English Language and Linguistics Courses
The Department offers an exciting and holistic range of courses that investigate linguistic phenomena in multicultural and international contexts. This includes linguistic patterning at the levels of word, sentence and text; how language is acquired and developed in children as well as in adults in bilingual environments or in situations of brain impairment; how language evolves and changes over time and space; how and why there are many varieties of language (for example, American, British and Singaporean English); how language is used in everyday and institutional contexts and interacts in complex ways with the situational environment, socio-cultural practices and ideology; and how the study of language interacts with other fields like literature, semiotics and popular culture. Bringing together theory, description, and application, the courses provide a firm foundation in these areas of inquiry at the introductory levels, and offer opportunities for in-Department and self-directed study at more advanced levels.
Unless otherwise stated, all level 1000–6000 courses carry 4 units.
Level 4000HM coded courses carry 5 units each (for Cohort 2020 and before).
For more information on the courses below, please consult Canvas or contact the course lecturer.
Courses offered in AY2025/2026 Semester 1
Leslie LEE
This introductory overview of linguistics aims at equipping students with a solid foundation in the object, methods and goals of the science of spoken language, the prime tool of human communication. Through a principled analysis of patterns of sound, form and meaning at the levels of word, sentence and text, students will gain insight into what it means to say that language is a rule-governed system and an organic whole. The results of this exploration will be useful to those interested in the relationship between language and mind, society and culture.
Pre-requisite: Exempted from NUS Qualifying English Test, or passed NUS Qualifying English Test, or exempted from further CELC Remedial English courses.
Leslie LEE
This course introduces students to phonetics – which is concerned with speech sounds as physical objects – and phonology – which is concerned with the organization of speech sounds in a linguistic system. We will learn about the human speech apparatus in detail, the mechanisms that are involved in speech production, as well as the acoustic properties of speech sounds. Starting with examples from English, we will explore phonological patterns from a crosslinguistic perspective, and learn how to provide formal analyses for these patterns. The course teaches conceptual tools that will allow students to analyse the phonology of English and other languages.
Pre-requisite: EL1101E
Rebecca STARR
This course considers how variation in language use relates to broader variation in the daily experiences of individuals and groups. Students examine how language constructs cultural abstractions such as social class, gender, and power relations and how these abstractions play out in language varieties and shape their defining characteristics. The course should appeal to students who wish to explore the interaction of language and society by drawing on linguistics, sociology, anthropology, and psychology, and to understand the practical implications of language variation for language policy and language education in multilingual societies such as Singapore.
Pre-requisite: EL1101E
SHEN Zheng
Building on the knowledge of English morphology and syntax developed at Levels-1000 and 2000, this course aims to give students a deeper understanding of the morphological and syntactic structure of English, in relation to crosslinguistic patterns. With an emphasis on evidence and argumentation, the course will help students understand the interconnectedness of the analyses of apparently unrelated phenomena, and develop a sense of the organic unity of language structure. This course will provide a crucial foundation for the further study of morphology and syntax, and their applications.
Pre-requisite: EL2101
Vincent OOI
The vast worldwide computer network collectively known as the Internet (and its graphical interface, the World Wide Web) provides a new environment and technologies of communication (e.g., Internet Relay Chat, bulletin board systems etc.) that challenge current assumptions regarding the nature of speech, writing, community and society. Since English is the principal language of the Internet, this course aims to examine the ways in which the language is being (re)formulated on the Web, especially in multilingual settings. The course focuses on the study and management of electronic language evidence on the Web.
Pre-requisite: EL1101E
Joseph PARK
Language is not an abstract set of rules or decontextualized structure used to encode messages. It is a deeply interactional phenomenon, which finds its natural home in the way human beings, as social actors, engage with each other through the work of communication. This course introduces students to this interactional nature of language, offering the basic conceptual and analytic tools for studying language in a way that takes into account its grounding in human social interaction.
Pre-requisite: EL2151
A UROP involves the student working with a supervisor, and usually in a team, on an existing research project. It has relevance to the student’s Major, and involves the application of subject knowledge, methodology and theory in reflection upon the research project. UROPs usually take place within FASS, ARI, and partners within NUS, though a few involve international partners. All are vetted and approved by the Major department. All are assessed. UROPs can be proposed by supervisor or student, and require the approval of the Major department.
Prerequisite: Students must have declared a Major, completed a minimum of 24 units in that Major, and have a GPA of at least 3.20.
