Sept 2024 Entry
4 years
126 (including 3 Work-Integrated Education training credits) for BALT/ BScLSA and 132 credits (including 27 Clinical Education credits) for BScST
- Students will be awarded one of the following degrees upon successful completion of the graduation requirements of the specific programme:
- BA (Hons) in Linguistics and Translation
- BSc (Hons) in Language Sciences and Analytics
- BSc (Hons) in Speech Therapy
- Contingent on successful accreditation of the programme by the Hong Kong Institute of Speech Therapists (HKIST), BScST graduates will be qualified to practise as registered speech therapists.
- Applicants holding alternative qualifications with outstanding academic result and good interview performance may be given a conditional offer of guaranteed admission into a programme of their choice (from Year 2 to Year 4). This will be conducted on a case-by-case basis. Other than ‘guaranteed’ admission cases, priority of programme choice from Year 2 to Year 4 will be based on students’ GPA of all discipline-specific requirement subjects and CBS1903 Introduction to AI and Data Analytics for Language Professionals at the end of their first year studies*.
- Applicants to the BScST programme should be able to communicate verbally in both Cantonese and English effectively; proficiency in Mandarin (Putonghua) is preferred.
- The option of a Secondary Major in AI and Data Analysis is available to the students in the BA (Hons) in Linguistics and Translation and BSc (Hons) in Language Sciences and Analytics programmes. Admission to a secondary major is on competitive basis and subject to different credit requirements for graduation. Please see the “Secondary Major Details” section.
* Subject to review
What's New
The BA(Hons) / BSc(Hons) Scheme in Language Sciences, Translation, and Speech Therapy offers the following degrees: BA (Hons) in Linguistics and Translation; BSc (Hons) in Language Sciences and Analytics; and BSc (Hons) in Speech Therapy.
Students admitted to the Scheme study a common Year 1 curriculum and complete their respective programme (one of the three listed above) in the following 3 years. Students rank their choices of major programme, from the most preferred to the least preferred by the end of Semester 2 of their Year 1 study for CBS’ consideration and approval. The decision to admit a student to a major programme is made by CBS based on the student’s choice and their GPA of DSR Common subjects. An intake quota may apply.
Applicants to 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 only used 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 being technologically savvy 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 with competence in using 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 use language-related applications and tap into advances in artificial intelligence research.
Programme Characteristics
- To provide 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 to make students familiar with the concepts of digital humanities and the tools and methods of collecting and analysing language data in the digital era.
- To strengthen their skills for analysing social sentiments, spotting trends in the making, generating predictions and providing insights for business and/or administrative decision-making.
Medium of Instruction
- English and Chinese*
* Putonghua by default; Cantonese only used 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 involving both 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 teaching team is composed of academic and teaching staff with considerable teaching experience, proven research track records and extensive clinical expertise.
- The programme is designed to equip students with the professional and academic knowledge base, clinical and research skills, and attitudes and ethics required to function effectively as professional entry-level speech therapists.
- 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 of BScST, and the problem-based learning (PBL) approach is adopted in the second year of BScST.
- The curriculum of this undergraduate programme builds on the success of our self-financed Master of Speech Therapy programme by adding an interdisciplinary approach to rehabilitation and evidence-based practice underpinned by latest research conducted at CBS.
- The programme will seek to obtain accreditation by the Hong Kong Institute of Speech Therapist (HKIST), the local professional body responsible for regulating the speech therapy profession and conducting Institutional-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
Recognition
Contingent on successful accreditation of the programme by the Hong Kong Institute of Speech Therapists (HKIST), BScST graduates will be qualified to practice as registered speech therapists.
Career Prospects
1. Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Linguistics and Translation
With their strong language proficiency and competence in technology, BALT graduates can pursue careers in various professions, local and overseas, including but not limited to the following.
- Linguistic research
- Translation/interpreting
- Administration and management
- Education
- Corporate communication
- Language data analysis
- Digital/social media content creation and editing
- Social/cultural analysis
- Editing and publishing
- Civil service
- Marketing and sales
2. Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Language Sciences and Analytics
The programme produces graduates who can make meaningful contributions to various sectors in the society (e.g., business development, marketing, journalism and media, education, academic research and public services) by analysing social sentiments, spotting trends in the making, generating predictions and providing insights for business and/or administrative decision-making.
3. Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Speech Therapy
Graduates are expected to practise as speech therapists in different service settings upon graduation, such as the Hospital Authority, non-government organisations, special and mainstream schools, other community service providers, and private clients.
Academic Pathways
1. Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Linguistics and Translation
a) Single Discipline Major
b) Major and Minor/free Electives
c) Double Major (BALT and BAEAL)
d) Major + AIDA Pathway
e) Dual Degree with Shanghai Jiao Tong University (admission on competitive basis)
2. Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Language Sciences and Analytics
a) Single Discipline Major
b) Major and Minor/free Electives
c) Major + AIDA Pathway
3. Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Speech Therapy
a) Single Discipline Major
b) Major and Minor
Curriculum Structure
The overall credit requirements for the programmes are as follows:
| BALT | BScLSA | BScST | |
| General University Requirements (GUR) | 30 credits | 30 credits | 30 credits |
| Discipline-Specific Requirements (DSR) | 75 credits + 3 training credits | 75 credits + 3 training credits | 75 credits + 27 clinical education credits |
| Minor or Free Electives | 18 credits | 18 credits | 18 credits |
| Credit requirement for graduation | 126 credits including 3 training credits / 132 credits including 3 training credits for Major + AIDA / 171 credits including 3 training credits for double majors in BALT + BAEAL | 126 credits including 3 training credits / 132 credits including 3 training credits for Major + AIDA | 132 credits including 27 clinical education credits + 18 credits for the Minor option |
The three programmes share a common Year 1 curriculum consisting of linguistics, language enhancement, the University’s general education courses, speech therapy and translation courses. The exploration of these areas assists students to rank their choices of Major programme, from the most preferred to the least preferred by the end of Semester 2 of their Year 1 study for CBS’ consideration and approval.
From Year 2 onwards, students follow the curricula of their respective programmes. In the final year of studies, students can apply their knowledge in a (Capstone) Project.
Compulsory Courses
1. Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Linguistics and Translation
Introduction to Translation; Introduction to Linguistics; Work Integrated Education (WIE); Introduction to Speech Therapy; Academic and Technical Chinese Writing; Introduction to Modern Chinese; Introduction to Interpreting; Consecutive Interpreting; Translation for Corporate Communication; Translation for the Media in the Digital Age; Programming and Data Analysis for Language Studies; Semantics: Meaning in Language; Sounds and Sound Systems of Language; Pragmatics: Language in Use; Project in Language Studies; Translation Studies, Comparative and Contrastive Studies of Chinese and English Grammar; English for Advanced Academic Writing
2. Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Language Sciences and Analytics
Introduction to Translation; Introduction to Linguistics; Work Integrated Education (WIE); Introduction to Speech Therapy; Academic and Technical Chinese Writing; Introduction to Modern Chinese; Psycholinguistic; Language, Cognition, and Brain; Programming and Data Analysis for Language Studies; Semantics: Meaning in Language; Sounds and Sound Systems of Language; Pragmatics: Language in Use; Advanced Topics in Quantitative Language Studies; Project in Language Sciences and Analytics; Comparative and Contrastive Studies of Chinese and English Grammar; Corpus and Language Technology for Language Studies; Introduction to Data Analytics; Introduction to Statistics for Business; English for Advanced Academic Writing
3. Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Speech Therapy
Behavioural and Social Sciences I; Clinical Linguistics: Semantics and Pragmatics; Anatomy and Physiology: Speech and Hearing Sciences I; Behavioural and Social Sciences II; Clinical Linguistics: Language Acquisition and Multilingualism; Clinical Linguistics: Phonetics and Phonology; Anatomy and Physiology: Speech and Hearing Sciences II; Introduction to Clinical Practice in Speech Therapy and Audiology; Communication Disorders and Audiology (DSLR English); Preschool Communication Disorders: Assessment and Treatment; Communication Disorders of Neurogenic Origin: Assessment and Treatment; Disorders in Swallowing, Fluency and Voice: Assessment and Treatment; School-age Communication and Literacy Disorders: Assessment and Treatment; Geriatric Communication and Cognitive Disorders: Assessment and Treatment; Research Methods and Evidence-Based Practice for Communication Disorders; Craniofacial Disorders, Hearing Impairment, and Other Communication Disorders: Assessment and Treatment; Capstone Project; Clinical Education I; Clinical Education II; Clinical Education III; Clinical Education IV; Clinical Education V; Clinical Education VI; Clinical Education VII; Ethics and Professional Issues in Speech Therapy; Interdisciplinary Case Conference
Elective Subjects (excluding subjects in the Minor in Japanese and Minor in Korean within CBS)
Close to twenty electives are offered for BALT and BScLSA students.
