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Prof. Hans J Ladegaard
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Prof. Hans J Ladegaard

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Biography

Hans J Ladegaard studied at Odense University Denmark and Cambridge University England. He holds a BA in English, an MA in English and Linguistics, a Minor in Scandinavian Studies, and a PhD in Sociolinguistics. He taught at universities in Denmark, the UK and Hong Kong before taking up the headship in the Department of English and Communication at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2015-2021). He is currently Professor in the same department.

Research Overview

My broad areas of research interest are sociolinguistics, the social psychology of language, and intercultural communication. I am particularly interested in language attitudes and stereotypes, intergroup relationships, narratives of migration, language and gender, and discourse analysis. I am also interested in combining quantitative approaches to the study of language and communication (surveys and corpora) with qualitative approaches (discourse analysis and narratology), and to explore how research on language and intercultural communication can translate into social activism. My most recent research has focused on two thematically diverse areas: trauma storytelling in domestic migrant worker narratives, and international students’ experience of intergroup communication.

Education and Academic Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Arts in Scandinavian Studies, Odense University
  • Bachelor of Arts in English Language & Literature, Odense University
  • Master of Arts in English Language & Literature, Odense University
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Odense University

Academic and Professional Experience

  • Professor (2015- ) and Head (2015-2021), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
  • Professor (2010-2015) and Head (2011-2014), Hong Kong Baptist University
  • Associate Professor, Hong Kong Baptist University (2006-2010)
  • Head of the English Language Teaching Unit, University of Southern Denmark (2000-2004)
  • Associate Professor, University of Southern Denmark (1999-2006)
  • Assistant Professor, University of Southern Denmark (1995-1998)
  • PhD student, University of Southern Denmark (1992-1995)
  • Teaching Assistant, University of Cambridge, England (1986-1987)

Teaching Areas

  • Language and Intercultural Communication
  • Language, Communication and Advertising
  • Communication and Culture in Organizations
  • Language, Culture and Society
  • Language and Gender
  • Research Skills
  • Oral Communication and Public Speaking

Research Interests

  • Intercultural and Intergroup Communication
  • Language Attitudes and Stereotypes
  • Language and Gender
  • Pragmatics & Discourse Analysis
  • Narratives of Migration
  • Attitudes and Motivation in Foreign Language Learning

Research Output

  1. Ladegaard, H. J. (2023). Migrant Workers’ Narratives of Return: Alienation and Identity Transformations. London: Routledge.

  2. Ladegaard, H. J. & Jenks, C. (eds) (2017). Language and Intercultural Communication in the Workplace: Critical Approaches to Theory and Practice. London: Routledge.

  3. Ladegaard, H. J. (2017). The Discourse of Powerlessness and Repression: Life Stories of Domestic Migrant Workers in Hong Kong  (Routledge Studies in Sociolinguistics). London: Routledge.

