Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

(MA [AppliedLinguistics])

A programme offered by

The Centre for Applied English Studies

The University of Hong Kong

Student Handbook

2009 – 2011

Contents

Page

Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. 1

A Word of Welcome from the Acting Course Director ........................................................ 2

1. Programme Title ........................................................................................... 3

2. The Centre for Applied English Studies ..................................................... 3

3. Features of the Programme .......................................................................... 3

4. Programme Duration and Delivery ............................................................. 4

5. Programme Calendar ................................................................................... 4

6. The Curriculum ............................................................................................. 5

7. Course Materials ........................................................................................... 6

8. Attendance ..................................................................................................... 6

9 Assessment ..................................................................................................... 6

10. Examination Results, Certificates and Transcripts ................................... 8

11. Discontinuation .............................................................................................. 9

12. Withdrawal of Study ..................................................................................... 9

13. Academic Dishonesty .................................................................................... 9

14. Professional Recognition .............................................................................. 9

15. Credit Transfer .............................................................................................. 9

16. Resources...................................................................................................... 10

17. Student Feedback ........................................................................................ 10

18. Typhoon and Bad Weather ........................................................................ 11

19. Copyright ..................................................................................................... 11

20. Change of Personal Particulars ................................................................. 12

21. Contact Details............................................................................................. 12

22. Location of HKU ......................................................................................... 13

Appendix A Timetable and Venues ................................................................................ 14

Appendix B Descriptions of Core Courses and Research Work ................................. 17

Appendix C Descriptions of Elective Courses ............................................................... 19

Appendix D Map of HKU ............................................................................................... 21

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Acknowledgements This handbook was compiled by Dr. Agnes Lam and Ms. Cecilia Chan with reference to guidelines developed by former MA course teams and similar handbooks for other postgraduate programmes currently or once offered by the Centre for Applied English Studies in collaboration with other academic units in the University. The input from various members in the Faculty of Arts as well as the members of the current MA in Applied Linguistics Committee is also gratefully acknowledged. The members of the MA in Applied Linguistics Committee are:

Dr. Agnes Lam (Acting Course Director) Dr. Max Hui-Bon-Hoa (Acting Co-ordinator and Admissions Advisor) Ms. Eliza Yu (Secretary) Ms. Cecilia Chan (Assistant Secretary) Dr. David Gardner Prof. Ken Hyland Dr. Joanna Lee Ms. Miranda Legg Dr. Yvonne Loong Dr. Elaine Martyn Ms. Elizabeth Samson Mr. Philip Smyth Dr. Tsang Wai-lan Mr. Peter Voller Dr. Lillian Wong

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A Word of Welcome from the Acting Course Director September 2009 Dear course participant Welcome to the Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics programme! A teacher myself, I am keenly aware that deciding to study part-time while holding a full-time teaching post is a tremendous commitment. On behalf of all your teachers, I wish to say that I am impressed that you have taken this step towards your own professional development. My colleagues and I look forward to working with you and we hope that you will have an enjoyable and insightful experience in all the classes. The way we teach is highly interactive and you will have many opportunities to share ideas with like-minded teachers from other educational settings. We have created a web site especially for your course at http://caes.hku.hk/maal/. You are also welcome to take advantage of other learning resources on the Centre for Applied English Studies home web at http://caes.hku.hk/. Your teachers are all full-time members of staff at the University. If you have any questions about the academic aspects of the courses, do not hesitate to approach any of us. My colleague, Dr. Max Hui-Bon-Hoa, is the Acting Co-ordinator of the programme. He will also act as your advisor if there is any matter you wish to raise concerning your academic progress. Ms. Cecilia Chan, Assistant Secretary of the programme at the Centre for Applied English Studies, would be happy to advise you on administrative matters. With very best wishes for the year ahead,

Dr. Agnes Lam Acting Director of the Centre for Applied English Studies

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1. Programme Title

Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics ( MA [Applied Linguistics] ) 文科碩士﹝應用語言學﹞

2. The Centre for Applied English Studies

This postgraduate degree programme is offered by the Centre for Applied English Studies (CAES) in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). The Centre for Applied English Studies (formerly with the name of the English Centre) was established in the early 1990s to enhance the English of students at HKU through innovative learning programmes. The Acting Director of the Centre for Applied English Studies, Dr. Agnes Lam, is the Acting Course Director for the MA in Applied Linguistics and the Centre for Applied English Studies is responsible for the teaching and the day-to-day co-ordination of the programme.

