Dr Azar Tajabadi awarded TESOL Award for Distinguished Research 2021

Dr Azar Tajabadi, our Postdoctoral Fellow, was awarded the TESOL Award for Distinguished Research 2021. The TESOL Award for Excellence in Research has been given by the TESOL International Association since 2005 for empirical research that advances or generates new knowledge about English language teaching and learning policies, programmes, or practices.   This award was presented to Dr Tajabadi at the TESOL International Convention 2021, which was held virtually, and the physical award was sent to her in Hong Kong afterwards. Our head Prof. Eric Friginal celebrates this achievement with her.   Azar expressed that being the 2021 awardee for her paper published in Language Teaching Research was a thrilling and humbling experience that brought about a surge of motivation and inspiration for pursuing research in this field.

Unveiling our new logo wall in the new academic year

Our current head Prof. Eric Friginal (right) and former head Prof. Hans Ladegaard celebrate the joy of unveiling our new logo wall together. We welcome our students and alumni to come and take photos to share our new look with their friends!

PolyU Summer Programme 2022: English Around You

We are happy to see about 50 Secondary 4 to 5 students enjoyed our 3 hands-on workshops under the "English Around You" theme at the PolyU Summer Programme 2022 on 16 August! The workshops helped participating students understand how English is used in different situations. They also took part in activities and discussion to learn practical communication skills that can be applied in their everyday lives. We hope they felt inspired to learn more about English and Communication! Know more about our BA in English and Applied Linguistics (BAEAL)

Dr Phoebe Lin Awarded JSPS Invitational Fellowship for Research in Japan

Dr Phoebe Lin, our Assistant Professor, has been awarded an Invitational Fellowship for Research in Japan. The Invitational Fellowships, sponsored by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), provide overseas researchers who have an excellent record of research achievements with an opportunity to conduct collaborative research, discussions, and opinion exchanges with researchers in Japan. Dr Lin will be developing an automatic speech scoring system for English learners in collaboration with Dr Keiko Tsuchiya (Yokohama City University), Dr Alex Gillmore (University of Tokyo) and Dr Neil Millar (University of Tsukuba). She will also be giving public talks and workshops at these three universities in the first semester of 2022/2023.

New co-edited book on cultural knowledge and values in English language teaching materials

In this new co-edited book published by Springer Nature, our Dr William Feng and Professor Guangwei Hu, and Dr Tao Xiong at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, China, provides a contextualized and balanced look into the timely topic of values in English Language Teaching (ELT) materials with a primary focus on the Chinese context. It features three distinct conceptual and methodological perspectives, namely, perceptions of stakeholders such as material writers, teachers and students, multimodal construction of values, and textual representation of values. It is a valuable resource for those interested in the social, cultural, moral, and ideological dimensions of English education in general, and in the textual and multimodal construction of values in language teaching materials in particular. More information of the book can be found on the website HERE.

New co-authored paper on the social impact of minority language testing

In this new co-authored paper published by Taylor & Francis, our Professor Guangwei Hu reports on a critical evaluation of the Zhuang language test (Vahcuengh Sawcuengh Suijbingz Gaujsi, VSSG), which is the first minority language test in the People's Republic of China. Informed by a use-oriented testing perspective that takes into account social consequences and value implications, the evaluation reveals that the test falls short of its primary goals due to a mismatch between stakeholder attitudes, the social functions of the Zhuang language, and the value attached to the minority language. As a result, the test is an ineffective agent for promoting the status of the Zhuang language in the ways intended by its designers and policymakers. More information of the article can be found on the website HERE.

New research article on the use of metadiscursive clarifying devices

In this new article published in Discourse & Communication under SAGE journals, our Research Assistant Professor, Dr Jamie McKeown, examines the use of metadiscursive clarifying devices in the abortion discourse of the U.S. Supreme Court. The results show that across 50 years of jurisprudence, separate opinion writers utilised the devices to challenge and subvert majority opinions (perhaps, contributing to the ultimate overruling of this area of Law). Amongst other things, the article observes the prescient nature of clarifying devices. The article concludes with a discussion of the potential insight, for scholars and practitioners alike, to be gained from further examination of clarifying devices in other areas of Law. More information about the article can be found on the website HERE.

New research article offers a new application of Bourdieu's notion of capital related to language education research

In this new article published in TESOL Quarterly, our Research Assistant Professor, Dr Sal Consoli draws on Bourdieu's notion of capital and offers a new application of this sociological concept to account more holistically for the complexities of TESOL research practices. Ultimately, life capital will act as a catalyst to promote a fresh perspective on our research—a lens which, in the long run, may yield empirical findings that fully acknowledge, value, and celebrate the humanness of our inquiries. The article is available for open access and can be downloaded HERE.  

New research article on caller clarification sequences in outsourced call center interactions

In this new article published in Sociolinguistic Studies at Equinox Publishing, our head Prof. Eric Friginal explores caller clarification sequences in outsourced call center interactions, with the goal of categorizing distinguishable causes or reasons for their occurrence, as identified by third-party evaluators – i.e., raters who are not participants in the call. Caller clarifications are questions, requests, or follow-up statements raised by a caller after a call-taker's turn while providing information or a procedure during call center interactions. Implications for agent training, the framework of analyzing and categorizing caller clarification, and understanding the nature of intercultural business communication are discussed. More information about the article can be found on the website HERE.  

2022 Outstanding Young Alumni Award in Entrepreneurial Achievement of PolyU Department of English and Communication

We are pleased to announce that Mr Freddy Law Wai-hung has won the Department of English and Communication’s 2022 Outstanding Young Alumni Award in Entrepreneurial Achievement. In 2007, Freddy graduated from the Department’s Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Language Studies with Business. He is currently the Group CEO of Storius, an outdoor audio guide and mobile application that allows visitors to learn the history behind places worth exploring. Storius secured startup funding from Cyberport and, as of 2022, operates in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Spain. Prior to becoming CEO, Freddy was the Director of Education for the Good Community Interest Company, an innovation consultancy, and was the CEO of Inter Cultural Education, the first company he founded. Freddy is an honorable lecturer at the University of Hong Kong and is also a Non-Official Member of the Human Resource Planning Commission, chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong SAR Government, which aims to enhance and optimize Hong Kong's human capital. Freddy is an Advisor at AIESEC, a global platform that allows young people in Hong Kong and mainland China to explore and develop their leadership potential. We are impressed by Freddy's decade-long dedication to making a positive impact on society via various educational initiatives. His innovation and entrepreneurial spirit will continue to make positive contributions here in Hong Kong and beyond. We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations again to Freddy!