ready to prepare their dissertation research proposals.

Please note that MAAL6037 is a required course for students who want to take the dissertation option for their capstone experience.

This course introduces candidates to a variety of applications of corpus linguistics, including genre/register analyses, contrastive (interlanguage) analyses, critical discourse analyses, and L1/L2 corpora for assessment and pedagogical purposes.

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.

This course introduces different approaches to studying and conceptualizing intercultural communication and intercultural communicative competence and development. It also develops students’ ability to apply the theoretical concepts to evaluate, reflect and decide on the method of being an effective intercultural speaker using English as a lingua franca in a highly globalised world.

This course introduces students to a wide range of issues related to Instructed Second Language Acquisition (ISLA).  It discusses key issues and questions in language acquisition that have driven the bulk of L2 research and theorizing.  While the course will cover theoretical and methodological issues of ISLA research, particular attention will be paid to the link between research findings and pedagogy – how teachers can use empirical evidence of ISLA and Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research in their classrooms.

This course is an introduction to psycholinguistics – the study of how human beings comprehend, produce, and acquire language in vivo. It contrasts with the more static view of language and the study of it in other areas of applied linguistics. One guiding question in this course is what psycho-linguistic mechanisms support the unique human capacity for language (and how they operate). We will explore this question from a multi-disciplinary perspective, combining insights and tools from cognitive psychology, linguistics, cognitive neuroscience, and computer science. We will cover topics central to the psycholinguistics of bilingualism and second language acquisition, including word recognition, sentence comprehension, speech production and errors, code switching, simultaneous interpretation, aphasia and language disorders, and language and thought.

In this course, students will learn to design basic experiments using paradigms such as priming, self-paced reading, and language switching tasks. Other advanced methodologies (e.g. electrophysiology, eye-tracking, and fMRI technologies) will also be introduced.

Language policy, originated as a branch of sociolinguistics, is an interdisciplinary area which attracts attention in various fields including education. Drawing on the work of sociolinguists, applied linguists, language educators and ethnographers, the course explores the intersection of language policy as intended by political and economic interests. Another aim of the course is to introduce students to contemporary theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches within the field of language policy at macro and micro levels, and to link them with practical implications. Special attention is placed on an understanding of key conceptual underpinnings of language ideology, language rights, linguistic landscape, multilingualism, nationalism, and language standardisation within globalisation processes. Data from Hong Kong and selected world contexts will be used to explore these core issues.

This course aims to develop students’ understanding of pragmatics in a variety of digital communication modes. It also aims to provide opportunities for students to apply their understanding of pragmatics and other useful concepts to analyze and describe digital communication. With this application, the course also aims to facilitate students’ critical assessment on whether or not seminal pragmatic theories require revision to account for digital communication phenomena. Lastly, it aims to leave students with knowledge of issues relevant to the researching and teaching of pragmatics in digital communication.

MAAL6037 Advanced Research Methods

This course consists of a series of interactive workshops which will focus on the skills needed to enter into the research phase leading to the production of a dissertation. By the end of the workshops, candidates will be able to design and carry out their own research plan. As a result, they will be ready to prepare their dissertation research proposal.

MAAL8999 Dissertation

Participants are required to complete a dissertation on an approved topic of about 15,000 words (plus or minus 10%). The dissertation will involve the collection and analysis of original data.

The portfolio, to be completed during the second semester (for full-time students) or the fourth semester (for part-time students), provides students with an opportunity to build on their knowledge gained from core and/or elective courses to produce a substantial piece of work .

Two options are available:
Option A

Students are required to draw references from a minimum of two courses, write a mission statement and a personal reflection under the guidance of an assigned supervisor who provides advice on the process of producing the portfolio. They are expected to spend much of their time on independent writing and write a portfolio of no more than 12,500 words. 

Option B

Students are required to develop a suite of 8-10 hours of original learning materials on an English or Applied Linguistics topic (at senior secondary level or above) under the guidance of an assigned supervisor who provides advice on the process of producing the portfolio. They are expected to spend much of their time on materials development and independent writing.  The portfolio should be no more than 10,000 words.