For updates on UROP, please refer to the FASS Student Portal.
Michael ERLEWINE
The goal of this course is to develop a concrete, compositional mapping between the syntactic structure of linguistic expressions and their interpreted meanings, based primarily on the study of English data. Emphasis will be placed on precise, formal descriptions of meanings as truth conditions and their computation. The contribution of the conversational context will also be discussed. Basic knowledge of English syntactic structure will be assumed.
Pre-requisite for EL4203: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 20 units in EL or 20 units in PH. PH students who believe they have sufficient background knowledge for the course should consult the lecturer for permission to take it.
Preclusion for EL4203: EL4203HM
Pre-requisite for EL4203HM: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in EL or 28 units in PH, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the honours track. PH students who believe they have sufficient background knowledge for the course should consult the lecturer for permission to take it.
Preclusion for EL4203HM: EL4203
Peter TAN
This course highlights one way in which the disciplines within the Department (theatre, literary studies and linguistics) can be brought together in the enterprise to come to terms with dramatic discourse. The course will focus on the analysis of dramatic discourse, so that evidenced interpretations of dramatic passages may be provided. Students will be introduced to a number of frameworks, especially those used to deal with discourse such as speech-act theory, the co-operative principle, face and politeness, cognitive and critical discourse approaches. Key topics in stylistics such as foregrounding and reader response will also receive coverage.
Pre-requisite for EL4222: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units including 20 units in EL or 20 units in TS.
Preclusion for EL4222: EL4222HM
Pre-requisite for EL4222HM: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units including 28 units in EL or 28 units in TS, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion for EL4222HM: EL4222
Peter TAN
This course focuses on how the phenomenon of discourse might be analysed and will consider how a number of frameworks can be used in a complementary fashion to give a fuller description of discourse. These include the frameworks of register and genre; speech-act theory; co-operation; face and politeness; exchange structure and conversation analysis. This course is appropriate for students reading or intending to read English Language honours.
Pre-requisite for EL4252: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 20 units in EL
Preclusion for EL4252: EL4252HM
Pre-requisite for EL4252HM: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in EL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track
Preclusion for EL4252HM: EL4252
SHEN Zheng
Fundamental importance is assigned to speakers’ introspective judgments of sentence acceptability in syntactic research. However, such judgments can be gravely compromised by instability of different kinds, which calls into question the empirical reliability of such data. In this course, students will learn objective and practical methods by which they may collect and analyse acceptability judgments. We will discuss experimental design, data visualisation, statistical analysis, and the application of experimental methods to theoretical questions. This will be a hands-on course, and students will be expected to lead discussions on primary research.
Pre-requisite for EL4880D: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including (i) 20 units in EL, and (ii) EL2101 or with instructor's consent.
Preclusion for EL4880D: EL4880DHM
Pre-requisite for EL4880DHM: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including (i) 28 units in EL, and (ii) EL2101 or with instructor's consent, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion for EL4880DHM: EL4880D
EL4401 (8 units)
EL4401HM (15 units)
The Honours Thesis is usually done in the final semester of a student’s pursuing an Honours degree. Students intending to read this course are expected to consult prospective supervisors the semester before they read this course and provide a research proposal. A wide range of topics is acceptable provided it highlights a language issue.
Pre-requisite for EL4401: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 110 units including 40 units of EL major requirements with a minimum SJAP of 4.00 and GPA of 3.50, or with recommendation by the programme committee.
Preclusion for EL4401: EL4660, EL4401HM, EL4660HM
Pre-requisite for EL4401HM: Cohort 2016 to Cohort 2020: Completed 110 units including 44 units of EL major requirements with a minimum SJAP of 4.00 and GPA of 3.50, or with recommendation by the programme committee.
Preclusion for EL4401HM: EL4660, EL4660HM, EL4401
Note: Please register for the Honours Thesis manually with the Department.
Documents containing important information on the HT should be downloaded from “Documents and Forms.”
The Independent Study course is designed to enable the student to explore an approved topic within the discipline in depth. The student should approach a lecturer to work out an agreed topic, readings, and assignments for the course. A formal, written agreement is to be drawn up, giving a clear account of the topic, programme of study, assignments, evaluation, and other pertinent details. The Head’s and/or Honours Coordinator’s approval of the written agreement is required. Regular meetings and reports are expected. Evaluation is based on 100% Continuous Assessment and must be worked out between the student and the lecturer prior to seeking departmental approval.