3. Features of the Programme The MA in Applied Linguistics has a number of distinctive features:

• it prepares teachers who wish to teach English for Academic Purposes and English for Professional Purposes in universities, colleges, and the professional workplace;

• it adopts a functional approach to the description, analysis and teaching of language;

• it emphasizes classroom observation and action oriented research;

• it contains a strong empirical component, and provides students with many opportunities for data collection, analysis and interpretation;

• it embraces a sociocultural view of language development and use;

• it provides students with practical skills and knowledge in the areas of curriculum development and evaluation, assessment, language teaching methodology, materials design and evaluation, and CALL;

• it frames the teaching, learning and investigation of language within the particular context of Hong Kong.

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4. Programme Duration and Delivery The 2-year part-time programme consists of approximately 300 hours of prescribed work completed in four 30-hour core courses, three 15-hour elective courses, an applied research project and a dissertation. It is delivered in four semesters over two years with classes meeting on Tuesday evenings from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm and Saturday mornings from 9:30 am to 12:00 noon for three semesters; the fourth semester is devoted to the dissertation. A tentative timetable for the 2009/2011 cohort of course participants is appended in Appendix A. Each core course is normally delivered in 12 sessions of 2.5 hours per session over 12 weeks. Each elective course is delivered in 6 sessions of 2.5 hours per session over 6 weeks. A vacation is scheduled between Semester 1 and Semester 2. The work on the dissertation includes consultation with the supervisor by individual arrangement and two round-table discussions. In Year 1, participants complete three core courses. In Year 2, they complete one core course. They also complete three elective courses in total during Year 1 Semester 2 and Year 2 Semester 1. The applied research project is completed in Year 1 and the dissertation in Year 2. The minimum period of study is two years. In the case of failures and deferrals, participants should present their circumstances in writing to the Acting Course Director and permission for deferral is subject to the approval by the Board of Examiners. Deferral is not normally granted, except in the case of serious illness upon medical advice.

5. Programme Calendar The tentative semester dates are: Year 1 – 2009/2010 Semester I: 1 September to 5 December 2009

Semester II: 11 January to 1 June 2010 Year 2 – 2010/2011 Semester I: 1 September to 4 December 2010

Semester II: 10 January to 31 August 2011

Details of class times and venues are in Appendix A.

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6. The Curriculum The class size is around 24. The programme consists of four core courses and a number of elective courses, an applied research project and a dissertation. The four core courses are compulsory and participants are required to choose three courses out of the batch of electives offered. The list of elective courses on offer may vary with each intake. Core courses MAAL6001 Language systems and contexts MAAL6002 Second language curricula MAAL6003 Research methods and research design MAAL6004 Sociocultural and psychological dimensions of second language acquisition Descriptions of the core courses are found in Appendix B. Elective courses MAAL6014 Language testing and evaluation MAAL6015 Computers in language teaching and research MAAL6017 Phonology MAAL6018 Vocabulary teaching and learning MAAL6019 Autonomous approaches to language learning MAAL6022 Literature and language teaching MAAL6023 Advances in writing pedagogy MAAL6024 Independent study project MAAL6026 Current issues in second language acquisition (new elective) Descriptions of the elective courses are found in Appendix C.

