Dr Zhang Caicai Debunks the Myth of Tone Deaf in PolyU Milestones

Dr Zhang Caicai from the Faculty of Humanities was invited by PolyU Milestones to talk about her research findings on congenital amusia in tonal language speakers in the September 2017 issue. The research found that Cantonese speakers who suffer from congenital amusia have abnormal brain activities that affect both music and language tone processing. These differ from those observed in speakers of non-tonal languages with the same disorder. Read full story

New Book: An Oral Biography of Professor William S-Y. Wang

Drawn from original interviews with Prof. William S-Y. Wang, Prof. Kong Jiangping and Dr Wang Feng from Peking University compiled the biography of one of the most influential contemporary linguists. Prof. William S-Y. Wang, Chair Professor of CBS, is a pioneer in interdisciplinary linguistics studies and a distinguished scholar of evolutionary linguistics. His influence and contributions are well recognised in the international and regional communities. This book is a fascinating insight into the personal experience, academic philosophy and achievements of Prof. Wang. The recollections, as stated by Prof. Wang at the book launch held at Yunnan University, reflect not only his academic journey, but also the upheaval and displacement that people of his era went through.

Two PhD theses from CBS Shortlisted for FiCL Thesis of the Year Award 2016

CBS current Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Chen I-Hsuan and PhD graduate Dr Ding Jing have been shortlisted for the first Frontiers in Chinese Linguistics (FiCL) Thesis of the Year in Chinese Linguistics Award. The selection result was announced by Peking University Press and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University-Peking University Research Centre on Chinese Linguistics (RP2U2). The selection panel decided not to award a thesis of the year award this year but five PhD theses in total have been shortlisted as finalists. The revised version of all five theses will be published in Frontiers in Chinese Linguistics (《語言學前沿叢書》). Chinese monographs are published by Peking University Press, while English monographs will be published jointly by Springer Nature internationally and by Peking University Press in China. The finalists and their upcoming monographs are listed below (with their PhD award and their current affiliation) in alphabetical order: 1. Chen I-Hsuan (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; PhD, University of California at Berkeley) The Diachronic Development and Synchroni Distribution of Minimizers in Mandarin Chinese [The monography is exceptionally recommended to Studies in East Asian Linguistics, book series of Springer Nature due to publication quota of our series.] 2. Ding Jing (South China University of Technology; PhD, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University) A Lexical Semantic Study of Chinese Opposites 3. Liu Mingming (Hunan University; PhD, Rutgers University) Varieties of Alternatives: Focus Particles and Wh-expressions in Mandarin 4. Yan Hanbo (Shanghai International Studies University, PhD, University of Kansas) The Nature of Variation in Tone Sandhi Patterns of Shanghai and Wuxi Wu 5. Zhang Weiran (Communication University of China, PhD, Peking University) 〈基於認知形態學的漢語類詞綴構詞研究〉 Xiong Jiajuan, former Postdoctoral Fellow of CBS, will soon have her monograph Chinese Middle Constructions published in FiCL. It is the first book to apply a parametric approach to the study of Chinese middle constructions. Thesis of the Year in Chinese Linguistics Award 2017 is now open for application. Please contact Li Lynn (lilynn00@163.com) of Peking University Press or Tracy Luo (tracyxin.luo@polyu.edu.hk) of RP2U2 for details. More information of Frontiers in Chinese Linguistics can be found at: http://www.springer.com/series/15591

New Book by Faculty Dean Prof. Chu Hung-lam

The Faculty of Humanities is delighted to announce the recent publication of a new book Anthology of Liangfu’s Poems by the Faculty Dean Prof. Chu Hung-lam. Anthology of Liangfu’s Poems was published by Chu Hai College of Higher Education, Hong Kong, in August 2017. The collection includes 162 classical Chinese verses and 25 Chinese lyrical poems written by Prof. Chu between 1972 and 2016, with a preface by Prof. Yu Ying-shih (Yu Yingshi) in 2014, a preface by the author and a postface by Prof. Mok Wan-hon (Mo Yunhan) in 2017. Accompanying the poems are 155 pieces of illustrated painting and calligraphy by 24 artists from Wenzhou, China.