Pre-requisite for EL4660: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 100 units, including 40 units in EL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20.
Preclusion for EL4660: EL4401, XFA4404, EL4660HM, EL4401HM, XFA4404HM
Pre-requisite for EL4660HM: Cohort 2016 to Cohort 2020: Completed 100 units, including 44 units in EL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20.
Preclusion for EL4660HM: EL4401, XFA4404, EL4660, EL4401HM, XFA4404HM
Note: Please register for the Independent Study course manually with the Department.
Documents containing important information on EL4660 should be downloaded from “Documents and Forms.”
Michael ERLEWINE
This course aims to ground graduate students in a solid conceptual, analytical, and empirical foundation for doing research in syntax and semantics. It examines a range of core empirical phenomena that have been important in the development of modern linguistic theory and that remain central to current linguistic frameworks (e.g. passive, infinitival constructions, relative clauses, wh-constructions, binding, etc.). Core theoretical notions to be covered include: phrase structure, grammatical relations, subcategorization, and lexical entries.
Remarks:
Subject Area B: Grammatical Structure and Meaning (Applicable to August 2023 intake and before)
Rebecca STARR
The course covers the foundational knowledge of the sound pattern of human language. Major topics include how speech sounds are made and transmitted, and how they pattern, drawing data primarily from English and other familiar languages. Students will learn the conceptual tools and technical skills in the analysis of speech data.
Remarks:
Subject Area A: Sounds and Sound Patterns (Applicable to August 2023 intake and before)
Mie HIRAMOTO
This course surveys major approaches and current issues relevant to the study of language in society. It aims to familiarize students with a range of theoretical and conceptual frameworks they may refer to in addressing sociolinguistic questions across a variety of sites and to provide general principles that they may consider when engaged in the study of language in social context. For this purpose, it will critically discuss classical and contemporary research to explore the historical background, prevailing assumptions, methodological perspectives, and analytic strengths of different approaches to language in society, and consider recent developments in the field.
Remarks:
Subject Area C: Language in Use (Applicable to August 2023 intake and before)
Nick HUANG
This foundational course familiarizes graduate students with the major theoretical principles and research paradigms that define the various subfields of linguistics. The course surveys the history of linguistics as a discipline, and introduces major thinkers, key linguistic concepts, significant debates, and basic research methods. Topics covered include formal linguistics, historical linguistics, sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, contact linguistics, psycholinguistics, computational linguistics, and applied linguistics. Students will complete the course with a solid understanding of the range of topics addressed and approaches used in the study of language.
Aine ITO
This course explores topics in psycholinguistics such as spoken and visual word recognition, language comprehension, language production, language acquisition, and bilingual language processing. Students will also be exposed to research methods in psycholinguistics and neurolinguistics, including eye-tracking and brain potentials (EEG; Electroencephalography, or ERP; Event-Related Potentials).
Preclusion: EL5206
Remarks:
Subject Area C: Language in Use (Applicable to August 2023 intake and before)
Shrutika KAPOOR
This course will explore approaches to analysing both written and spoken discourses. Students will learn the analytical tools used to describe features of both modes of discourses. They will be encouraged to explore current research in discourse analysis. There may be a specific focus on particular kinds of discourse (classroom, computer-mediated, media, legal, political, etc.), depending on the expertise and interest of the lecturer. Students will be encouraged to collect and analyse their own data for the assignment.
Preclusion: EL5251
Remarks:
Subject Area C: Language in Use (Applicable to August 2023 intake and before)
Michelle LAZAR
This course aims to cultivate an understanding both of the relationship between discourse and ideology and of the textual construction of knowledge. Students will be exposed to a critical deconstruction of different kinds of socio-political discourses (including discourses about gender and race, etc.) with specific attention to ideological positionings, and the role ideology plays in the knowledge construction process. Through this course, students will acquire critical skills in reading texts and come to appreciate the different kinds of textual and ideological strategies used in the formation of knowledge.
Preclusion: EL5253
Remarks:
Subject Area C: Language in Use (Applicable to August 2023 intake and before)
Independent research plays an important role in graduate education. The Independent Study course is designed to enable the student to explore an approved topic in English Language in depth. The student should approach a lecturer to work out an agreed topic, readings, and assignments for the course. A formal, written agreement is to be drawn up, giving a clear account of the topic, programme of study, assignments, evaluation, and other pertinent details. The Head’s and/or Graduate Coordinator’s approval of the written agreement is required. Regular meetings and reports are expected. Evaluation is based on 100% Continuous Assessment and must be worked out between the student and the lecturer prior to seeking departmental approval.