  1. Ladegaard, H. J. Chan, K. L. R. (2023).Teachers’ attitudes towards Hong Kong English: Implications for English language teaching. English World-Wide 44(2), 251-275
  2. Ladegaard, H. J. (2022). To be or not to be internationalised: students’ experience of intercultural encounters in Hong Kong universities. Language and Intercultural Communication 22(5), 552-566.
  3. MacDonald, M & Ladegaard, H. J. (2023). Editorial. Language and Intercultural Communication 23(2), 145-150.
  4. MacDonald, M & Ladegaard, H. J. (2023). Editorial. Language and Intercultural Communication 23(4), 363-366.
  5. MacDonald, M & Ladegaard, H. J. (2022). Editorial. Language and Intercultural Communication 22(6), 219-223.
  6. MacDonald, M. & Ladegaard, H. J. (2022) Editorial. Language and Intercultural Communication 22(1), 1-6.
  7. MacDonald, M. & Ladegaard, H. J. (2022) Editorial. Language and Intercultural Communication 22(4), 413-418.
  8. Ladegaard, H. J. (2022) Language, discrimination and employability: Employers’ othering and racist representations of domestic migrant workers on social media. Journal of Language and Social Psychology 41:1, 97-118.
  9. Nartey, M. & Ladegaard, H. J (2021). Constructing undesirables: A critical discourse analysis of othering of Fulani nomads in the Ghanaian news media. Discourse and Communication 15(2), 184-199.
  10. McKeown, J. & Ladegaard, H. J. (2020). Exploring dominance-linked reflexive metadiscourse in moderated group discussions. Journal of Pragmatics 166, 15-27.
  11. Ladegaard, H. J. & Phipps, A. (Eds.) (2020). Translational Research: Language Intercultural Communication and Social Action. Special Issue of Language and Intercultural Communication 20:2.
  12. Ladegaard, H. J. & Phipps, A. (2020). Intercultural research and social activism. Language and Intercultural Communication 20:2, 67-80.
  13. Phipps, A. & Ladegaard, H. J. (2020). Towards a socially engaged LAIC. Language and Intercultural Communication 20:2, 218-219
  14. McKeown, J. & Ladegaard, H. J. (2020). Exploring the metadiscursive realisation of incivility in TV news discourse. Discourse, Context and Media 33, 1-9 (Selected for Editor’s Choice).
  15. Ladegaard, H. J. (2020). Language competence, identity construction and discursive boundary-making: Distancing and alignment in domestic migrant worker narratives. International Journal of the Sociology of Language 262, 97-122.
  16. Ladegaard, H. J. (2019). Reconceptualising ‘home’, ‘family’ and ‘self’: Identity struggles in domestic migrant worker returnee narratives. Language and Intercultural Communication 19:3, 289-303.
  17. Ladegaard, H. J. (2018). Codeswitching and emotional alignment: Talking about abuse in domestic migrant worker returnee narratives. Language in Society 47:5, 693-714.
  18. Ladegaard, H. J. (2017). The disquieting tension of ‘the other’: University students’ experience of sojourn in Hong Kong. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 37:3, 268-282.
  19.  McKeown, J. & Ladegaard, H. J. (2017). Evidentiality and identity positioning in online disputes about language use in Hong Kong. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Professional Practice 14:1, 53-74.
  20. Mey, J. & Ladegaard, H. J. (2016). Discourse, democracy and diplomacy: A pragmatic analysis of the Occupy Central movement in Hong Kong. Word 61:4, 319-334.
  21. Ladegaard, H. J. (2015). Coping with trauma in domestic helper narratives: Linguistic, emotional and psychological perspectives. Journal of Sociolinguistics 19:2, 189-221.
  22. Ladegaard, H. J. & Jenks, C. (Eds.) (2015). Language and Intercultural Communication in the Workplace: Critical Approaches to Theory and Practice. Special Issue of Language and Intercultural Communication 15:1.
  23. Ladegaard, H. J. & Jenks, C. (2015). Introduction. Language and Intercultural Communication in the Workplace: Critical Approaches to Theory and Practice. Language and Intercultural Communication 15:1, 1-12 (Routledge).
  24.  Ladegaard, H. J. (2014). Crying as communication in domestic helper narratives: Towards a Social Psychology of crying in discourse. Journal of Language & Social Psychology 33, 579-605.
  25. Ladegaard, H. J. & Cheng, H. F. (2014) Constructing the cultural Other: Prejudice and intergroup conflict in university students’ discourses about ‘the other’. Language and Intercultural Communication 14: 2, 156-175.
  26. Ladegaard, H. J. (2013). Demonising the cultural Other: Legitimising dehumanisation of foreign domestic helpers in the Hong Kong press. Discourse, Context & Media 2:3, 131-140.
