Assessment

Each course is assessed according to its particular nature. In general students are provided with a range of assessment opportunities to demonstrate their competence. Overall there is greater emphasis on continuous assessment and less on exams than at the undergraduate level.

Entrance Requirements

Applicants should posses a good honours degree in English or a related subject, or a qualification deemed to be equivalent, from Lingnan or a comparable institution.

Applicants with degrees in other disciplines may be considered. They will be required to demonstrate  a knowledge of and commitment to English Studies.

All applicants must posses a high standard of written and spoken English and any certification or formal examination results attesting this competence will be taken into account in the selection process.

Progression

Students will be permitted to progress to the second year of study provided that at the end of the first year they have a cumulative G.P.A. of 1.67 or above.

Graduation Requirement

A student will be evaluated for graduation at the conclusion of the semester in which he/she may satisfy all the conditions for award. If a student is not allowed to graduate, he/she will be re-evaluated for graduation at the end of subsequent semesters. The maximum period of study shall be 5 years.

The student should have fulfilled all graduation requirements stipulated in the programme. For the M.A. in English Studies the minimum number of credits that must be earned stands at 27.

To graduate students should have obtained a cumulative G.P.A. of at least 2.3.

Award of Postgraduate Diploma

In the event that due to financial or other constraints a student is unable to continue with his/her studies, the student may be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in English Studies provided that 15 credits have been awarded and the cumulative G.P.A. stands at 2.3 or above.

The award of the Postgraduate Diploma is at the discretion of the English Department and is subject to approval of the Research and Postgraduate Studies Committee and the University Senate.

Degree Classification

In accordance with the University's academic regulations, students are awarded the MA in English Studies based on the following guideline:

Fees

The MA is self-financing.  The tuition fee is $35,000 per annum. The University also levies an application fee of $200 and a deposit of $600 which is later transferred to pay graduation fees.

Ongoing registration fees will be assessed in those cases where all required academic work is not completed in the specified time: $2,000 for the first additional year; $4,000 for the second; $6,000 for the third.

Application Procedure

An application fee of HK$200 MUST accompany the application form, payment methods as follows: (All application fees paid are non-refundable)

Cheque should be crossed and made payable to "Lingnan University". Please write your name and contact no. on the back of your cheque.

Payment may also be made directly to the University's account number 015-514-40-42666-0 at any branch of the Bank of East Asia Limited. Please write your name and contact no. on the back of the pay-in receipt.

The cheque or the original pay-in receipt should be returned, together with the duly completed application form to "Department of English, Lingnan University, Tuen Mun, N. T." (marked with "MA Application")

It is envisaged that interviews with shortlisted applicants will be held in May each year and offers of places on the programme made by June. To confirm acceptance of an offer, applicants will be required to make a downpayment of $8000 against the first instalment of their tuition fees.

Please note that there will be no intake for the academic year of 2007.

Course Descriptions

English as Corpus

In the past twenty years the application of computers to language (in the sense of collecting and analysing vast samples of text) has given a fresh impetus to empirical linguistics: the study of actually-occurring texts. New facts have been discovered about language usage, and fuller and more authoritative accounts of English have been made possible. More than this, students and teachers have been empowered, by having access to such corpora, to become their own researchers into language. This course will take advantage of these advances to promote the study of English usage. Another title for it might be 'English as it really is'.

English as Discourse

This course demonstrates an approach to language study which emphasises how language operates by the production and interpretation of texts as a means of social interaction in institutional and cultural contexts. It contrasts with and complements English as Corpus that approaches language as a collection of corpora realising a system, and builds a link between language and culture. It gives students practice in analysing the relationships between linguistic and discoursal patterns of texts and the purposeful use of language in context. It thereby raises awareness of the extra-linguistic factors which affect the production and interpretation of text and so guides students towards more effective communication in English.

English as Global Culture 

This course will have as its aim to endow the student with an enthusiasm for the various forms of cultural activity that involves the use of English. This world, familiar in its constituent elements, but scarcely recognized as a coherent perspective, can be explored not just in literature and film, but also in advertisement, media presentations, sales campaigns, business communications. The pedagogical (and intellectual) aim of the course is to elicit from the student an interest in the culture of English as a source of enlightened entertainment ¾ whether this takes the form of analysing the movie Shakespeare in Love or understanding various forms of wordplay available in crossword puzzles, rebuses, anagrams, acrostics, or analysing different varieties of English in dialectical jokes and paronomasia. The stress is on the importance of culture as a context of meaning, without which language study is empty and pointless. The course will also explore the varieties of English as part of global culture, and the role of English in globalization will be examined.

