Programmes

Master of Arts in Language Studies

Programme	Master of Arts in Language Studies 文學碩士(語文學)
Award Title	Master of Arts in Language Studies 文學碩士(語文學)
Offering Academic Unit	Department of Linguistics and Translation
Mode of Study	Combined mode

Normal Period of Study

- 1 year (full-time)
- 2 years (part-time/combined mode)

Maximum Period of Study

- 2.5 years (full-time)
- 5 years (part-time/combined mode)

Credit Units Required for Graduation

Programme Aims

The programme aims to

provide students with an understanding of the nature of language and the various ways it impacts on society and culture in the context of Hong Kong;
create a framework that allows students the option to focus on a particular aspect of language and its interaction with a particular societal / cultural process, be it the structure of language, language and translation and interpretation, and applications of language studies; and sharpen the students’ intellect to enable them to function more effectively as language professionals.

Programme Intended Learning Outcomes (PILOs)

Upon successful completion of this Programme, students should be able to:

1. Analyze the structure of language and the impacts language can have on society and culture in the context of Hong Kong.
2. Reflect critically on the nature of language, and the issues of language as they impact on societal / cultural processes.
3. Apply effective communication skills in their work places in their role as language professionals.
4. Formulate generalizations on the processes and strategies involved in making discoveries in their respective fields of specialization.
5. (For students in the stream of general linguistics) analyze the structure of language, generate innovative linguistic analyses; reflect critically on the social, cultural and psychological aspects of language use, and apply such knowledge in their work.
6. (For students in the stream of language studies and applications) apply a range of conceptual tools and skills learned, with a focus on state-of-the-art language information technology, to enhance their ability and efficiency in generating creative solutions to language tasks, and reflect critically on the multifaceted issues involved in the applications of language studies. Alternatively, apply a range of concepts and skills to language learning and its related pedagogical applications, and to enhance students the ability to be exposed to language acquisition and teaching in global contexts.
7. (For students in the stream of translation & interpretation) apply a range of conceptual tools and skills learned to enhance their ability in generating creative solutions to translation and interpretation tasks, and reflect critically on the multifaceted issues involved in translation and interpretation.

Programme Requirements

1. Core Courses (18 credit units)

Common Courses for MA Students (6 credits)

Course Code	Course Title	Credit Units	Remarks
LT5903	Language and its Applications	3
LT5904	Language and Culture in Society	3

General Linguistics Stream (required core courses) (12 credits)

Course Code	Course Title	Credit Units
LT5401	Phonetics and Phonology	3
LT5402	Syntax and Morphology	3
LT5403	Semantics and Discourse	3
LT5510	Contrastive Studies of Chinese and English Grammar	3

Language Studies and Applications Stream (required core courses for both Groups A and B) (12 credits)

Course Code	Course Title	Credit Units
LT5406	Psycholinguistics	3
LT5408	Sociolinguistics	3
LT5421	Corpus Linguistics	3
LT5456	Text Linguistics	3

Translation & Interpretation Stream (required core courses) (12 credits)

Course Code	Course Title	Credit Units	Remarks
LT5603	Theory of Translation	3	*
LT5604	Translation Methodology	3	*
LT5605	Interpretation Methodology	3	@
LT5617	Bilingual Reading and Writing for Translators	3	*

2. Stream Electives (9 credit units)

General Linguistics Stream (electives)

Course Code	Course Title	Credit Units	Remarks
LT5406	Psycholinguistics	3
LT5408	Sociolinguistics	3
LT5409	Systemic Functional Linguistics	3
LT5413	Philosophy of Language	3
LT5416	Historical Linguistics	3
LT5417	Language Universals and Linguistic Typology	3
LT5420	Language Arts and Literature	3
LT5430	Special Topics in Linguistics	3
LT5453	The Cantonese Language: Pronunciation, Lexicon and Grammar	3	%,@
LT5454	Grammar of Chinese	3	^,@
LT5455	Pragmatics	3
LT6422	Advanced Topics in Semantics	3
LT6423	Advanced Topics in Syntax	3
LT6580	Master’s Project	6	*
LT6581	Project	3	*