Other work MAAL6009 Applied research project MAAL8999 Dissertation Optional workshops: Academic writing workshop

Workshop on Plagiarism

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7. Course Materials The timetable and course descriptions are included in the appendices to this handbook. Further details are available on the course web at the start of the programme (http://caes.hku.hk/maal/). Course materials are available at the start of every course. Additional materials may also be provided by the teacher during class sessions. Normally, for each course, one or more course texts will need to be purchased by the students.

8. Attendance Attendance is a course requirement. Course participants who have extenuating circumstances for non-attendance and who wish such circumstances to be considered in the course of their assessment must present them in writing to the Acting Course Director.

9 Assessment Course participants must satisfy the examiners in coursework assessment for each of the modules which may take the form of written assignments, oral presentations, tests and/or other prescribed work. Pre-course readings may also be prescribed by the teachers, as appropriate. Core modules are normally assessed by means of two written assignments, each approximately 2,500 words in length. Elective modules are normally assessed by means of one assignment of a similar length. There are no final examinations. Grading system Assignments serve two purposes. They allow teachers to assess course participants’ progress and they allow course participants to explore areas within each course in depth. Teachers believe that the second purpose is more important than the first. For this reason, letter grades are not awarded for assignments; instead, qualitative feedback is emphasized. Performance is assessed according to a distinction/pass/fail system. This system operates at the level of assignments, modules and the MA programme as a whole. Only candidates who are considered truly outstanding by the Board of Examiners will be awarded an overall 'Distinction' on the Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics. To obtain an overall 'Distinction': (a) the candidate must have obtained a 'Distinction' on the dissertation (b) the candidate must have obtained at least two distinctions on the compulsory modules

(core courses and the applied research project) (c) the candidate must have obtained at least one distinction on an elective course AND (d) the candidate must not have failed any course.

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Criteria of assessment The criteria for a ‘pass’ depend in part on the nature and topic of the assignment. In general terms, in order to receive a pass, the assignment should develop a coherent and well-written argument on the topic and show evidence of reading beyond the required reading for classroom sessions. Distinctions are awarded for exceptional work. Assignments that receive a distinction will meet the criteria for a pass, but also show evidence of depth and creativity of thought. The length of assignments should be close to the word limit. No credit is given for going over the word limit and assignments that otherwise meet the criteria for distinction, but significantly exceed the word limit, may not be awarded a distinction for this reason. Assignments that are significantly under the word limit may be failed.

Deadlines and assignment submission procedures Assignment due dates are given at the beginning of each academic year. Assignments must be submitted on the due date and extensions are only given under exceptional circumstances such as illness. Late submission or non-submission of assignments without a valid explanation in writing will affect the grade and, subject to consideration by the Board of Examiners, may result in a ‘Fail’ grade. Course participants who wish to apply for extension should make their requests in writing to the Acting Course Director or the MA Acting Co-ordinator prior to the submission deadline with a valid reason and/or supporting evidence, if necessary (such as a medical certificate in the case of illness). Course participants may submit a hard copy of their assignments to the collection box for the (MA[AppliedLinguistics]) programme on the 8/F, K.K. Leung Building. Or they may submit their assignments to the Assistant Secretary of the programme during office hours. (See Section

21 of this handbook for contact details.)

Examiners Assignments are normally assessed by one teacher. If the teacher judges that the assignment potentially deserves a distinction or a failure, it will be assessed by a second teacher and the two teachers will come to an agreement on the result. Assignments will normally be returned to participants with feedback within 4 weeks of the due date. Any questions concerning results that arise after an assignment is returned should be addressed to the Acting Course Director. Samples of assignments, including all failures and distinctions, are sent to the External Examiner of the course. This procedure is intended to monitor the overall quality of assessment. The External Examiner is not asked to confirm or change the results. Module grades are considered by the Board of Examiners based on the recommendations of the teachers who have assessed the module assignments. The Board of Examiners consists of all of the teachers on the course and is chaired by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts. The Board of Examiners meets at the end of each academic year.