(The above list is subject to revision.)
The option of a Secondary Major in AI and Data Analytics is available to students of the BA (Hons) in Linguistics and Translation and BSc (Hons) in Language Sciences and Analytics.
Students on this pathway will complete 75 academic credits + 3 training credits for the Major (BALT/BScLSA) and 36 credits for the Secondary Major (AIDA). 12 credits, including those for the Integrated Capstone Project, can be double-counted for the Major and Secondary Major. The list of compulsory and elective subjects for the Major (BALT/BScLSA) is almost the same as that for the existing BALT/BScLSA programme. The only difference is in the Capstone Project, as students will complete an integrated project (involving both BALT/BScLSA and AIDA) instead of the regular BALT/BScLSA route. The minimum credit requirement of BALT/BScLSA + AIDA is 132 credits.
Remarks
There is no professional accreditation for BALT+AIDA/BScLSA + AIDA.
126 (including 3 Work-Integrated Education training credits) for BALT/ BScLSA and 132 credits (including 27 Clinical Education credits) for BScST
Programme Leader – BA (Hons) in Linguistics and Translation
Dr WU Zhiwei
PhD, MA, BA
Programme Leader – BSc (Hons) in Language Sciences and Analytics
Dr KWONG Yee Lan, Elaine
PhD, BSc
Programme Leader – BSc (Hons) in Speech Therapy
Dr LAU Kai Yan, Dustin
PhD, BSc
Award(s) available in this scheme:
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Linguistics and Translation
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Language Sciences and Analytics
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Speech Therapy
Please click here to view the entrance requirements for international applicants.
Applicants are invited to attend an interview, accompanied by a possible written test in English and Chinese, to evaluate their potential/suitability for admission to the programme, and to examine their communication skills and interest in the field of study.
To be considered for the BSc (Hons) in Speech Therapy on a competitive basis by the end of their Year 1 studies, students should be able to communicate verbally in both Cantonese and English effectively; proficiency in Mandarin (Putonghua) is preferred.
For further programme information, please contact:
the General Office (tel.: 2766 7454; email: cbs.enquiry@polyu.edu.hk).
As a current Year 3 student in the BALT programme, I have gained not only professional knowledge but also support in various areas. The first two years of study have provided us with a robust foundation of knowledge for our future development, as well as the opportunity to explore different options in life. The BALT programme supports the various needs of its students, providing us with many opportunities for exchange, internship and research, allowing us to find our true interests through these precious experiences. More importantly, we have very kind and patient teachers. They always answer our questions carefully and are willing to help us with our research projects, future development etc. I feel delighted and lucky to have the opportunity to spend four unforgettable years as part of BALT.
CBS not only provided us with a variety of course choices to explore our interests and achieve all-round development but also an extremely encouraging learning environment! Looking back on the past four years at PolyU, I met numerous inspirational and supportive academics, who kept stimulating me to explore all the possibilities and challenge myself. But without their endless encouragement, I would not have had the courage and confidence to participate in multifarious extracurricular activities and initiate a service project delivering mental support via meaningful quotes to the PolyU community, as well as to compete for scholarships and awards.
Although the pandemic has had quite an impact on the university’s teaching mode, the endless support from FH and CBS remained strong. Although all plans for physical academic exchange were upset, I am grateful for having enormous opportunities for enriching my university life through local internships at St. James Settlement and Hong Kong Film Archive with the assistance of CBS under the Work-Integrated Education (WIE) scheme, which enabled me to consolidate my academic learning and gain practical work experience.