Oh, the Humanities!

With the continually rising global demand for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) talent, the value of humanities education has, at times, been called into question. The humanities, though often regarded as ‘soft’ subjects, are in fact just as important as ever in this digital age and as ‘marketable’ as any other ‘pragmatic’ disciplines. One may wonder whether humanities graduates can thrive in a world with rapid economic, scientific and technological developments. Transferable skills such as (intercultural) communication and critical as well as creative thinking are highly sought after by employers in the modern workforce. Humanities students learn not only how to write; they learn how to read a variety of texts and look at them from different perspectives. They learn how to think critically and to question. They become sophisticated professionals who understand better the nature and cultures of human beings, and hence are able to find optimal solutions to complex problems in an increasingly multicultural workplace and amidst a fast-changing world. Together with a broad knowledge base, these are the skills that humanities programmes guide students to learn before they graduate. The teaching quality, academic programme and curriculum design play a large part in an excellent education in humanities. PolyU Faculty of Humanities (FH) has gained worldwide recognition in several rankings in terms of its academic reputation, employer reputation and research impact. In the 2017 Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings, the subject of linguistics – the discipline to which a majority of FH staff members belong – is ranked 34th internationally while the area of arts and humanities is ranked among the top 20 universities in Asia* and 106th in the world. FH academic and teaching team consists of a good mix of nationalities and cultural backgrounds: more than 200 staff come from all over the world including Australia, Denmark, Iran, Japan, Korea, Sweden, the US and the UK to name a few. Our highly internationalised faculty members have been awarded external competitive research funding and involved in collaborative projects with international partners. The international network of FH – with partners including Corporate Communication International, Erasmus Mundus and Eurasia-Pacific Uninet – provides our students with global exposure through exchange programmes, internships and placements. The proportion of FH students engaged in outbound exchange is among the highest across PolyU departments. Not only are our programmes globally mobile, they also comprise the right balance between breadth and depth. Students are required to take up GE (general education) subjects and WIE (Work-Integrated Education) besides the discipline-specific subjects for their major study. To open more doors for students after graduation, our programmes allow curriculum space for a minor or other free electives. What humanities subjects teach is more important now than ever – to explore and understand the complex world and people through languages, history and culture, and to imagine and to build the future through lessons and insights drawn from the past. FH students are provided an education that encourages them to embark on a journey of transformation: to transform oneself and the world, making it a better place to live in. *By regional filtering of Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings by Faculty 2017.

Faculty Awards for Outstanding Performance/Achievement of 2015/16

The worthy endeavours of FH staff members in teaching, research and scholarly activities and services were recognised at a presentation ceremony held on 12 May 2017. The President’s Awards for Excellent Performance/Achievement and Faculty/School Awards of 2015/16 and 2014/15 were presented at the ceremony. Recipients of the Faculty Awards for Outstanding Performance/Achievement of 2015/16 are as follows: Teaching Awardee Individual Prof. Stephen Evans Department of English Team Mr Adam Forrester (Team Leader), Ms Bee DY, Ms Jessica Y. Xia and Mr Keenan Manning English Language Centre Research & Scholarly Activities Awardee Individual Dr Dennis Tay Department of English Services Awardee Individual Prof. Chan Shui-duen Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies Team Ms Shari Lughmani (Team Leader), Mr Jim Lo, Ms Chan Man, Miss Christine Burns, Ms Lucy Chan and Ms Au Yeung Yuen Yee English Language Centre

PolyU’s Linguistics Ranked 34th Worldwide

PolyU’s Linguistics is ranked 34th worldwide in the newly-released 2017 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject, climbing up from the 41st place last year. PolyU’s Linguistics, the discipline to which a majority of FH staff members belong, is being consistently ranked among top 50 in the world. PolyU’s Arts and Humanities is ranked among the top 20* universities in Asia and 106th in the world. QS rankings are based on universities’ subject performance in terms of academic reputation, employer reputation and research impact. (Source: Quacquarelli Symonds University Rankings 2017) *By regional filtering of Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings by Faculty 2017.