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In order to pass or receive a distinction for a module with two assignments, course participants must normally receive a pass or distinction for both assignments. If the assignments receive different grades, they will be re-assessed and the Board of Examiners will decide whether a pass, failure or distinction will be awarded for the module as a whole. Re-examination Course participants who fail not more than two modules in their first year may be re-examined. Those who fail more than two modules in their first year may not be allowed to proceed with the programme. Failed assignments cannot normally be re-submitted. However, course participants who fail the first assignment in the two courses held in Year 1 Semester 1 may be given a second chance to re-submit the assignment before the course is completed.

10. Examination Results, Certificates and Transcripts Course participants could access the “Student Connect” in HKU intranet to check and print the online results slip of their performance at the end of each semester after the Board of Examiners has approved the results. Participants will be notified by the Faculty of Arts about the release of the results. In the event that a course participant has any query about his/her results, he/she should present his/her circumstances in writing to the Acting Course Director. The degree certificate records that course participants have passed the course, but does not record the results of individual courses. Distinctions for the programme as a whole or for the dissertation are also recorded. The results slip mentioned above is not an official transcript. After the degree has been awarded, course participants may also apply to the University for an official transcript, which records the results for each course. If a course participant has failed a course and passed it on re-examination, this is also recorded on the transcript. Course participants wishing to apply for an official transcript should apply via the Academic Services Enquiry Office in person or by mail with a requisition fee for each original copy of HK$50. It is the responsibility of the course participants to provide the correct name and address of the recipient of the transcript. They should allow at least 10 working days of processing time (from the date of application) for a transcript to be issued. For details, please refer to the Academic Services Enquiry Office website at http://www.hku.hk/afss/services/transcripts.html.

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11. Discontinuation Course participants may be discontinued from the programme under these circumstances: (a) A candidate who fails in more than two modules in a year may be required to

discontinue his/her studies. (b) A candidate who is not permitted to present himself/herself for re-assessment in any

course(s) in which he/she has failed to satisfy the examiners shall be deemed to have failed and shall be recommended for discontinuation under the provisions of General Regulation G 12. (Please refer to the Postgraduate Handbook for 2009-2010.)

(c) A candidate who has failed to satisfy the examiners in re-assessment in any course may be required to discontinue his/her studies.

12. Withdrawal of Study If at any time a course participant wishes to withdraw from his/her studies, he/she should inform the Acting Course Director and the Faculty Office in writing and return his/her Student Registration Card to the Faculty Office for cancellation. Course participants should note that they are liable to pay the annual composition fee even if they withdraw from the programme before the end of the academic year.

13. Academic Dishonesty

Course participants who cheat in any assessment task will be subject to disciplinary action. They must not present the work of another person as their own work for assessment. All work presented for assessment which is not the course participant's own work must be explicitly acknowledged at the time of submission. A course participant who is found to have committed plagiarism and/or collusion in any piece of work which is part of an assessment may be given a zero mark for that piece of work. From 1 September, 2008 onwards, all assignments must be uploaded to Turnitin.

14. Professional Recognition This qualification is recognized as a degree in English Language for professional recognition as a schoolteacher by the Education Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Please refer to the SCOLAR website at http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?nodeID=685&langno=1 for details.

15. Credit Transfer Course participants who have successfully completed modules in English-medium postgraduate programmes at the University of Hong Kong or an institution of an equivalent standing may apply to the MA Committee, on a case-by-case basis, for credit transfer, subject to the following conditions:

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1. The modules are similar to modules in the MA in Applied Linguistics.

2. Credit transfer is normally granted only for core courses.

3. The maximum number of modules for which credit transfer may be approved is two (or the equivalent of one core course).

4. The application for credit is received within five years of successful completion of the

relevant modules.

5. There is no reduction in course fees.

6. Under authority delegated from the Board of the Faculty of Arts, the Acting Course Director for the MA in Applied Linguistics will consider, approve or disapprove each application in consultation with the teacher(s) for the module(s) concerned.