Note:
(1) Word limit: 5,000 – 6,000 words. (2) Workload: Minimum 10 hours per week. The precise breakdown of contact hours, assignment and preparation is to be worked out between the lecturer and the student, subject to Departmental approval.
(2) Students may take EL5660 to fulfil one Subject Area requirement, subject to department approval.
Independent research plays an important role in graduate education. The Independent Study course is designed to enable the student to explore an approved topic in Language Study in depth. The student should approach a lecturer to work out an agreed topic, readings, and assignments for the course. The Head’s and/or Graduate Coordinator’s approval is required. Regular meetings and reports are expected. Evaluation is based on 100% Continuous Assessment and must be worked out between the student and the lecturer prior to seeking departmental approval.
Note:
(1) Word limit: 7,000 – 8,000 words. (2) Workload: Minimum 10 hours per week. The precise breakdown of contact hours, assignment and preparation is to be worked out between the lecturer and the student, subject to Departmental approval.
Mie HIRAMOTO
This is a required course for all research Masters and Ph.D. students admitted from AY2004/05. The course provides a forum for students and faculty to share their research and to engage one another critically in discussion of their current research projects. The course will include presentations by faculty on research ethics and dissertation writing. Each student is required to present a formal research paper. Active participation in all research presentations is expected. The course may be spread over two semesters and will be graded “Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory” on the basis of student presentation and participation.
Courses offered in AY2025/2026 Semester 2
This introductory overview of linguistics aims at equipping students with a solid foundation in the object, methods and goals of the science of spoken language, the prime tool of human communication. Through a principled analysis of patterns of sound, form and meaning at the levels of word, sentence and text, students will gain insight into what it means to say that language is a rule-governed system and an organic whole. The results of this exploration will be useful to those interested in the relationship between language and mind, society and culture.
Pre-requisite: Exempted from NUS Qualifying English Test, or passed NUS Qualifying English Test, or exempted from further CELC Remedial English courses.
Leslie LEE
This course explores language structure, in particular, patterns of sentence structure (syntax) and of meaning (semantics), from a cross-linguistic perspective. Concepts to be discussed include: grammatical categories, semantic relations, grammatical relations, constituency, and the relationship between grammar and the lexicon. A key feature of the course is its emphasis on the evidence and argumentation that bears upon the representation of structure and principles of grammar that we postulate. The course provides the foundation for the study of advanced courses investigating linguistic structure.
Pre-requisite: EL1101E or GEX1019 or GET1036
Peter TAN
The course aims to introduce how language change can take place orthographically, phonologically, grammatically and lexically. These changes do not take place at random but can be usefully accounted for by considering the socio-cultural contexts of use. The major topics covered include the history of English in Britain, English in North America and the New Englishes including Singaporean English. This course is suitable for students intending to read English Language and Linguistics as a major, as well as other interested students.
Leslie LEE
This course introduces students to the numerous ways in which the unique human capacity for language can be disordered, within the oral-auditory mode of communication. It begins with a survey of different types of speech and language disorders, discussing the presentation of each condition and possible etiologies. We then explore different aspects of language that can be impaired and the types of deficits that arise when these are disordered, taking into consideration crosslinguistic and multilingual perspectives. No prior knowledge of the medical or linguistic sciences is assumed. This course is not intended to provide training in clinical assessment and intervention.
Aine ITO
This course explores the processes underlying language comprehension, language production, and language acquisition. The topics include memory and language, effects of physical and emotional experience on language processing, individual differences (age, social factors) in language processing, code-switching and bilingual advantage.
Pre-requisite: EL1101E
Michelle LAZAR
The course encourages a critical understanding of the significant role media discourses play in shaping our beliefs and values & relationships and identities in contemporary social life. The course examines power relations and ideological issues pertaining to linguistic and multimodal texts and practices in a range of traditional and digital/social media. The course adopts an interdisciplinary perspective, which brings together work in discourse, media and cultural studies.
Pre-requisite: EL1101E
Vincent OOI
With special reference to English in multilingual and multicultural settings, this course introduces students to the study of words from both lexicological (theory) and lexicographical (practice) perspectives. It aims to equip participants with a critical awareness of the notion of the word and its attendant sources of evidence, the organisation of the mental lexicon, and the publication of words in the form of print, online and standalone electronic dictionaries.