I believe that if you enjoy studying language subjects and are keen to strive for personal growth, CBS is definitely one of the best choices!
What can I say other than that I was repeatedly wowed by the opportunities that the department offers throughout the four years of my study? The options for internships, research, service learning and countless other possibilities are tremendous and should not be overlooked by prospective students of the BACBS programme –not to mention that one of the ambitions of the department is to stimulate students’ interest in learning activities overseas, a vision which I have taken advantage on several occasions, visiting conferences and events in foreign countries.
The programme structure facilitates a smooth path, allowing a highly personalised study path. I, for one, have taken a minor in a field, computing, that is vastly different than my major, linguistics, although my love for translation persists. Given the scope of this programme, my experience is only one of the innumerable outcomes it can provide. Outside of academics, I also played a role in the founding and the growth of the Hong Kong Linguistics Olympiad, a linguistics-oriented competition for secondary school students.
After four years, I am delighted to inform you that the value of this programme is greater than its sum, but this visceral epiphany can only be appreciated when experienced. If you like, treat this as an invitation to this amazing programme.
Looking back on my study in CBS, I’m grateful to have so many wonderful memories that I will cherish forever. If you are like me, enthusiastic about humanity but also attaching great importance to its integration with modern technology, this programme is the perfect choice. Studying linguistics is not just spending the whole day in library studying obscure sentences, as many may have imagined; it’s much more fun! For example, we were taught to recognise the anatomical “landmarks” of our body that are essential in speech production (by looking at the real corpse!). In the psycholinguistic course, we also tried to design a simple behavioural experiment using a computer program and tested it on our friends. Gradually, I discover how languages should be viewed scientifically and how their integration with technology can benefit human life.
It is also worth mentioning that the faculty of CBS is especially nice. As a non-local student, I never felt neglected. On the contrary, I always received warm help when in trouble. Once, I was a bit worried about my study, so I turned to Dr Yao Yao, who then scheduled an individual meeting with me to help me. I’m very thankful to meet such supportive faculty at this important stage of my life.
Linguistics. What a nice word to chew over.
Three years ago, Google returned, “the scientific study of language”, which was nothing more than I already knew about this discipline, and peeking into linguistic branches didn’t help. In fact, the Greek-rooted Jabberwocky terms (syntax, phonetic, pragmatics…) I found only added to my confusion.
Freedom to explore within the CBS curriculum finally lifted the veil and drew me deeper into the field of linguistics. One theory at a time, the lecturers brought us closer to what is on the tip of our tongues or fingertips every day. The topics ranged from explaining why does “lo” as a Cantonese sentence-final particle elicit much more annoyance than its fellows, to why I always mispronounce certain English sounds. Come to think of it, CBS doesn’t teaches so much about language as about language creators and users, which are all of us.
Countless times I have replied at family reunion dinners, “Yes, I study about language. No, I don't study every language.” But the unspoken second half is – I do know more languages than when I was in freshman year. Knowing linguistics definitely smooths the journey of language-learning, which in my case meant learning German in my minor in European Studies. This shows me a world outside the net weaved by Chinese and English. Meanwhile, the major surprised me by introducing me to computer languages. As scary as it initially appeared, the lines of code have proven to be a friend and even a perfect fit with the humanities perspective, not an evil nemesis as predicted by the arts/sciences binary.
Charlemagne once said, “To have another language is to possess a second soul.” That very much sums up what we do in CBS — dancing around souls, questing after whatever it is under the pearly white.
To determine the suitability of applicants who have the same admission scores.
About 10-15 minutes
-
Required
To evaluate the potential/suitability of applicants for admission to the programme, and to examine their communication skills and interest in the field of study
About 10 minutes for interview
Only shortlisted applicants will be invited to interviews
Required
To evaluate the potential/suitability of applicants for admission to the programme, and to examine their communication skills and interest in the field of study
About 15 minutes for interview
Only shortlisted applicants will be invited to interviews