7. Even if credit transfer is approved, the MA Committee may still require the course

participant to audit one or more modules if it is considered beneficial to the student.

8. Application in writing shall be made at the same time of application for admission to the MA in Applied Linguistics and should be accompanied by a copy of the academic transcript to support the application.

16. Resources

Students will have: � use of the HKU Library (http://lib.hku.hk/); � use of the Centre for Applied English Studies Multimedia Learning Centre during some

classes; � use of some of the learning resources on the Centre for Applied English Studies web site

(http://caes.hku.hk/); � use of some services of the University Health Service (http://www.hku.hk/uhs/); � use of some sports facilities of the University with payment (http://www.hku.hk/ihp/); � use of some services of the Computer Centre (http://www.hku.hk/cc/). � a 10% discount for certain book purchases at the University Bookstore upon presenting a

valid Student Card For details, please check the Postgraduate Handbook for 2009-2010.

17. Student Feedback A questionnaire is used to collect comments, suggestions and quantitative feedback from students on individual courses on the teaching quality and overall effectiveness of the programme. In addition, students are welcome to comment on the quality of the programme and teaching via the Staff-Student Consultative Committee and other informal meetings.

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18. Typhoon and Bad Weather If either a Typhoon No. 8 (or higher) or a Black Rainstorm Warning Signal is hoisted or in force at or after 6:00 am, all morning classes and examinations that start before 2:00 pm would be cancelled automatically. Similarly, if either of the signals is hoisted or in force at or after 11:00 am, all afternoon classes and examinations that start from 2:00 pm and before 6:00 pm would also be cancelled accordingly. For the evening classes and examinations that start from 6:00 pm, automatic cancellation will be implemented if either of the warning signals is hoisted or in force at or after 3:00 pm. For classes and examinations that have already started when a Black Rainstorm Warning Signal is hoisted, these activities would normally be continued until the end of the session, unless the venue is found to be of potential risk to students. In the case of a Typhoon Signal No.8 (or higher), classes which have already started would be suspended immediately while examinations in progress would continue, but all outdoor activities will be suspended.

19. Copyright (The University copyright policy has been adopted as the Centre for Applied English Studies policy.)

Students are warned that notes taken in lectures, and course materials supplied to them, are to be used only for the purpose of private study. Similarly, lectures may not be recorded without the permission of the lecturer; if the lecturer permits recording, it must be subject to any conditions which are stipulated at the time of granting permission. The copyright of each lecture delivered in the programme is vested in the lecturer delivering it. Failure to heed this warning may result in an infringement of the copyright laws. Any copying of copyright materials by students on self-service copiers within the University must be kept within the scope of fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study under the copyright legislation currently in force in Hong Kong. Although there is no statement in the legislation as to the maximum amount of copying allowed under the fair dealing provision, it may be assumed that it covers the making of a copy of one article from a single issue of a periodical or the copying of short extracts (not exceeding 10 per cent of the whole) from other printed works. It does not cover the complete copying of books or multiple copying of any kind. If these guidelines are not followed, users of the self-service copying machines may render themselves liable to legal action from copyright holders for breach of copyright. The making of copies of copyright materials by Library staff for library users without the express permission of the copyright holder is strictly limited under the copyright law. Only one copy of one article from a single periodical issue may be copied, and there is no provision in the legislation covering the copying of extracts from books or other materials.

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20. Change of Personal Particulars Students are required to notify the HKU Centre for Applied English Studies and the Faculty of Arts office immediately, in writing, for any changes in correspondence addresses, electronic mail addresses and contact telephone numbers (office or home numbers). This is very important so that all administrative communication with students can be made at the proper address/telephone.