  27. Ladegaard, H. J. (2013). Laughing at adversity: Laughter as communication in domestic helper narratives. Journal of Language & Social Psychology 32: 4, 390-411.
  28. Ladegaard, H. J. (2013). Beyond the reach of ethics and equity? Depersonalisation and dehumanisation in foreign domestic helper narratives. Language and Intercultural Communication 13:1, 44-59.
  29. Ladegaard, H. J. (2012). The discourse of powerlessness and repression: Identity construction in domestic helper narratives. Journal of Sociolinguistics 16, 450-482.
  30. Ladegaard, H. J. (2012). Rudeness as a discursive strategy in leadership discourse: Culture, power and gender in a Hong Kong workplace. Journal of Pragmatics 44, 1661-1679.
  31. Ladegaard, H. J. (2011). ‘Doing power’ at work: Responding to male and female management styles in a global business corporation. Journal of Pragmatics 43, 4-19.
  32. Ladegaard, H. J. (2011). Stereotypes in the making: Prejudice and cultural generalizations in Hong Kong students’ discourse. Journal of Asian Pacific Communication 21:1, 133-158.
  33. Ladegaard, H. J. (2011). Discourses of identity: Outgroup stereotypes and strategies of discursive boundary-making in Chinese students’ online discussions about ‘the other’ Journal of Multicultural Discourses 6:2, 1-21.
  34. Ladegaard, H. J. (2011). Negotiation style, speech accommodation and small talk in Sino-Western business negotiations: A Hong Kong case study. Intercultural Pragmatics 8:2, 197-226.
  35. Ladegaard, H. J. (2011). Stereotypes and the discursive accomplishment of intergroup differentiation: Talking about ‘the other’ in a global business organization. Pragmatics 21:1, 85-109.
  36. Ladegaard, H. J. (2009). Pragmatic cooperation revisited: Resistance and non-cooperation as a discursive strategy in asymmetrical discourses. Journal of Pragmatics 41, 649-666.
  37. Wang, L. & Ladegaard, H. J. (2008). Language attitudes and gender in China: perceptions and reported use of Putonghua and Cantonese in the southern province of Guangdong. Language Awareness 17: 1, 57-77.
  38. Ladegaard, H. J. (2007). Global culture – myth or reality? Perceptions of ‘national cultures’ in a global corporation. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research 36: 2, 139-163.
  39. Ladegaard, H. J. & Sachdev, I. (2006). ‘I like the Americans ... but I certainly don’t aim for an American accent’: Language attitudes, vitality and foreign language learning in Denmark. Journal of Multilingual & Multicultural Development 27: 2, 91-108.Ladegaard, H. J. (2006). Politeness revisited: A new approach to an old problem. Current Anthropology 47:1, 205-207.
  40. Ladegaard, H. J. (2004). Politeness in young children’s speech: context, peer group influence and pragmatic competence. Journal of Pragmatics 36, 2003-2022.
  41. Ladegaard, H. J. & Bleses, D. (2003). Gender differences in young children’s speech: the acquisition of sociolinguistic competence. International Journal of Applied Linguistics 13:2, 222-233.
  42. Ladegaard, H. J. (2001). Popular perceptions of standard language: attitudes to ‘regional standards’ in Denmark. Language Awareness 10:1, 25-40.
  43. Ladegaard, H. J. (2000). Language attitudes and sociolinguistic behaviour: Exploring attitude-behaviour relations in language. Journal of Sociolinguistics 4:2, 214-33.
  44. Ladegaard, H. J. (1999). Standard Danish in a social psychological perspective: a discussion and empirical analysis of the concept of Standard Danish (in Danish). RASK International Journal for Language and Communication 11, 3-43.
  45. Ladegaard, H. J. (1998). Assessing national stereotypes in language attitude studies: The case of class-consciousness in Denmark. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 19:3, 182-98.
  46. Ladegaard, H. J. (1998). National stereotypes and language attitudes: The perception of British, American and Australian language and culture in Denmark. Language & Communication 18, 251-274.
  47. Ladegaard, H. J. (1998). Boys, girls, language and identity. Language attitudes and linguistic behaviour in a rural community in Denmark. International Journal of Applied Linguistics 8:1, 3-25.
  48. Ladegaard, H. J. Chan, K. L. R. (2023).Teachers’ attitudes towards Hong Kong English: Implications for English language teaching. English World-Wide 44(2), 251-275.Ladegaard, H. J. (1995). Audience design revisited: Persons, roles and power relations in speech interactions. Language & Communication 15:1, 89-101.

