BA (Hons)/BSc (Hons) Scheme in Language Sciences, Translation, and Speech Therapy

Aims and Characteristics

The BA (Hons)/BSc (Hons) Scheme in Language Sciences, Translation and Speech Therapy comprises one of the following awards: the BA (Hons) in Linguistics and Translation; the BSc (Hons) in Language Sciences and Analytics; and the BSc (Hons) in Speech Therapy.

Students admitted to the Scheme study a common curriculum in Year One and complete their chosen programme (one of the above three) over the following 3 years. Students are asked to rank their choices of Major programme in order of preference by the end of Semester 2 of Year One for the consideration of and approval by the CBS. The decision to admit a student to a Major programme is made by the CBS based on the student’s choice and their GPA of DSR common subjects. An intake quota may apply. 

Applicants to the BScST should be able to communicate verbally in both Cantonese and English effectively. Proficiency in Mandarin (Putonghua) is preferred. 

1. Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Linguistics and Translation

Programme Aims 

• To train language-related professionals in our knowledge-rich and highly connected world with special focus on biliterate and trilingual proficiency;

• To endow our graduates with highly sophisticated communication skills, especially in terms of cultural and linguistic sensitivity in intercultural and corporate communication; interpersonal skills and empathy in face-to-face interaction as well as digital communication and the technological savvy to address the complex needs and challenges of today’s media landscape;

• To equip our graduates with a general knowledge of the underlying concepts and profession-specific literacy skills in linguistics, speech sciences, translation and interpreting, and corporate communication; and

• To equip our graduates with competence in data analytics involving linguistic and textual data, and the ability to identify, analyse and evaluate relevant trends and information using effective linguistic analytic methods.

Programme Characteristics

• Leveraging the combined strengths of linguistics and translation to create a synergy of theory, application and professional training.

• Capitalising on advanced information and communication technologies (ICT) to train language-related professionals across a wide range of professions (e.g. translation and interpreting, the IT industry, language policy making, language teaching, and publishing).

• Possible enrolment to a dual degree programme with The Shanghai Jiao Tong University (admission on a competitive basis).

Medium of Instruction

• English and Chinese^*

^* Putonghua by default; Cantonese used only in elective subjects on the Cantonese language

2. Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Language Sciences and Analytics

Programme Aims 

• To train language and knowledge professionals for our information-rich and highly connected world and the era of digital humanities. 

• To endow our graduates with highly sophisticated communication skills, especially in terms of culture and domain sensitivity in intercultural and corporate communication; inter-personal skills and empathy in face-to-face communication as well as over digital media; and technological know-how to master current and future new media. 

• To equip our graduates with general knowledge of the underlying concepts and profession-specific literacy and skills in linguistics and bilingual communication. 

• To train our graduates in utilising analytic tools, performing and presenting quantitative analyses on language data, and extracting useful information from large-scale language datasets with complex scales.  

• To empower our graduates with the ability to create, adapt and utilise language-related applications and tap into advances in artificial intelligence research. 

Programme Characteristics

• The programme provides students with interdisciplinary training in areas including language sciences, quantitative data analytics, computer programming and computational linguistics. 

• To nurture a deep understanding of how language works (in an individual and in a society) and foster familiarity with the concepts of digital humanities and the tools and methods of collecting and analysing language data in the digital era.

• To strengthen skills in analysing social sentiments, spotting trends in the making, generating predictions and providing insight for business and/or administrative decision making. 

Medium of Instruction

• English and Chinese^*

^* Putonghua by default; Cantonese used only in elective subjects on the Cantonese language 

3. Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Speech Therapy

Programme Aims 

• To produce collaborative practice-ready speech therapists with the ability to practise speech therapy safely and effectively in the areas of speech, language, voice, fluency and swallowing with children and adults presenting with developmental and acquired communication disorders and swallowing disabilities. 

• To equip students with the professional and academic knowledge base, clinical and research skills, and attitudes and ethics required to function effectively as entry-level speech therapists. 

• To cultivate graduates who are able to practise as speech therapists in Hong Kong and serve as speech therapy advocates in mainland China and the Macau SAR.  

Programme Characteristics

• The curriculum offers a unique approach to education and training in Cantonese, Mandarin and English, addressing speech therapy in both Chinese and bilingual contexts. A hybrid teaching and learning approach is adopted: traditional lectures are conducted in the first year, and the problem-based learning (PBL) approach is adopted in the second year. 

• The curriculum of this undergraduate programme builds on the success of our self-financed Master of Speech Therapy programme, with added emphases on interdisciplinary approaches to rehabilitation and evidence-based practice underpinned by the latest research conducted at CBS.

• The teaching team is composed of academic and teaching staff with considerable teaching experience, proven research track records and extensive clinical expertise. 

• Accreditation for the programme will be sought from the Hong Kong Institute of Speech Therapists (HKIST), the local professional body responsible for regulating the speech therapy profession and conducting Institution-based Assessment for Speech Therapy Education Programmes in Hong Kong under the Accredited Registers Scheme for Healthcare Professions, Department of Health, Hong Kong. 

Medium of Instruction

• English^# 

^# Supplemented by Cantonese and Mandarin for Cantonese-speaking and Mandarin-speaking clients in clinical placements