Doctor of Applied Language Sciences and Other Taught Postgraduate Programmes Offered by PolyU Faculty of Humanities

The Doctor of Applied Language Sciences (應用語言科學博士) (DALS) programme offered by the PolyU Faculty of Humanities provides a substantive body of knowledge about applied language sciences and the inextricable link between theory and practice. Aiming at nurturing future leaders in language-related fields, the DALS prograqmme (programme code: 03002) has attracted students from different backgrounds, which range from education to business, engineering, translation and interpretation, and information technology. The flexible study mode (3-year full-time or 5-year part-time) allows students to complete the programme at a pace that suits your needs. This flexibility extends to the four specific strands of the DALS programme. Besides choosing from the four strands to develop your specialism, you can also choose elective subjects from different strands for inter-disciplinary studies. The highly relevant and up-to-date programme content facilitates your success in this age of globalisation and digitalisation. Besides, the Faculty of Humanities has enlisted collaboration with a number of internationally prestigious institutions as professional and academic partners to ensure that DALS students will benefit from inputs from renowned overseas and local scholars, researchers and practitioners. What makes studying the DALS programme even better? The Humanities Doctoral Scholarship offered by the Faculty provides an entry scholarship and a post-entry scholarship to outstanding students in the form of tuition fee waiver. Qualified students may be appointed as teaching assistants in the departments and centres in FH. Wanting to be a part of this first-in-Asia professional doctorate programme? Check out what Dr Gail Forey, DALS Programme Leader, and DALS graduates say about the programme: Programme Video Graduates’ sharing Faculty of Humanities also offers a wide range of taught postgraduate programmes via its Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, Department of Chinese Culture and Department of English: ●    Master of Speech Therapy ●    MA Scheme in Chinese, Linguistics and Translation      (full-time or part-time)       ►   MA in Bilingual Corporate Communication       ►    MA in Chinese Linguistics       ►    MA/PgD in Chinese Language and Literature       ►   MA in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language       ►   MA in Translating and Interpreting       ►  MA in Japanese Media and Communication ●    MA in Chinese Culture ●    MA in English Studies for the Professions       (full-time or part-time)       ►   MA in English Studies for the Professions              (English for the Professions)            ►    MA in English Studies for the Professions              (English Language Teaching)       ►    MA in English Studies for the Professions              (English Language Studies)       ►    MA in English Studies for the Professions              (English Language Arts) Looking for more information about the Faculty of Humanities and its programmes? Connect with us now.  

Stories about Faculty Members in PolyU Milestones

Prof. Huang Chu-ren and Dr Tam King-fai from the Faculty of Humanities were invited to talk about their research in the new issue of PolyU Milestones.

Enhancing International Dimension to Our Education

With our fast-growing international reputation, more and more students are interested in studying with the Faculty of Humanities (FH) in recent years. In this new academic year, the Broad Discipline of Language, Culture and Communication (BDLCC) welcomes 10 international undergraduate freshmen from Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan. The quality of our applicants also continues to rise. Among them there are “straight-A” students who scored full marks in their local public examination. FH believes that a good international mix will help all our students to understand the world better, and equip them with the competencies needed to live and work in an increasingly globalised society. One of our newly admitted international students, Tan Cai Ee from Malaysia shares her new life at PolyU: “I’m extremely grateful to receive full scholarship from the Faculty of Humanities which has given me such a great opportunity to achieve my dream of studying abroad. Hong Kong is always my ideal place to study due to its high standard of internationalism and good reputation. PolyU is a wonderful place for students who’d like to enjoy fun university life and good education at the same time. All the staff and schoolmates are very friendly and helpful which make me feel comfortable. Faculty of Humanities is my first choice because I’m interested in learning different kind of languages. Meanwhile, I also wish to enhance and master the languages I have learned, including Chinese and English. I believe that language is a practical skill which is vital in our lives as mastering various languages enables us to communicate globally and approach to different cultures.” Admission of undergraduate programme “Broad Discipline of Language, Culture and Communication” for 2017 entry has started. More details can be found at www.polyu.edu.hk/study.