  1. Ladegaard, H. J. (in press). Intercultural Competence. In C. Chapelle (Ed), The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics (2nd ed). Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

  2. Ladegaard, HJ. J. (2023). Learning from the messiness of research: Reflexivity in sharing sessions with domestic migrant workers. In S. Consoli & S. Ganassin (Eds.), Reflexivity in applied linguistics: opportunities, challenges, and suggestions (pp. 190-206). London: Routledge

  3. Ladegaard, H. J. (2020). Constructing the cultural Other: Prejudice and stereotyping. In J. Jackson (Ed.), The Routledge Handbook and Language and Intercultural Communication (2nd ed.) (pp. 191-203). London Routledge.

  4. Ladegaard, H. J. (2020). Talking about trauma in migrant worker returnee narratives: Mental health issues. In B. Watson and J. Krieger (eds), Expanding Horizons in Health Communication: An Asian Perspective (pp. 3-27). Berlin: Springer.

  5. Ladegaard, H. J. (2018). Globalizing and Changing Culture. In J. F. Nussbaum (Ed.), The Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication (32 pp). New York: Oxford University Press.

  6. Ladegaard, H. J. (2018). The destructiveness of distance: Unfaithful husbands and absent mothers in domestic migrant worker narratives. In J.A. Drzewiecka & T.K. Nakayama (Eds.) Global Dialectics in Intercultural Communication (pp. 21-41). New York: Peter Lang.

  7. Ladegaard, H. J. (2017). Workplace narratives. In B. Vine (Ed), Handbook of Language in the Workplace (pp. 242-252). London: Routledge.

  8. Ladegaard, H. J. (2017). ‘We’re only here to help’: Identity struggles in foreign domestic helper narratives. In D. v. d. Mieroop & S. Schnurr (Eds.) Identity Struggles. Evidence from Workplaces around the World (pp. 427-443) Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

  9. Ladegaard, H. J. (2016). Beyond the reach of ethics and equity? Depersonalization and dehumanization in foreign domestic helper narratives. In S. Nair-Venugopal (Ed.), The Discourse of Ethics and Equity in Intercultural Communication (pp. 44-59). London: Routledge.

  10. Ladegaard, H. J. (2015). Personal experience and cultural awareness as resources in teaching intercultural communication: A Hong Kong case study. In G. Slethaugh & J. Vinther (Eds.) International Teaching and Learning at Universities. Achieving Equilibrium with Local Culture and Pedagogy (pp. 111-134). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

  11. Ladegaard, H. J. (2013). Bilingualism and bilingual education: John Edwards. In Carol A. Chapelle (Ed.) The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics volume III, pp. 1848-1850. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

  12. Ladegaard, H. J. (2009). Politeness, power and control: The use of humour in cross-cultural telecommunications. In W. Cheng and K. Kong (Eds.) Professional Communication: Collaboration between Academics and Practitioners (pp. 191-209). Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.

Others

  • The experience of trauma in domestic migrant workers’ storytelling: Sociolinguistic and psychological perspectives. General Research Grant (GRF) from the Research Grants Council (2022-2024)

  • Sisters Only in Name: Alienation and Identity Transformation in Foreign Domestic Helper Returnee Narratives. General Research Grant from the University Grants Committee of Hong Kong (2013-2015).

  • The Discourse of Powerlessness and Repression: Life stories of Migrant Workers in Hong Kong. General Research Grant from the University Grants Committee of Hong Kong (2011-2013).

  • The Discourse of Powerlessness and Repression: Life Stories of Migrant Workers in Hong Kong Church Shelters. Grant from the Arts & Social Sciences Research Council, HKBU.

  • Power and Politeness in Cross-Cultural Computer-Mediated Communication. Grant from the Arts & Social Sciences Research Council, HKBU.

  • Male and Female Management Style: A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Male and Female Leaders’ Discourse Strategies. Grant from the Arts & Social Sciences Research Council, HKBU.

  • Visiting Fellowship, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (2006).

  • Linguistic Dynamics and Management of Diversity. Research Grant from the European Research Council (2006-2011).

  • Global Communication in Danish Business Organizations. Research Grant from the Danish Research Council for the Humanities, and two multinational companies (2003-2006).

  • Honorary Research Fellowship, Birkbeck College, University of London (2001).

  • Cognition, Language and Consciousness: Language Acquisition and Language Use in the Interplay between Psycholinguistics and Social Psychology. Research Grant from the Danish Research Council for the Humanities (1998-2001).

  • Visiting Research Fellowship, University of Wales Cardiff. Supported with a Research Grant from the Danish Research Academy (1994).

