Postgraduate Programmes and Admissions

Admissions to the M.A. Programme in English (Applied English Linguistics)

Goals and Objectives

The M.A. in English (Applied English Linguistics) is an intensive one year for full-time students and two years for part-time students taught programme offering the same range of required courses as in the M.Phil. in English (Applied English Linguistics).This programme is intended for those who have had some exposure to language study or English linguistics and who have a strong interest in these areas. M.A. students who show an outstanding performance in course work may apply, or may be recommended, for transfer to the second year of the M.Phil. in English (Applied English Linguistics) programme, subject to the approval of the Graduate Panel and the Graduate School.

Requirements

Applicants must meet the general requirements as defined in the most recent Graduate School brochure published by The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Applicants for the M.A. and M.Phil. in English (Applied English Linguistics) programmes are required to attend an interview whenever feasible. M.A. applicants must submit a 500-word statement about their particular interests and goals related to postgraduate study in applied linguistics. M.Phil. applicants are required to submit a 800-word plan of study, describing their research interest and goals for postgraduate study. The interview aims to assess the applicants' intellectual and linguistic abilities as well as their understanding of basic concepts and issues in applied linguistics.

Preparatory Reading

Applicants are expected to be acquainted with the contents of the following titles:

• Braine, G. (2005). Teaching English to the World.New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum.
• Brown, D. (2000). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall Regents.
• Celce-Murcia, M. and Larsen-Freeman, D. (1999). The Grammar Book: An ESL/EFL Teacher's Course. Boston: Heinle and Heinle.
• Clark, J. and Yallop, C. (1995). An Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology. (2nd ed.) Oxford: Blackwell.
• Cook, G. (2003). Applied Linguistics. (Oxford Introductions to Language Study). Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press.
• Davies, A. (2007). An Introduction to Applied Linguistics: From practice to theory. 2nd edition. Edinburgh: EdinburghUniversity Press.
• Ellis, R. (1994). The Study of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press.
• Lightbown, P. and Spada, N. (1998). How Languages are Learned. Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press.
• Skehan, P. (1998). A Cognitive Approach to Language Learning.OxfordUniversity Press.