English as Performance

This practical course in English language production explores techniques of presentation and vocal delivery in drama, verse speaking, oral storytelling and other kinds of performance. Whilst clearly oriented towards students with an interest in the learning and teaching of performative language, it is equally relevant to those wishing to enhance skills such as diction, articulation and vocal projection for non-specialised language purposes. The course is constructed as a process-product experience for participants. They will devise and adapt, rehearse and refine chosen texts for performance in a collaborative context. Emphasis will be placed on important delivery skills such as vocal inflection, paralanguage and body language as well as appropriate and accurate pronunciation. The use of various media, including video and audio-recording in addition to live performance, will be exploited.

Bilingualism

The regular use of more than one language or language variety in Hong Kong is examined in relation to its functions and effects on the individual and on the society. Both speech and writing are included as objects of study.

English in Education

This course takes a broad perspective on the roles that English plays in the educational process in Hong Kong, both in English Language Teaching and in Education at large. It investigates issues that go beyond the day-to-day delivery of teaching, issues such as medium of instruction, and curriculum design.

Students will also be required to investigate theoretical and practical issues concerning the effective use of classroom language. This will include, for example, the choice of classroom language and how specific language identified and used in course materials as well as by the teacher him/herself affects the linguistic success of students. Special reference will be made to classroom interaction an effective classroom English.

This course will also cover the basic principles of English language assessment. Students will be introduced to the concepts of language testing, assessment policy and the effects of both on course and syllabus design and classroom application. Reference will also be made to recent moves in Hong Kong towards school-based assessment.

This course in English language in popular culture presents various facets of English in popular usage both globally and locally. The course will emphasise the point that we do not operate in a foreign or second language in a cultural vacuum. At the same time the course content will be relevant and applicable to both aforementioned types concern, since they introduce a greater cultural component into secondary-level English teaching and learning. The course will be both critical and creative, and involve advanced receptive and productive skills in the target language. The question of popular 'taste' will also be presented and discussed over the course as a whole.

Introduction to Children's Literature in English

This course introduces students to the important and vast area of children's literature in English. The course will review the various contrasting definitions of children's literature and survey the key texts and movements that have shaped this literature. The primary focus of the course, however, will be on selected readings from children's fiction. The course content could take on a number of different approaches. One key thematic focus may be on "alternative worlds" in children's literature, reflecting the currently popular vogue for fantasy. Alternatively, the course could focus on semi-realistic "adventure" fiction in the 20th century. Or students could be asked to explore the "multi-cultural" fiction of writers such as Lawrence Yep or Salman Rushdie, among others.

Pedagogic Grammar

This course investigates the role of language form in the field of language teaching. It will look at how descriptions of language are involved in various aspects of the pedagogic process: in methods, syllabuses, classroom and reference materials, tests. Central to this is the notion of pedagogic appropriateness: tailoring descriptions to suit the audience. No particular methodological stance is taken as to the advisability of teaching grammar, whether explicitly or implicitly, proactively or reactively.

It will study various areas of English grammar that are traditionally regarded as important in teaching and re-evaluate accounts of them in terms of scientific accuracy and pedagogic adaptation, exposing misconceptions and oversimplifications. Other areas which have traditionally not figured in pedagogic accounts will also be investigated.

The course is related to, though not dependent on, English as Corpus, and some investigation of English grammar will be corpus-based.

Second Language Acquisition
The course aims to give a broad overview of current knowledge on second language acquisition. It attempts to provide an accessible analysis of an expanding area of research and offers study of theoretical developments as well as their relationship with current practice in language learning.

Special Topics in English

This course is to be provided as and when a Special Topic is offered as an elective by the English Department or distinguished outsiders. The purpose of the Special Topic slot is to permit flexibility in offering appropriate courses as occasion requires. The course will offer instruction in areas and fields (literature or linguistics) that are not at the moment covered in the curriculum. For example, courses such as "Communication Theory" or "The Philosophy of Language" (to name but two) could be offered on a one-off basis to meet student demand and faculty interest.

The Sound System of English

This course is intended to introduce participants to the study of English sounds. It has a practical orientation and assumes no prior knowledge of phonetics or phonology. Students will learn how sounds are produced, and how they are transcribed and classified. Aspects of the sound system such as word and sentence stress, rhythm and intonation are also covered. Special reference will be made to the phonological differences between English and Cantonese, enabling students to become more aware of various pronunciation difficulties.