English Debate Club won a finalist prize in the 2024 Macau Debate Open

Meet Qin Xin, Eric, our English Debate Club's shining star and a finalist at the 2024 Macau Debate Open. Competing against other seasoned debaters, including undergraduate and graduate students, he demonstrated excellent debating skills and fluent English. Eric kept a cool head throughout each intense round, resulting in a remarkable overall performance that showcased his talent. We're incredibly proud of his achievements and can't wait to see where his debating journey takes him next.

ENGL’s EDB-funded Gifted Education Programme on English Language and Digital Literacies in 2023/24 invites applications from secondary school students

The Department of English and Communication (ENGL) has recently launched a gifted education programme, “Cultivating English Language and Digital Literacies for Future Leaders”. This programme is funded by the Gifted Education Fund of the Education Bureau (EDB) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. This year-long programme is designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of gifted secondary school students in Secondary 4 and 5 (2023/24 school year) or equivalent in academic, digital, and workplace literacies. To promote creativity and practical application of their learning, students will also undertake a research project at the end of the programme. The programme is divided into four phases: Phase 1: Academic literacies (May to July 2024) Provides students with the tools to excel in academic writing and reading and effective communication  15 hours of lessons about genres and features of academic literacies Phase 2: Digital literacies (July to September 2024) Equips students with the skills to navigate the digital world, including interpreting and creating digital content 15 hours of lessons developing students’ digital literacy competence Phase 3: Professional workplace literacies (September to November 2024) Prepares students for the professional world, focusing on business communication and presentation skills 15 hours of lessons to learn ways of analysing communicative practices in the workplace Phase 4: Research project and student conference (November 2024 to January 2025) 36 hours to conduct a small-scale research project on a topic related to English language literacy under mentorship and presentation of the project findings at a student conference The programme is inviting applications between 1 March and 19 April 2024. This is a unique opportunity for secondary schools in Hong Kong to empower their students and prepare them for a future where English language and digital literacy skills are paramount. The application form can be downloaded from this link. (Application deadline: 19 April) More information about the programme is available from this link.

English Training Programme for Migrant Workers celebrates its first batch of graduates

On Sunday, 4th February 2024, the English Training Program for Migrant Workers recently celebrated its first batch of graduates. Around 39 dedicated migrant domestic workers proudly received their certificates, marking the successful completion of a 4-month training program. This project is a fruitful collaboration between the Department of English and Communication and the Indonesian Migrant Workers Union. It was designed to enhance the English proficiency of migrant domestic workers, not only to improve their communication with employers but more importantly, to equip them with the ability to advocate for themselves. Since October 2023, participants attended classes twice a month, where they had the opportunity to learn through hands-on experience. They practised conversing with instructors, solved homework sheets, and recited passages, thereby acquiring a range of skills including basic vocabulary, grammar, and communication. As a result, the workers reported feeling less anxious and more confident in speaking English. The certificate presentation was attended by Prof. Eric Friginal, the Head of the Department of English and Communication, Sringatin, the Chairperson of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Union, and Yul Edison, the Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia in Hong Kong. Guests from various universities, grassroots, and migrant organisations were also in attendance. The program has been met with enthusiasm and interest, with a staggering 95 people already applied for the second batch, which is set to commence in late February 2024. As the program continues to grow, Dr Jeffry Oktavianus, Research Assistant Professor and project leader of the program, aspires to persist in bringing forward positive transformations to both the English language and each learner’s lives. Click here to watch the highlights.

Dr Christy Qiu and Dr Jenifer Ho received funding from EDB to run a gifted education programme on English Language and Digital Literacies in 2023/24

The Department of English and Communication is set to unveil a gifted education programme, "Cultivating English Language and Digital Literacies for Future Leaders". This programme is funded by the Gifted Education Fund of the Education Bureau (EDB) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. This year-long programme is meticulously designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of gifted secondary school students in Secondary 4 and 5 (2023/24 school year) in three key areas: academic, digital, and professional workplace literacies. The programme is led by Dr Christy Qiu and Dr Jenifer Ho from the Department. The Academic Literacies course will provide students with the tools to excel in academic writing and reading and effective communication. The Digital Literacies course will equip students with the skills to navigate the digital world, including interpreting and creating digital content. The Workplace Literacies course will prepare students for the professional world, focusing on business communication and presentation skills. To consolidate their knowledge, students will undertake a research project under the mentorship of an academic. This project will not only allow students to apply what they have learned but also foster their creativity, independent and critical thinking skills. We will be recruiting gifted students for this transformative programme between 1 March and 19 April 2024. This is a unique opportunity for secondary schools in Hong Kong to empower their students and prepare them for a future where English language and digital literacy skills are paramount. Stay tuned for more information on our website and social media. Together, let's cultivate the leaders of the future!

