Linguistics

This course covers grammatical analysis in syntagmatic categories (analysis of grammatical constituents, syntax trees) and the grammar of words. This course is a systematic study of their categories and functions.

Korean sign language is completely different in structure and grammar from the Korean language per se. Korean society is noticeable for linguistic and racial homogeneity, which has led to a low tolerance for the users of foreign languages. Also widespread in Korean society is the pathological approach that recognizes hearing impairment as an abnormal condition requiring medical rehabilitation and normalization. These add to the numerous handicaps and exclusions that the hearing-impaired have to live through in all stages of their life. Learning and sharing sign language is a step towards eliminating the causes of the discrimination and alienation to which the hearing-impaired are exposed. In other words, it helps us better understand the language, lifestyle, and cultures of the specific minority group whose presence in society is otherwise not easily visible. By learning a manual-visual language, students familiar with oral-aural languages obtain a new understanding of human communication systems. They also have an opportunity to appreciate the values and possibilities of Korean sign language by exploring its historical development and methods of word formation, along with diverse subcultures of hearing-impaired communities.

 Why do two translators sometimes produce two very different translations of the same text? Can a translation ever have the same effect as its source text? Why should we study translation theory? What even *is* translation? Through this course, students will explore these and other multi-faceted questions in the field of Translation Studies (TS). 

This course aims to provide a solid foundation in major theories and issues of TS, from historical debates surrounding equivalence and fidelity, to newer perspectives that challenge these well-entrenched concepts. Students will learn to describe and critically evaluate translations and translation strategies. 

Finally, through guided practice activities and a final group translation project, students will be able to experience firsthand the puzzle-like challenges and satisfactions of producing their own translations. 

The undergraduate research program places students in research opportunites to conduct indpendent research under the supervision of a Chinese University of Hong Kong faculty. Students are expected to spend approximately 15 to 20 hours per week in independent research as well as attend lectures and labs.

The course explores the broad topic of phonetics by employing phonetic transcription to look at spoken English of various varieties and possibly also other languages around the world. Readings and homework assignments provide an extensive survey of speech sounds in English, and a course project in phonetic description provides hands-on application of the topics discussed in class. The pronunciation practicum offers a recitation period for students to apply what they have learned from lectures to actual pronunciations Text: Ladefoged, P. & Johnson, K. 2011. A COURSE IN PHONETICS. Assessment: participation (5%), homework (15%), quizzes (10%), midterms (20%), final (15%), practicum (10%), journal (10%), project (15%).

This course covers spectrographic analysis of vowel formants and the plotting of these in acoustic vowel space; spectrographic analysis of plosives and fricatives; the use of nasometry, static and dynamic palatography, and ultrasound; normal swallowing mechanism and swallowing problems in the pediatric population.

This course focuses on words in Japanese and English -- how these words are made, where new words come from, how the meanings and sounds of words change over time, and how individual words fit into the overall system of a language. This course introduces the basics of morphology-- the way words are built from parts such as roots and affixes. It also considers some of the other interesting aspects of words, including etymology (the history of words); patterns of semantic change; phonological aspects of words (such as stress in English and pitch accent and rendaku in Japanese), and recent trends in word creation, including the rise of blends, acronyms and use of characters in electronic communication.