Programme Information

Programme Aims

The BA(Lang Studies) programme aims to graduate students who have the following attributes:

1. Demonstrate a high level of proficiency in the language of their major;
2. Demonstrate a level of proficiency in the other target language which will be sufficient for workplace communication;
3. Are able to identify communication issues and resolve relevant problems in context;
4. Are critical thinkers with high moral and ethical standards, plus a readiness to question established truths, and the confidence and courage to challenge received wisdoms; and
5. Are equipped with analytical ability to learn from varied social and global contexts whilst having a propensity to turn life’s challenges into opportunities for intellectual development and personal growth.

The programme also aims to cultivate students with a heightened level of cross-cultural awareness. It prepares students for such dynamic careers as media and publications, culture and entertainment, advertising and public relations, business, education, and the civil service.

Programme Features

The BA(Lang Studies) programme has a number of special features:

• Through a carefully integrated curriculum, students majoring in Chinese or English will acquire a solid foundation in their major discipline within the context of the three broad subject domains: Language, Literature, and Culture & Communication.
• All students can choose from a range of elective courses offered by different departments;
• Chinese Majors and English Majors are required to use 15 cps (out of 24 cps in the Elective Domain) to complete a mandatory first Minor in the language of another major in the programme (i.e. Chinese Major students are required to take Minor in English whereas English Major students are required to take Minor in Chinese offered by the programme), and use the rest of cps available in the Elective domain to take elective courses or a second optional Minor available at the University. (Students who opt for a second Minor may be required to take extra cps beyond the total cps required by the programme);
• A Final Year Project allows students to design and implement a piece of academic research of their own choice in areas of language, literature, and culture and communication;
• A 22-cp General Education requirement incorporates four parts: Foundation, Experiential Learning, Breadth and University ePortfolio;
• Students can take a series of Language Enhancement courses in the areas of English, Chinese and Putonghua;
• Each student is entitled to an EdUHK subsidy of HK$10,000 for the pursuit of overseas experiential learning;
• Language Exit Requirements in English (IELTS or equivalent) and Putonghua (PSC) are implemented with an aim to produce graduates of high language proficiency and to enhance their employability;
• Individual Academic Advisors provide advice on academic studies and career planning.

Programme Structure

Major

BA(Lang Studies) students will study 57 cps of course work in the following areas plus 3 cps of mandatory internship.

• Language
• Literature
• Culture & Communication

List of Major courses

Internship (3 cps)

The University believes that experiential learning is of crucial contribution to students' whole person development. Students are required to complete the internship programme organised by the Faculty in order to fulfill the graduation requirement.

Final Year Project (6 cps)

In Year 4, students will work on the Final Year Project independently under the guidance of their supervisors, who will monitor the students’ progress, meet with the students periodically, and give them helpful feedback on initial drafts.

Electives (24 cps, including Mandatory First Minor)

BA (Lang Studies) students are required to use 15 cps (out of 24 cps in the Elective Domain) to complete a mandatory first Mminor in the language of another major in the programme (i.e. Chinese Major students are required to take Minor in English whereas English Major stu-dents are required to take Minor in Chinese offered by the programme).may make use of the 24-cp in the Elective domain to take elective courses or Minors available at the University. Students are required to complete one education course through a GE course on education, if available, or one elective education course provided by the Faculty of Education and Human Development (FEHD).

Language Enhancement(9 cps, including mandatory and optional language courses)

Proficiency development is an important objective of the BA(Lang Studies) programme. BA(Lang Studies) students have to take mandatory language enhancement courses in both Chinese (Cantonese and Putonghua) and English. Some of the mandatory language courses are credit-bearing courses.

In addition to the mandatory language courses, students can further develop their proficiency in Chinese and English by taking optional non-credit-bearing courses.

General Education (22 cps)

General Education is divided into four domains: Foundation (4 cps), Experiential Learning (6 cps), Breadth (9 cps), and University ePortfolio (3 cps). At the heart of the Foundation Course is the goal of engaging students as active thinkers who strive to make connections between the various domains of knowledge and their own lives. It is a 4-cp course that will run for the whole academic year in Year 1. Experiential Learning (EL) is composed of a 3-cp Co-curricular Service Learning Course (CSLC) and a 3-cp Experiential Learning Course (ELC) which will be offered by departments under the GE domain. Students have to take one of each component for fulfilling the EL (6 cps) requirement. The General Education Breadth Courses (GEBCs) (9 cps) are composed of General Education Breadth Learning Strands (1-3) (GELS) (Level 1-2), Positive and Values Education (PAVE) Course and General Education Interdisciplinary Course (GEIC) (Level 4), students have to take one of each component for fulfilling the GEBCs (9 cps) requirement. After the completion of these courses, students will take a 3-cp course at Consolidation Level to complete their University ePortfolio normally before the final year.

Career Prospects/Professional Qualifications

BA(Lang Studies) graduates are prepared to pursue postgraduate studies in their areas of specialisation or in a field of expertise related to their major sub-disciplines. The generic skills acquired, on the other hand, equip them with career opportunities in such diverse fields as media and publications, education, business, communications, culture and entertainment, community and social services, leisure and tourism, and civil service.

Chinese Major

Programme Code: JS8600

The Chinese Major track of the BA(Lang Studies) programme aims to graduate students who are critical thinkers equipped with analytical skills to learn from varied social and situated contexts, and who have developed a global world view based upon a heightened level of cross-cultural awareness and intercultural sensitivity. Our Chinese Majors will also be reflective learners and as such should become acutely aware of the need for life-long learning in a globally dynamic multicultural environment. Through a carefully integrated curriculum, students majoring in Chinese will acquire a solid foundation in their major with a global perspective.

English Major

Programme Code: JS8612

The English Major track of the BA(Lang Studies) programme aims to graduate students who are critical thinkers equipped with analytical skills to learn from varied social and situated contexts, and who have developed a global world view based upon a heightened level of cross-cultural awareness and intercultural sensitivity. Our English majors will also be reflective learners and as such should become acutely aware of the need for life-long learning in a globally dynamic multicultural environment. Through a carefully integrated curriculum, students majoring in English will acquire a solid foundation in their major with a global perspective.