  • ‘To be or not to be internationalized: Local and international students’ experience of the internationalizing university.’ Keynote address at the International Conference on Resources for Interculturality in Chinese Higher Education, Nottingham Ningbo University, 21 March 2021.

  • 'What does it mean to be internationalised? Educating ‘Self’ and ‘Other’ in cross-cultural activity groups' Keynote address at the 37th International Conference on English Teaching and Learning, and the 22nd International Conference on TESL and Applied Linguistics, Ming Chuan University Taipei, 29-30 May 2020.

  • ‘On (mis)communication, conflict and compromise: Intercultural encounters in the internationalizing university.’ Invited keynote speaker for the 2nd international conference on “Expanding Horizons in English Language and Literary Studies”, hosted by the Department of English, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, 3-4 August, 2015.

  • ‘Coping with trauma in domestic helper narrative: Cognitive and emotional perspectives.’ Invited keynote speaker for the 14th International Conference on Language & Social Psychology, 19-22 June 2014, University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA.

  • 'Reinventing the self: Voice and (in)visibility in domestic migrant worker returnee narratives. Invited Panel/Task Force on Communication and Transnational Mobilities. The 16th International Conference on Language and Social Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada 20-23 June 2018.

  • ‘Going Home: Domestic Migrant Worker Returnee Narratives’. Invited talk to staff and volunteers at Justice Centre Hong Kong, 14 June 2018.

  • ‘Intercultural Communication at Work: A Very Brief Introduction.’ Invited Guest Lecture, Faculty of Engineering, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 30 January 2018.

  • Gender, power and control: Stereotypes and facts about male and female leaders in the workplace. Invited plenary, Symposium on Diversity and Power at Work, The Copenhagen Business School, 2 November 2016.

  • ‘The language of suffering: Evidence from domestic migrant worker narratives.’ Invited speaker, the Hong Kong Association for Applied Linguistics, 21 April 2016.

  • ‘The disquieting tension of ‘the other’: Intercultural encounters in the internationalizing university.’ Invited public lecture, the University of Southern Denmark, 1 Dec 2015.

  • Language and Interaction in the Globalized Corporation.’ Invited opponent/discussant, LingCorp Final Workshop, Roskilde University, 29 Nov – 1 Dec. 2015.

  • ‘The power of words’. Invited talk, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, 5 March 2015.

  • ‘The discourse of powerlessness and repression: Life stories of foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong.’ Invited public lecture, Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia, 9 April 2014.

  • ‘What’s in a name? Conceptualizations of ‘domestic labour’ in foreign domestic helper narratives.’ Panel Chair on Domestic Labour Panel. The 13th international conference of the International Association for Languages & Intercultural Communication, Hong Kong Baptist University, 30 Nov - 1 Dec. 2013.

Esteem Measures

  • Appointed Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of the Humanities.

  • Co-convener of the 13th international conference of the International Association for Languages & Intercultural Communication held at Hong Kong Baptist University, 29 Nov - 1 Dec 2013. Conference theme: ‘Language and Intercultural Communication in the Workplace: Critical Approaches to Theory and Practice.’

  • Invited scientific committee member of: IALIC-2015 (Intl Association for Languages & Intercultural Communication), Aveiro, Portugal; The Sociolinguistics of Globalization, HKU, 2015; ALAPP-2016 (Applied Linguistics & Professional Practice), Copenhagen, Denmark; IALIC-2016, Barcelona, Spain.

  • Honorary Visiting Professor, School of Foreign Languages, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China (2007-2010).

  • The International Association of Language and Social Psychology

  • The International Association for Languages and Intercultural Communication

 

  • Co-Editor-in-Chief, Language and Intercultural Communication (Routledge) (2021 – present)

  • Co-Editor, Pragmatics & Society (John Benjamins) (2011-2020)

  • Review Editor, Pragmatics & Society (John Benjamins) (2010-2017)

 

  • Journal of Multilingual & Multicultural Development (Routledge)

  • Journal of Language & Social Psychology (Sage)

  • Language & Intercultural Communication (Routledge)

  • Journal of Applied Linguistics and Professional Practice (Equinox)

  • Open Journal of Modern Linguistics (De Gruyter)

  • RASK International Journal for Language and Communication (University of Southern Denmark Press)

  • Journal of English Language Studies.

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