Postgraduate Courses
MALE
International Language Education
Courses marked with a [C] in the course description are not taught in Chinese but may require students to read materials in Chinese. Students who have difficulty reading materials in Chinese should consult the instructor concerned prior to enrolling in these courses.
- MALE 5001Second Language Acquisition[3-0-0:3]DescriptionSecond Language Acquisition (SLA) is a multidisciplinary research field that provides researchers and educators with a better understanding of how a second language (L2) is learnt. This course will introduce different approaches to SLA research, such as psycholinguistics, neuroscience, and applied linguistics. It will cover both theoretical and pedagogical issues, with a special focus on the application of SLA theory to the L2 classroom context. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5002Language Teaching Methodology and Curriculum Design[3-0-0:3]DescriptionThis course aims to introduce experienced language-teaching professionals worldwide and those with language-/linguistics-based backgrounds but little or no language-teaching experience to theories and principles of teaching English as a second or foreign language, helping them construct a fundamental understanding of current theories and research in language acquisition and relate these to the practice of English language pedagogy. The course also investigates ways in which various approaches and methods can be utilized in the delivery of a foreign language curriculum and the teaching of language knowledge, including vocabulary and grammar, and both receptive and productive language skills. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5101Discourse Analysis[3-0-0:3]DescriptionThis course examines how written and spoken language is used to express meaning beyond the sentence, in different larger discourse contexts. It introduces techniques for analyzing such key concepts as context, genre and register, and discusses their relevance for language pedagogy. Students will also consider how analysis of classroom discourse can inform teaching practice. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5102Information Technology in Language Teaching[3-0-0:3]DescriptionTechnology and language has always been at the forefront of human development and civilization. Fundamental to the advancement of society are the ways that changing technologies impact and shape learning. This course explores the issues of how information technologies structure human cognition and social interaction and the ways which teachers can use these technologies to improve student learning. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5103Testing and Assessment[3-0-0:3]DescriptionThis course is aimed at raising the students' awareness level of the rudiments of effective assessment of language-related performance, such as essential global concepts of testing and assessment as well as practical skills for language teachers to develop, use and evaluate language tests. There is a balance of individual efforts and cooperative inter-dependent learning. Hence, the assessment will be contributed equally by individual work and group activities. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5104Linguistics for Second Language Teachers[3-0-0:3]DescriptionThis course surveys the contemporary field of linguistics, offering expert knowledge essential for language teachers. Examples drawn primarily from Chinese and English will demonstrate fundamental concepts and principles in the studies of speech sounds, words, writing, syntax, language acquisition, sociolinguistics, typology and history of languages. Attitudinal issues related to the teaching of languages, such as accents, sound change, intercultural communication and language policy, will also be discussed objectively. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5105Cross-Cultural Pragmatics[3-0-0:3]DescriptionThis course explores human language in relation to the communicative functions which it serves and the cultural context in which it is used, with special emphasis on the examination of how speech acts are realized in different ways from culture to culture, and how the differences in the ways of speaking associated with different languages can be explained and made sense of in terms of different cultural values and cultural priorities. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5106Contrastive Analysis between Chinese and English[3-0-0:3]Reading Material[C] Require Chinese readingDescriptionThis course explores the grammar of Chinese and English from a comparative perspective, highlighting the key grammatical differences between the two languages. Students will be trained to describe and analyze the structure of a language, training which will enrich students' understanding of the grammatical categories and structure of Chinese and English while consolidating their foundational knowledge of both languages. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5201World Englishes[3-0-0:3]DescriptionThe position of English as a global language is commonly asserted. This course will examine the complex web of circumstances which lie behind the assertion. The presumption of the course is that it is useful and possibly essential for teachers of English to know something of the life story of the language, its varieties and place in the world at the beginning of the 21st century. A significant part of the course will examine, through the medium of seminars and workshops, how the global nature of the language can be exploited in teaching and learning environments. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5202Teaching Second Language Vocabulary[3-0-0:3]DescriptionThis course examines the factors involved in developing second language (L2) learners' acquisition of English vocabulary. It covers three main areas: (a) words and the description of the vocabulary content of an English curriculum, (b) the representation of L2 vocabulary in the mental lexicon and related acquisitor issues, and (c) approaches to teaching L2 vocabulary. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5203Phonetics and Phonology for English Teachers[3-0-0:3]DescriptionThis course provides students with a systematic approach to understanding and using the English sound system. The topics covered include segmental phonology (consonants, consonant clusters, vowels and diphthongs) and suprasegmental features such as word and sentence stress and intonation. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5204English Yesterday and Today[3-0-0:3]DescriptionThis course offers an overview of how English has developed and is developing, with a focus on the varieties of the language spoken around the world. Hotly debated issues of contemporary grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation will be discussed in their historical and current contexts. Each student will undertake a practical investigation on a developmental aspect of modern English. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5205Grammar for English Teachers[3-0-0:3]DescriptionThis course presents an overview of English grammar and focuses on the structural features that are often difficult for second language learners to acquire. It draws on both traditional and functional approaches, and uses a range of activities to help students apply the grammatical concepts and terms introduced in the analysis of learners' writing and teaching materials. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5206Teaching English for Academic Purposes[3-0-0:3]DescriptionThis course is intended for students who wish to teach English for Academic Purposes, such as university language teachers who need to develop learner's academic literacy in order to cope with the demands of studying through the medium of English. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5207Teaching English for Specific Purposes[3-0-0:3]DescriptionThis course is intended for students who aim to teach programs that support students studying at tertiary level in English or adult learners who need to learn English related to their specific needs, in particular job-related English. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5301Chinese Writing System[3-0-0:3]Reading Material[C] Require Chinese readingDescriptionAn advanced-level study of the Chinese writing system covering its origin, development, classification and characteristics. Students will learn a newly-developed framework, i.e., the three-principle theory of Chinese script, by which thousands of characters from the earliest oracle bone inscriptions to the modern form of the script can be appropriately analyzed and classified. This course also offers a critical survey of important issues related to Chinese script in modern times, including simplification, Romanization (Latinization), acquisition, recognition, and adaptability to various Sinitic and Sinosphere languages, taking into consideration research in general linguistics, sociolinguistics, heritage history, and cognitive science. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5302Mandarin Chinese Grammar for L2 Chinese Teachers[3-0-0:3]Reading Material[C] Require Chinese readingDescriptionThis course aims to equip students concentrating in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language with an in-depth understanding of Modern Chinese grammar, necessary skills in analyzing grammatical features of Chinese in a cognitive and functional framework, and capability of applying the knowledge and skills in practical situations of teaching Chinese to L2 learners. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5303Phonetics and Phonology of the Chinese Language[3-0-0:3]Reading Material[C] Require Chinese readingDescriptionThis course focuses on speech sounds in Standard Chinese and other Chinese dialects. Its aim is to explain how different Chinese dialects differ in their speech sounds - how Cantonese differs from Shanghainese, for example - and what they have in common. We also look at how different Chinese speech sounds are from the world's languages in general; and in what ways they are typical. This course is both a theoretical and practical introduction to Chinese phonetics and phonology. It teaches students about how speech sounds are made by the human vocal tract and how they are organized for linguistic purposes. Students will also learn how to quantify some important speech acoustics with a computer. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5304Chinese Lexicology[3-0-0:3]Reading Material[C] Require Chinese readingDescriptionA theoretical and practical survey of the morphological and semantic aspects of Chinese vocabulary, covering various topics including word formation, semantic structure of words, x-bar analysis of words, lexicalization, development and evolution of lexical items over history, relationship between sound and meaning, and cultural component of words. This course will also deal with issues closely related to the teaching and learning of vocabulary of Chinese as a second language such as vocabulary size, methods of defining words and vocabulary acquisition. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5305Word Structure of Chinese: A Comparative Perspective[3-0-0:3]Reading Material[C] Require Chinese readingDescriptionThis is an introductory course to morphology, the study of word structure. The course aims to familiarize students with the morphological structure of Chinese and concepts in morphology, areas which students are less prepared for. Knowledge of morphology is of vital importance when students prepare themselves to teach Chinese as an L2 because the morphological structure of Chinese differs drastically from that of the native languages of L2 learners. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5306Understanding Chinese Language in Global Context[3-0-0:3]Reading Material[C] Require Chinese readingDescriptionThis course examines the Chinese language against the background of global linguistic diversity. Issues to be discussed include the genetic affiliation of Chinese, the contact between Chinese and other languages, and structural properties of Chinese vis-à-vis other major languages in the world. Emphasis will be put on the understanding of typological characteristics of Chinese. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 5307Methodology for Linguistic Comparison[3-0-0:3]Reading Material[C] Require Chinese readingDescriptionThis course surveys methods in the comparative studies of multiple languages. Speech sounds, words, grammar and discourses will be compared from various perspectives for different purposes: historical for genetic ancestry, typological for general tendencies, cognitive for metaphorical conceptualization, and social for cultural differences. Relevance for second language learning will be highlighted, and scientific analysis of linguistic data will be inculcated. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 6000Supervised Teaching Practicum[3 credits]DescriptionThis course provides students with practical training in the teaching of English and/or Chinese as a foreign language through classroom observation and supervised teaching practice. Restricted to students in the MA program in International Language Education.
- MALE 6980Research Project in International Language Education[3 credits]DescriptionThis course provides a skill-based training in an independent research project on chosen topic conducted under the supervision of a teaching faculty of the MA program in International Language Education. The student is required to produce a substantial research paper at the end of the project.