Language Studies and Applications Stream (electives)

Group A (Language and Computer)

Course Code	Course Title	Credit Units	Remarks
LT5411	Computational Linguistics	3
LT5452	Learning and Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language	3	^,@
LT5454	Grammar of Chinese	3	^,@
LT5457	Computational Lexicography	3
LT5458	Computer-Assisted Language Learning	3
LT5459	Terminology	3
LT5620	Translation Technology	3
LT5628	Human-Machine Interactive Translation	3
LT5629	Translation Tools Development	3
LT5631	Corpora and Translation	3
LT5632	History of Machine Translation	3
LT6580	Master’s Project	6	*
LT6581	Project	3	*

Group B (Language Teaching and Pedagogical Application)

Course Code	Course Title	Credit Units	Remarks
LT5407	Research Methodology for Applied Linguistics	3
LT5412	Language Teaching	3
LT5418	Second Language Pronunciation Acquisition: from Theory to Practice	3
LT5420	Language Arts and Literature	3
LT5451	Pedagogical Grammar: Chinese and English	3	^,@
LT5452	Learning and Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language	3	^,@
LT5454	Grammar of Chinese	3	^,@
LT5460	Studies of Second Language Acquisition	3
LT5461	Cognition and Language Differences	3
LT5620	Translation Technology	3
LT6580	Master’s Project	6	*
LT6581	Project	3	*

Translation & Interpretation Stream (electives)

Course Code	Course Title	Credit Units	Remarks
LT5451	Pedagogical Grammar: Chinese and English	3	^, @
LT5459	Terminology	3
LT5513	Language in Legal Settings	3
LT5601	Stylistics and Translation	3	*
LT5606	Culture in Translation	3
LT5615	Consecutive Interpretation	3	#
LT5620	Translation Technology	3
LT5621	Language and Literature in Translation	3	*
LT5626	Translation and Comparative Literature	3	*
LT5627	Advanced Interpreting	3	*
LT5628	Human-Machine Interactive Translation	3
LT5629	Translation Tools Development	3
LT5630	Special Topics in Translation and Interpretation	3	*
LT5631	Corpora and Translation	3
LT6504	Bilingual Legal Drafting	3	*
LT6505	Legal Translation	3	*
LT6514	Advanced Legal Translation	3	*
LT6580	Master’s Project	6	*

Free Elective: (3 credits)
A 3-credit unit course is chosen from any of the stream core courses and electives above.

Remarks:
1. All Master of Arts students must take the two common courses, and four core courses designated for a specific stream. Moreover, they must take three courses from the stream electives (or two if one of them is LT6580 Master’s Project), and one course from any streams (core or electives).
2. Students can only select either LT6581 Project or LT6580 Master’s Project, but not both.
3. Medium of Instruction and Assessment
^ Medium of instruction is English, supplemented with Putonghua.
% Medium of instruction is English, supplemented with Cantonese.
@ Medium of assessment is English, supplemented with Chinese.
# Two clusters for the medium of instruction and assessment, namely English and Cantonese, and English and Putonghua.
* English is the main medium of instruction and assessment, supplemented with Chinese (Cantonese/Putonghua) in situations where English-Chinese translation and interpretation or Chinese linguistic data/texts is involved.

Part III Accreditation by Professional / Statutory Bodies

Part IV Additional Information

Intermediate Awards

Required Courses

Total Credits

Postgraduate Diploma in Language Studies

深造文憑 (語文學)

four core courses designated for a specific stream, and four other 3 credit unit courses from the same stream

Postgraduate Certificate in Language Studies⁺

深造證書(語文學)⁺

any four 3 credit unit courses

⁺The stream designation is not available to graduates of Postgraduate Certificate.