Pre-requisite for EL4216: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 20 units in EL
Preclusion for EL4216: EL4216HM
Pre-requisite for EL4216HM: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in EL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track
Preclusion for EL4216HM: EL4216
Mie HIRAMOTO
This course encourages you to think analytically about identity construction issues regarding gender and sexuality by focusing on language, and about the relation between language and social practice. The goals are inseparably intellectual and political: responsible scholarship and citizenship require the ability and eagerness to go beyond stereotype, common belief, and the popular press, to evaluate claims for oneself in a knowledgeable way. Through the gathering and analysis of data, you will be asked to look for questions that might be answered, problems that might be solved, and issues that might be explored.
Pre-requisite for EL4253: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 20 units in EL or 20 units in EN, and EL2151.
Preclusion for EL4253: EL4253HM
Pre-requisite for EL4253HM: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in EL or 28 units in EN, and EL2151, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion for EL4253HM: EL4253
Michelle LAZAR
This course focuses on the interrelations between language, ideology and power within contemporary society. It examines key concepts and ideas investigated by a range of scholars working within a critical perspective. Topics covered include: the structuring influence of language on worldviews; the construal of particular realities through patterned linguistic choices; the inclusion/exclusion, privileging/marginalising of different social groups through language policies and practices affecting the use (or disuse) of particular language varieties. Target students: those with an active interest in the social and political aspects of language use, willing to articulate their own positions amid lively and complex debate.
Pre-requisite for EL4254: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 20 units in EL
Preclusion for EL4254: EL4254HM
Pre-requisite for EL4254HM: Cohort 2019 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in EL or 28 units in GL/GL recognised non-language courses, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Cohort 2020: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in EL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion for EL4254HM: EL4254
Nick HUANG
Many morphosyntactic phenomena, such as those concerning subject-verb agreement or wh-dependencies, are typically seen as reflecting abstract grammatical rules. However, linguists have often questioned the need for such rules, arguing that these phenomena can be more fruitfully understood as the product of sentence processing and cognitive constraints, such as the limits of working memory. This course introduces students to these perspectives, their underlying assumptions, and their successes and limitations. Through this course, students will also become more familiar with the logic of linguistics experiments and statistical analysis.
Pre-requisite for EL4880F: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including (i) 20 units in EL, and (ii) EL2101 or with instructor's consent.
Preclusion for EL4880F: EL4880FHM
Pre-requisite for EL4880FHM: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including (i) 28 units in EL, and (ii) EL2101 or with instructor's consent, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion for EL4880FHM: EL4880F
EL4401 (8 units)
EL4401HM (15 units)
The Honours Thesis is usually done in the final semester of a student’s pursuing an Honours degree. Students intending to read this course are expected to consult prospective supervisors the semester before they read this course and provide a research proposal. A wide range of topics is acceptable provided it highlights a language issue.
Pre-requisite for EL4401: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 110 units including 40 units of EL major requirements with a minimum SJAP of 4.00 and GPA of 3.50, or with recommendation by the programme committee.
Preclusion for EL4401: EL4660, EL4401HM, EL4660HM
Pre-requisite for EL4401HM: Cohort 2016 to Cohort 2020: Completed 110 units including 44 units of EL major requirements with a minimum SJAP of 4.00 and GPA of 3.50, or with recommendation by the programme committee.
Preclusion for EL4401HM: EL4660, EL4660HM, EL4401
Note: Please register EL4401 manually with the Department.
Documents containing important information on the HT should be downloaded from “Documents and Forms.”
The Independent Study course is designed to enable the student to explore an approved topic within the discipline in depth. The student should approach a lecturer to work out an agreed topic, readings, and assignments for the course. A formal, written agreement is to be drawn up, giving a clear account of the topic, programme of study, assignments, evaluation, and other pertinent details. The Head’s and/or Honours Coordinator’s approval of the written agreement is required. Regular meetings and reports are expected. Evaluation is based on 100% Continuous Assessment and must be worked out between the student and the lecturer prior to seeking departmental approval.
Pre-requisite for EL4660: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 100 units, including 40 units in EL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20.
Preclusion for EL4660: EL4401, XFA4404, EL4660HM, EL4401HM, XFA4404HM
Pre-requisite for EL4660HM: Cohort 2016 to Cohort 2020: Completed 100 units, including 44 units in EL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20.