21. Contact Details Dr. Agnes Lam, Acting Course Director Tel: 2859 2009, Email: agneslam@hkucc.hku.hk Dr Max Hui-Bon-Hoa, Acting Co-ordinator and Admissions Advisor Tel: 2859 2027, Email: mlhuibon@hkucc.hku.hk Ms Eliza Yu, Secretary of the programme Tel: 2859 2006, Email: yuwce@hkucc.hku.hk Ms Cecilia Chan, Assistant Secretary of the programme Tel: 2859 2004, Email: csychan@hkucc.hku.hk Address:

Centre for Applied English Studies 7/F K K Leung Building The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Road Hong Kong Fax: 2547 3409

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22. Location of HKU The University of Hong Kong is located on Pokfulam Road where it meets Bonham Road and is easily accessible by public transport (No free parking will be provided). A HKU campus map is attached as Appendix D. Please check Appendix A for the exact venues of your classes.

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Appendix A Timetable and Venues

In Year 1, participants complete three 30-hour core courses. In Year 2, they complete one core course. They also complete three 15-hour elective courses in total during Year 1 Semester 2 and Year 2 Semester 1. The applied research project is completed in Year 1 and the dissertation in Year 2.

Year 1 – 1 September 2009 to 1 June 2010

Semester 1

1 September 2009 - 5 December 2009

Week Course Day/Time Dates Teaching

room

Assignment

deadline(s)

1

MAAL6001 Tuesday, 6:00 – 8:30 pm

1 Sept. 2009

To be arranged

1st assignment: 20 Oct. 2009 2nd assignment: 8 Dec. 2009

2 8 Sept. 2009

3 15 Sept. 2009

4 22 Sept. 2009

5 29 Sept. 2009

6 6 Oct. 2009

7 Reading Week

8 20 Oct. 2009

9 27 Oct. 2009

10 3 Nov. 2009

11 10 Nov. 2009

12 17 Nov. 2009

13 24 Nov. 2009

Week Course Day/Time Dates Teaching

room

Assignment

deadline(s)

1

MAAL6002

Saturday, 9:30 am – 12:00

noon

5 Sept. 2009 To be arranged

1st assignment: 7 Nov. 2009 2nd assignment: 2 Jan. 2010

2 12 Sept. 2009

3 19 Sept. 2009

4 26 Sept. 2009

5 Public Holiday

6 10 Oct. 2009

7 Reading week

8 24 Oct. 2009

9 31 Oct. 2009

10 7 Nov. 2009

11 14 Nov. 2009

12 21 Nov. 2009

13 28 Nov. 2009

14 5 Dec. 2009

Optional:

Academic writing

workshop

Saturday, 1:00 – 3:00 pm 12 Sept. 2009

To be arranged

15

Semester 2

11 January 2010 – 1 June 2010

Week Course Day/Time Dates Teaching

room

Assignment

deadline(s)

1

MAAL6003 Tuesday, 6:00 – 8:30 pm

12 Jan. 2010

To be arranged

1st assignment presentation: 24 April 2010 (Sat, 2-5 pm)

2nd assignment: 27 April 2010

2 19 Jan. 2010

3 26 Jan. 2010

4 2 Feb. 2010

5 9 Feb. 2010

6 Public Holiday

7 23 Feb. 2010

8 2 March 2010

9 9 March 2010

10 University Holiday

11 23 March 2010

12 30 March 2010

13 Public Holiday

14 13 April 2010

15 20 April 2010

16

MAAL6009

Tuesday, 6:00 – 8:30 pm

27 April 2010

To be arranged

Assignment: 8 June 2010

17 4 May 2010

18 11 May 2010

19 18 May 2010

20 25 May 2010

21 1 June 2010

Week Course Day/Time Dates Teaching

room

Assignment

deadline(s)

