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The Department of English is pleased to introduce the latest HSUHK English Taster Lecture series conducted by professors of linguistics and literature from the Department. We will discuss different aspects of English, its latest developments and real-world applications of linguistic and literary knowledge, which are most suitable to Secondary 4-6 students interested in English.
Each of the half-an-hour taster lectures will be conducted on Microsoft Teams so every participant may have a chance to exchange views and thoughts with our professors directly. The details are as follows:
JULY 15 8:00-8:45 PM
Studying Language in the Big Data Era (Cantonese)
語言大數據 （廣東話）
Everyone talks about big data. What does it mean for language enthusiasts and scholars? In this talk, we look at how knowledge of finding and analyzing data can help us better understand human language and make language learning more fun. We will get some hands-on experience in using language databases that are available online.
人人都說大數據可以應用到生活的各方面。數據的運用對語言學習和研究有什麼影響呢？這個講座會討論搜尋和分析語言數據可以怎樣幫助我們認識人類語言、怎樣使語言學習更加有趣和實用。講座中，我們也會試用一些網上的數據庫。
By Dr Charles Lam, Assistant Professor
Register before July 14! 立即登記，7.14截止！
If you are interested in joining the online lectures, please register through this form one day before the event. We will then send you the link to the Microsoft Teams session.
Enquiries: 3963 5503 / eng@hsu.edu.hk / fb.me/hsuhkbaeng / instagram.com/hsuhkeng/
Past Sessions
MAY 27 8:00-8:45 PM
Language Learning through the Lens of Feral Children (Cantonese)
從狼孩回歸社會看語言學習的奧秘 （廣東話）
Human beings boast distinctive capacity for language acquisition. However, if one is deprived of the opportunities of language contact from childhood, can s/he still manage to learn a language from scratch in adulthood? In addition, why do some people learn a second language such as English better than others? In this talk, I will discuss a few known cases of feral children and their language learning experiences. Then I will analyse key factors in language acquisition including the critical period and the contexts, which may shed light on English learning for students and parents in Hong Kong.
人類語言學習能力似乎與生俱來，但如果有人從年幼起就沒有接觸語言的機會，他/她在成年後還可以學到語言嗎？為什麼有些人英文可以學的很好而有些人卻止步不前？ 本講座將由歷史上幾個著名的「狼孩」或者「野孩子」的案例講起，分析語言學習關鍵期和環境，藉此給同學和家長一些語言學習的啟示。
By Dr Gavin Bui, Associate Professor, Associate Head of the Department of English
JUNE 3 8:00-8:45 PM
From Bartleby to Burnout Society (Cantonese)
由巴托比到倦怠社會 （廣東話）
For the philosopher Byung-Chul Han, humans are living in a ‘burnout society’. They are exhausted under the culture of over-production and over-achievement. The society promotes productivity in every aspect of life, stifling differences, secrets and the unknown. Byung-Chul Han argues that the problem with today’s society is its overemphasis on the goodness of productivity. Alongside that is the by-product of depression and other neurotic illnesses. This lecture will illustrate such a tired society by looking at Bartleby, a classical figure in nineteenth-century American literature. He refuses to join the productive culture in his office and perishes at the end.
哲學家韓炳哲說，今天的社會是一個前所未見的倦怠社會，人類常感到筋疲力盡。抑鬱症和過度活躍症等精神問題變成主流疾病。社會推崇不斷生產和追求成就。我們要成功，要活得精彩。韓炳哲認為，當今社會的問題在於它的積極性。人類未有好好反思過度積極所帶來的後果。積極的文化阻擋陌生感，亦遺忘事物本身是獨一無二的。為了積極生產，社會犧牲了人的本質。我們將透過古典文學人物巴托比 (Bartleby)，一個拒絕進入「強迫生產」和「強迫積極」文化的人，去重新了解人的獨特性，以此增強自己的批判思維和幸福感。
By Dr Paul Fung, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of English
JUNE 10 8:00-8:45 PM
From English to Englishes and Beyond (English)
世界英語 浩瀚無垠 （英語）
One of the common myths about studying English at university is that it is all about Shakespeare. Or in the context of Hong Kong, students tend to have the misconception that English is just an international language. While in Shakespeare’s time, English was the vernacular language of one nation, which embodied the history, culture and tradition of England, English is now the national language of many various countries, carrying with it significant elements of national cultures, political, social and territorial bonds. In this talk, we are going to survey through the evolution of the English language and to see how English has come a long way over ages from a national language, to a colonial language, and to become the version we use today.