Preclusion for EL4660HM: EL4401, XFA4404, EL4660, EL4401HM, XFA4404HM
Note: Please register for the Independent Study course manually with the Department.
Documents containing important information on EL4660 should be downloaded from “Documents and Forms.”
Aine ITO
The course introduces students to psycholinguistic research on second language acquisition and processing. It explores the mechanisms of learning a second language in comparison with those of learning a first language as well as how second language processing is different from first language processing. Students will learn key concepts and psycholinguistic models/theories of second language processing.
Remarks:
Subject Area C: Language in Use (Applicable to August 2023 intake and before)
Mie HIRAMOTO
This course focuses on languages evolving in multilingual settings out of radical contact situations. Commonly referred to as “Pidgins”, “Creoles” and “mixed languages”, these languages are spoken mainly in the Caribbean and Asia-Pacific regions. We concentrate on English-lexified contact varieties and investigate the interaction of typological features and sociolinguistic factors determining language change in contact situations. We also discuss the most salient issues within the field of Language Contact such as:
- Creoles as a synchronically viable structural class;
- restructuring patterns, creolisation and universal patterns of language change;
- pidgnisation;
- ideology and classification
Preclusion: EL5211
Remarks:
Subject Area C: Language in Use (Applicable to August 2023 intake and before)
Peter TAN
This course is aimed at graduate students who wish to explore the development of the English language over the past 1,500 years or so, and to see that some features of present-day English can be explained in the light of its history. Students should ideally have some background in grammatical description. Issues that will receive attention include the transformation of a synthetic Old English to a more analytic Modern English; language contact as a force for language change; the standardisation of English; and the spread of English and the New Englishes.
Preclusion: EL5212
Remarks:
Subject Area C: Language in Use (Applicable to August 2023 intake and before)
Vincent OOI
This course takes an empirical approach to linguistic investigation: it bases claims largely on computer-aided analyses of electronic datasets that are either manually built with linguistic purposes in mind or those that are readily found on the Web. With special reference to English, relevant topics will be introduced to suit particular needs; the corpus‐linguistic methodology blends well with various linguistic levels, including grammar, lexis and discourse. This course does not assume any expert computing knowledge; while no computer programming will be introduced, participants will receive hands‐on training in the use of standard corpus‐linguistic programs.
Preclusion: EL5216
Remarks:
Subject Area C: Language in Use (Applicable to August 2023 intake and before)
Rebecca STARR
The study of variation and change in language employs quantitative statistical methods to account for phenomena in real-world language data. This course familiarises students with the major questions and methodologies of variationist research in sociolinguistics and corpus linguistics. Students will learn about the stylistic, social, and linguistic factors that influence how language is produced and perceived, and explore how data drawn from speech, texts, social media, and experimental methods are used to investigate variation. This course will prepare students to pursue independent research incorporating quantitative methods.
Preclusion: EL5252
Remarks:
Subject Area C: Language in Use (Applicable to August 2023 intake and before)
Independent research plays an important role in graduate education. The Independent Study course is designed to enable the student to explore an approved topic in English Language in depth. The student should approach a lecturer to work out an agreed topic, readings, and assignments for the course. A formal, written agreement is to be drawn up, giving a clear account of the topic, programme of study, assignments, evaluation, and other pertinent details. The Head’s and/or Graduate Coordinator’s approval of the written agreement is required. Regular meetings and reports are expected. Evaluation is based on 100% Continuous Assessment and must be worked out between the student and the lecturer prior to seeking departmental approval.
Note:
(1) Word limit: 5,000 – 6,000 words. (2) Workload: Minimum 10 hours per week. The precise breakdown of contact hours, assignment and preparation is to be worked out between the lecturer and the student, subject to Departmental approval.
(2) Students may take EL5660 to fulfil one Subject Area requirement, subject to department approval.
Independent research plays an important role in graduate education. The Independent Study course is designed to enable the student to explore an approved topic in Language Study in depth. The student should approach a lecturer to work out an agreed topic, readings, and assignments for the course. The Head’s and/or Graduate Coordinator’s approval is required. Regular meetings and reports are expected. Evaluation is based on 100% Continuous Assessment and must be worked out between the student and the lecturer prior to seeking departmental approval.
Note:
(1) Word limit: 7,000 – 8,000 words. (2) Workload: Minimum 10 hours per week. The precise breakdown of contact hours, assignment and preparation is to be worked out between the lecturer and the student, subject to Departmental approval.