New joint article on motivating healthcare professionals to correct online health misinformation

This new joint paper by our Dr Jeffry Oktavianus published in Computers in Human Behavior under Elsevier, delves into the factors that motivate healthcare professionals to counter health misinformation on social media, focusing on the roles of third-person perception and subjective norms. Drawing on survey data from 377 US doctors and nurses, the findings indicate that subjective norms, or the perceived expectations of others, drive healthcare providers to correct and report online health misinformation. These norms are triggered by exposure to misinformation on online platforms, particularly Facebook. The findings offer valuable insights for developing tailored interventions to encourage more active participation from health professionals in combating health misinformation on social media. More information about the article can be found on the website HERE.

English Debate Club won a finalist prize in the International Islamic University Malaysia Open 2023

We are pleased to announce some good news from the English Debate Club. Two members participated in the International Islamic University Malaysia Open 2023 in December of last year and successfully won a finalist prize by demonstrating excellent logical thinking skills and outstanding teamwork. This was the result of their hard work, dedication, and strategic collaboration. In bringing home this prize, they have brought pride to our club, department, and university. Congratulations to them and to our newly established club. We are looking forward to future achievements from club members. 

Dr Warren Mok appointed as Honorary Professor at the Department of English and Communication

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Warren Mok, a world-renowned tenor, as our Honorary Professor, effective 15 January 2024. With his exceptional expertise in Language Arts, Opera, and Musical Performance, Dr Mok will play a vital role in advising our Department. His outstanding contributions to the field of music and his passion for promoting arts and culture will greatly benefit our students and faculty.  Dr Mok is appointed under the Honorary Professorship scheme which aims to enable the University to seek expert advice from renowned scholars in other institutions or eminent practitioners in related professions.

New book on domestic workers talk: language use and social practices in a multilingual workplace

This new co-authored book by our Dr Anne Schluter published by Multilingual Matters, presents an ethnographic study into power, language policy, and communication from the perspectives of the Brazilian-American employer as well as the company’s Hispanophone and Lusophone employees. The study is set in a multilingual cleaning company that serves Anglophone customers in the upper- (middle-) class suburbs of New York City. Power asymmetries in internal communication play into the employer’s legitimated domination over her employees; moreover, her L1 Portuguese and her command of English both represent important forms of linguistic capital. Employees’ resourcefulness and multicompetence – rather than quantifiable levels of English-language proficiency – determine the extent to which they rely on language brokering to facilitate communication with customers, directly impacting their individual agency. This book contributes to current debates on extra-linguistic modes of communication in multilingual settings and thematic analyses of care work, migration, and the role of English. Furthermore, it adds to the growing literature devoted to the sociolinguistics of migrant domestic workers. More information about the book can be found on the website HERE.

New paper on Korean coffee entrepreneurs’ strategies for survival

This new joint article by our Dr Ming Curran, published in Food, Culture & Society, draws on his research into South Korea's vibrant coffee culture. The research, funded by the Academy of Korean Studies, aims to better understand the social meanings of coffee and coffee shops in contemporary Korean culture. In this paper, Dr Curran and his two collaborators, Dr Felicia Istad and Dr Michael Chesnut, explore the strategies that hands-on owners of coffee shops, or "coffee entrepreneurs", use to pursue success in Seoul's ultra-competitive coffee market. Drawing on two rounds of interviews with 9 coffee entrepreneurs, they find that these entrepreneurs feel immense pressure to ensure both that their shops "stand out" amongst competitors and also "fit it" by keeping up with the latest trends. Dr Curran will present his research on Korean coffee shop culture in January at the 1st annual "Language of Food" conference at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. More information about the article can be found on the website HERE.

New paper on discursive construction of online teacher identity and legitimacy in English language teaching

This new paper by our Dr Jenifer Ho, published in Learning, Media and Technology, a journal under Taylor & Francis, explores the process of identity construction among online English teachers on YouTube. The study analyses banner images, biographies, and semi-structured interviews of online teachers, and proposes a framework for understanding how online English teachers who teach publicly on YouTube strategically constructs their identities. The findings reveal that online English teachers on YouTube strategically position themselves within various identity constructs, such as professional teachers and entrepreneurs, to emphasise their unique role as online English teachers. This highlights the fluid and multifaceted nature of identity construction for online teachers as they navigate the complex landscape of the online English language teaching marketplace. The study underscores the need to acknowledge the significant effort online teachers invest in shaping and foregrounding their professional identities. This research also contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the identity work online teachers undertake to legitimise themselves as language teaching professionals in the digital context. Open access to the article from HERE.