傳說中，在大學修讀英語文學就等於只讀莎士比亞的著作。 或者在香港的視覺下，學生往往會誤以為英語只是一種國際語言。
事實上，在莎士比亞時代，英語只是一個國家的本土語言，當中體現了的是英格蘭的歷史、文化和傳統。現代英語現在已成為許多國家的官方語言，承載著該國的民族文化、政治、社會和區域連繫等元素。
是次講座會將英語的發展歷程「起底」，探討這個語言過去幾個世紀以來，如何由一個國家語言，演變成殖民語言，再發展成我們現代社會中使用的「英語」。
By Dr Catherine Wong, Assistant Professor
JUNE 17 8:00-8:45 PM
Where Did English Come From? Where Is It Going (English)
英語起源與未來（英語）
English is now the world’s most important international language, but this is not always the case. English was once just another language spoken on an island off the coast of Europe and for hundreds of years it did not have high status even within England. How English survived and was changed by wars and invasions and contact with speakers of other languages is a fascinating story, but the story of English is still ongoing. Wherever and however it is used today, whether as a daily language or a language for wider communication or specific functions, modern varieties of English continued to develop and diverge. It is not yet clear whether English will continue to grow and spread at the expense of other languages, or diversify and split into many related but not always mutually understandable languages. This talk discusses how the history of English and the story of its development may offer insights into its possible future.
英語是當今世界上最重要的國際語言，但此非「自古以來」的事。
它曾經只是歐洲一個島上的另一種語言。即使在英格蘭，它的地位幾百年來並不高。我們會探討英語生存的故事 ， 了解英語如何因戰爭和入侵以及與其他語言的使用者接觸而改變。
時至今日，英語的故事並未完結，現代英語都在不斷擴展版圖：從日常語言、社交或特定功能場合中都會見到它的縱影。
或許我們並不明暸英語的未來，它是會繼續發展和傳播，同時犧牲其他語言？或是變異並分裂為成許多相關但並非必定互相理解的語言？
透過了解英語的歷史和發展，或許，我們可以窺看英語的未來。
By Dr Donovan Grose, Assistant Professor
JUNE 24 8:00-8:45 PM
It’s the End of the World! Apocalypse Narratives and Domination (English)
窮途末日！啟示文學的想像 （英語）
Renowned cultural critic, Fredric Jameson suggests that “it is easier to imagine the end of the world than to imagine the end of capitalism”. Jameson’s point is that we find it almost impossible to believe that it is possible to live in a world that does not follow capitalist principles, which for Jameson create inequality and injustice. The last 30 years have seen a massive surge in apocalypse narratives (stories of the end of the world), and post-apocalypse narratives (stories set after the fall of civilisation). This talk will examine three of this kind of narrative (Avengers: Endgame [2019], Travelers [2016-2018], The Road [2006]), and ask whether they make it easier or more difficult to believe in a better future where we might improve our unjust economic, social and political systems.
著名的文化評論家詹明信（Fredric Jameson）講過：「想像世界的終結比想像資本主義的終結要容易得多」。 詹明信認為，我們幾乎無法相信會有可能生活在一個不遵循資本主義原則的世界中，對他而言，一個會造成不平等和不公正世界中。
過去三十年，以世界末日和末日後為題材的敘事激增。 是次演講會探討其中三個敘事（電影《復仇者聯盟4：終局之戰》 [2019] 、劇集《旅行者》 [2016-2018]和電影《末路浩劫》 [2006]） ，了解這些作品會否令我們更相信可以擁有一個更好的未來，從而有望改善不公義的經濟、社會和政治制度。
By Dr Jay Parker, Assistant Professor
Register now! 立即登記！
JULY 8 8:00-8:45 PM
How to be polite in English? (English)
先禮後言 （英語）
Second language learners seem to know how to use “thank you” and “please” at an early age, but does politeness just entail the use of these words? This talk introduces different types of politeness and politeness strategies to be used in different situations. Knowing the right type of politeness strategy for the right kind of situation can help learners build a good image and facilitate their communication with others.
雖然很多人的母語並非英語，但大多都很早就知道Thank you 和 Please 的用法，問題是，僅僅使用這些單詞就代表自己很禮貌嗎？
在是次公開講座中，我們將介紹禮貌不同的表現方式和在各種情況下使用的「禮貌策略」。 在適當的情況下用上適當的「禮貌策略」，可以幫助英語學習者樹立良好的形象，同時促進人與人間的交流。
By Dr Maggie Ma, Assistant Professor
