National Taiwan University

This course discusses language in classical and contemporary sociological theory. It also provides a preliminary understanding of how language is studied in fields outside of sociology, including linguistics, sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, and history. It covers the role of language in social life, challenging its traditional marginalization within sociology. While language is often treated as a reflection of race, class, and gender, the course examines how it actively constructs these and other social and symbolic boundaries. It also explores why language has been largely left to fields such as linguistics and linguistic anthropology, and argues for sociology’s distinct contribution to its study. Drawing on interdisciplinary readings and recent sociological research, the course analyzes language as a key force in shaping social relations and social change. Students design a research project on an original case of their own choosing.

This course combines lectures, classroom exercises, and interactive activities to train students in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in modern Chinese. It explores the linguistic and cultural context of Chinese in Taiwan, broadens cultural perspectives, strengthens abilities in reading, writing, and expression (both oral and written) through selected readings and exercises, and enhances sensitivity to and appreciation of Chinese literary works.

This course begins with the representation of animals in literature, examining the relationship between literary imagination, the symbolic meaning of animals, and real animals. It explores how different imaginations and representations of animals affect their fate in human society. In addition to analyzing and interpreting the literary meanings of selected texts, the course focuses on the issues that emerge when these works are examined in the context of animal protection. It also introduces theoretical perspectives from animal studies, including psychoanalysis’s exploration of animal fear and the intersections of feminism and postcolonialism. The course is conducted in Chinese but uses English text books.

This course introduces the scientific study of language, its structure, functions, and its connections to human psychology and biology. It explores the fundamental components of language and examines how linguistic data can be analyzed and interpreted through a scientific lens. It draws on a range of real-world materials, popular culture, digital communication, and more, to debunk common myths and deepen the understanding of how language works.

This course provides an overview of the accounting techniques used by managers in the areas of planning, directing, controlling, and decision-making. Students learn cost concepts, product costing systems, budgeting, and performance evaluation tools such as the balanced scorecard. The course emphasizes developing analytical skills to interpret and apply cost accounting information for effective management decisions.