Linguistics

This course examines language in relation to migration in the contemporary multilingual world. It looks at how language is used by people on the move, and by those with whom they interact, in areas including health, education, the law and the workplace. It also explores how language practices are shaped by face-to-face and mediated encounters and by the constraints of political and institutional contexts. Key questions are: What languages and forms of communication get used, when, why and where? What linguistic factors enable and limit access for migrants to services and resources? What are the consequences?

This course traces first language development and examines different theoretical models of learning and acquisition throughout one’s lifespan. It discusses social, psychological, and linguistic aspects of languages and focuses not only on pre-natal to pre-school language development, but also development during later years in school. 

 

This course provides a study of psycholinguistics and the complex psychological processes underlying the use of language. It investigates the processes that take place in our minds when we use language as well as how these processes develop in children. Language impairment, for example in patients who have sustained brain damage, or in children with atypical language development, is also discussed. 

This course engages in media translation as a vehicle of social and cultural change. Through a variety of case studies ranging from film dubbing and the aesthetics of B-movie subtitling, to internet memes, music videos and song lyric translation, the course provides a keener understanding of the ways in which media, technology and translation influence one another (and society) as agents of cultural change.
 

Through lectures, discussions (both in-class and online), and guided practice activities, students will have the opportunity to:
1) Understand and describe theories of mass media;
2) Experience and describe what happens in the process of translating media;
3) Compare how media translation takes place in different cultural contexts;
4) Identify and critique elements of media translation in the world around them; and
5) Critically reflect on their own learning experiences as they relate to the educational goals of the University.

This course provides a study of deafness. It looks at the development of Brazilian sign language as the primary language of the deaf community and explores signs as a natural alternative for linguistic expression. 

This course examines subtitling in the context of Hong Kong's media and entertainment industry. Students will learn about the technical and creative aspects of subtitling, as well as the ethical and cultural considerations that are involved in this field. The course also includes practical assignments and workshops that allow students to apply their knowledge and skills to real-world scenarios. With consistent case-based analysis of contemporary audiovisual contents, platforms and creators, this course will showcase the latest convergence between professional and fan-based subtitling in the age of streaming. It is designated to prepare the students for their future accreditation by the AVT Pro certificate – the first and only professional accreditation for audiovisual translation.

This course explores how language appears and is employed in popular cultural productions, including songs, films, advertisements, and more. It considers the changing nature of language and how different media use language to tell stories, express ideas, and have effects on their readers, viewers, or listeners. The course analyzes specific works for its language choices and its circulation; its differences in oral and written contexts; and the constellation of associations that can be created across time, space, and media. 
 

This course aims to do the following: 

1) Develop skills and knowledge one has acquired in foundational Media, Communication and Culture courses.
2) Introduce a range of interesting popular cultural productions and increase one’s cultural literacy in the process.
3) Recognize that scholarly inquiry and appreciation does not exclude popular culture and that they are worthy of discussion, analysis, and aesthetic appreciation.

This is a special studies course involving an internship with a corporate, public, governmental, or private organization, arranged with the Study Center Director or Liaison Officer. Specific internships vary each term and are described on a special study project form for each student. A substantial paper or series of reports is required. Units vary depending on the contact hours and method of assessment. The internship may be taken during one or more terms but the units cannot exceed a total of 12.0 for the year.

This course introduces basic concepts in linguistics from the perspective of language documentation. Based on data from less-studied languages, the course explore subfields of linguistics, including but not limited to phonetics, phonology, morphology, and syntax. Most data will come from fieldwork conducted by the instructor using authentic data. Target languages are Xitsonga and Tshivenda (South Africa), Kiribati (Kiribati), Drenjongke (India), Burmese (Myanmar), Zhuang and Yi (China) as well as Japanese dialects spoken in Tohoku and Okinawa.

The course covers the following topics:

-Introduction to language documentation
-Issues concerning endangered languages
-Phonetic and phonological documentation
-Documenting cultural materials (Mid-term presentation)
-Morphological documentation
-Syntactic and prosodic documentation

This is an introductory course in psycholinguistics, which explores the cognitive processes underlying language production, comprehension, and acquisition. It covers the major concepts and issues of the discipline which encompass theoretical claims, research methodology and findings.