1

MAAL6023

&

MAAL6017

offered

concurrently

Saturday, 9:30 am – 12:00

noon

16 Jan. 2010 Teaching room to be arranged for each course

6 March 2010

2 23 Jan. 2010

3 30 Jan. 2010

4 6 Feb. 2010

5 Lunar New Year

6 20 Feb. 2010

7 27 Feb. 2010

8

MAAL6019

&

MAAL6015

offered

concurrently

Saturday, 9:30 am – 12:00

noon

Reading Week Teaching room to be arranged for each course

4 May 2010

9 13 March 2010

10 20 March 2010

11 27 March 2010

12 Public Holiday

13 10 April 2010

14 17 April 2010

15 24 April 2010

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Year 2 – 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 (Tentative dates only)

Semester 1

1 September 2010 – 4 December 2010

Week Course Day/Time Dates Teaching

room

Assignment

deadline(s)

1

MAAL6004

(Sociocultural

dimensions)

Tuesday,

6:00 – 8:30 pm

7 Sept. 2010

To be arranged

To be arranged 2 14 Sept. 2010

3 21 Sept. 2010

4 28 Sept. 2010

5 5 Oct. 2010

6 12 Oct. 2010

Week Course Day/Time Dates Teaching

room

Assignment

deadline(s)

1

MAAL6004

(Psychological

dimensions)

Saturday,

9:30 am – 12:00 noon

4 Sept. 2010

To be arranged

To be arranged 2 11 Sept. 2010

3 18 Sept. 2010

4 25 Sept. 2010

5 2 Oct. 2010

6 9 Oct. 2010

Week Course Day/Time Dates Teaching

room

Assignment

deadline(s)

7

MAAL6026

(new elective)

& MAAL6022

offered

concurrently

Tuesday,

6:00 – 8:30 pm

26 Oct. 2010 Teaching room to be arranged for each course

To be arranged 8 2 Nov. 2010

9 9 Nov. 2010

10 16 Nov. 2010

11 23 Nov. 2010

12 30 Nov. 2010

Week Course Day/Time Dates Teaching

room

Assignment

deadline(s)

7

MAAL6018

& MAAL6014

offered

concurrently

Saturday,

9:30 am – 12:00 noon

30 Oct. 2010 Teaching room to be arranged for each course

To be arranged 8 6 Nov. 2010

9 13 Nov. 2010

10 20 Nov. 2010

11 27 Nov. 2010

12 4 Dec. 2010

Semester 2

10 January 2011 – 31 August 2011

MAAL8999 Consultation with the dissertation supervisor is arranged individually. Participants are also required to attend 2 round-table discussions on their progress.

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Appendix B Descriptions of Core Courses and Research Work MAAL6001 Language systems and contexts

(Co-ordinator: Mr. Nigel Bruce)

This course is concerned with the different levels at which systems operate in language and with the ways in which these systems serve the communicative goals of language users in their social contexts. It will introduce key analytical concepts and techniques which will be used for analysis of spoken and written texts. MAAL6002 Second language curricula

(Co-ordinator: Dr. Elaine Martyn)

This course examines the cycle of curriculum design and renewal, for example, the assessment of needs and resources; syllabus design; materials production and task design; classroom activities; assessment of learning outcomes; course evaluation and review. It investigates English enhancement programmes in ‘English-medium’ tertiary and professional settings, developing and encouraging more independent learning as well as greater provision for self-access learning. MAAL6003 Research methods and research design

(Co-ordinator: Dr. David Gardner)

This course a) introduces students to the fundamentals of research methods and design in applied linguistics, educational linguistics and classroom research, and b) provides for critical exploration of different research methods - experimental and ethnographic; quantitative and qualitative; exploratory studies and hypothesis-testing, in order to develop an informed understanding of their strengths, limitations and potential contributions in the design and realisation of research studies. MAAL6004 Sociocultural and psychological dimensions of second language acquisition

(Co-ordinators: Dr. Agnes Lam & Dr. Tsang Wai-lan)

This course explores sociological, psychological and anthropological approaches towards second language development in the individual learner and within bilingual/ multilingual contexts of use; integration of these approaches; exploration of relationships between language, culture and identity, and of their realisations in second language learning and use; formal and informal contexts of learning and use; opportunities, roles and powers as these relate to language choices; language development and language variation.

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MAAL6009 Applied research project

(Co-ordinator: Dr. Yvonne Loong)

Course participants will be involved in formulating an investigative question, developing data collection instruments, collecting data, analysing the data and drawing conclusions. This project will prepare them for their dissertation work in the second year of the course.

MAAL8999 Dissertation

(Co-ordinator: Dr. Max Hui-Bon-Hoa)

Each course participant will be required to complete a dissertation of about 14,000 to 16,000 words, drawing on the coursework completed in the first eighteen months of the course. The dissertation will involve the collection and analysis of original data.

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Appendix C Descriptions of Elective Courses MAAL6014 Language testing and evaluation

(Co-ordinator: Mr. Philip Smyth)

The aim of this course is to introduce participants to the fundamental principles of language testing and to develop skills in the design, trialling, moderation, validation and evaluation of testing instruments. MAAL6015 Computers in language teaching and research

(Co-ordinator: Dr. Lillian Wong)

This course aims to promote critical awareness of the major issues and technologies in computing for language teaching and research. Topics covered include computer-assisted language learning, computer-mediated communication and research applications for statistics, text analysis and qualitative analysis. MAAL6017 Phonology

(Co-ordinator: Ms. Elizabeth Samson)

In this elective, topics will include problems with traditional phonemic description, identification of problem sounds for Cantonese speakers of English, application of the Discourse Intonation model and the teaching of pronunciation and intonation in the Hong Kong context.

MAAL6018 Vocabulary teaching and learning

(Co-ordinator: Dr. Yvonne Loong)

This course focuses on the psycholinguistic theory of word learning and how words are stored in the mental lexicon with particular reference to the Chinese learner. Areas covered include word difficulty, vocabulary learning strategies, effective presentation of unfamiliar words and vocabulary testing. MAAL6019 Autonomous approaches to language learning and teaching

(Co-ordinator: Mr. Peter Voller)

This course will explore the theory and practice of autonomy in language learning and teaching. Discussions will focus on differing interpretations of, and contexts for, learner autonomy, and how these interact with various methods of implementation.

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MAAL6022 Literature and language teaching

(Co-ordinator: Dr. Max Hui-Bon-Hoa)

This course examines the role of literature in language teaching. It begins by looking at the differences between two related concepts – “teaching literature” and “teaching language through literature”; and goes on to explore the following topics: justifications for using literature in language classrooms; methods of selecting literary materials for language teaching; ways of writing lesson plans based on literary sources to support the teaching of the four language skills; different kinds of literature curricula and programs in the world; stylistics and the teaching of literature; the teaching of language arts in Hong Kong. MAAL6023 Advances in writing pedagogy

(Co-ordinator: Prof. Ken Hyland)

This course will bring participants up to date with developments in writing pedagogy. It reviews theoretical and practical developments that have influenced the teaching of writing over the past 40 years and looks in particular at process, genre and critical approaches to writing and discourse studies. MAAL6024 Independent study project

(Co-ordinator: Dr. Max Hui-Bon-Hoa)

This is a project consisting of independent study and negotiated written work on an approved topic which builds on the course participant’s prior studies in applied linguistics. MAAL6026 Current issues in second language acquisition

(Co-ordinator: Dr. Tsang Wai-lan)

The course examines the development of syntax in a second language from a generative perspective, with particular attention to the acquisition of English as a second language by Chinese learners. Similarities and differences between English and Chinese and how these similarities and differences influence learners’ syntactic acquisition and development are discussed. By the end of the course, participants will gain a clear understanding of syntax from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives, as well as the methodology/techniques used in collecting second language data. Possible topics to be covered include word classes, noun phrases, language input, and corrective feedback.

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ppendix E Map of

Appendix D Map of HKU