DFF (Full-time)
DPT (Part-time)
4 years (Full-time)
5 years (Part-time)
48 (24 credits for coursework and 24 credits for thesis)
3
HK$6,500 per credit
Dr Dennis TAY
PhD, Linguistics
Important Notice: The Faculty of Humanities and DALS programme are not affiliated with any outside agencies or consultancies that claim to provide assistance in preparing applications, references, interviews, or vetting for recruitment procedures. The decision for selection and recruitment lies entirely with the faculty and university; any applications containing inauthentic documents will risk immediate disqualification.
Programme Aims
The Doctor of Applied Language Sciences (DALS) programme aims to help nurture and develop future leaders in language-related professions. Students will investigate developments in language sciences and develop an advanced understanding of the inextricable link between theory and practice. They will be able to integrate linguistic knowledge and research skills with reflective practice in coping with the demands and development of their careers as language professionals in this age of globalisation and digitalisation.
Characteristics
DALS curriculum provides four focus areas or areas of enquiry for the students to choose from and within which to develop their specialism(s):
Significant features of the programme are:
Programme Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of their studies, students will be able to:
Research Centres and Global Partners
The Faculty of Humanities collaborates with a number of internationally prestigious institutions as professional and academic partners to ensure that students can benefit from contributions overseas as well as local scholars, researchers and practitioners through formal and informal exchange initiatives. Our research centres include:
Programme Structure
Students are required to complete 48 credits for graduation, of which 24 credits are assigned to coursework and 24 credits to thesis preparation and writing.
Coursework (6 credits Compulsory + 18 credits Elective + 24 credits Thesis)
Foundation Subjects (3 credits each)
Focus area: Language Education (3 credits each)
Focus area: Intercultural and Professional Communication (3 credits each)
Focus area: Translating and Interpreting (3 credits each)
Focus area: Speech Sciences, Language Processing, and Cognition (3 credits each)
Thesis
Academic Support Programme (non-credit bearing)
* Some Elective Subjects may be offered in alternate academic year.
Focus Areas of Study
With collaboration across three units in the Faculty of Humanities (the Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, the Department of English and Communication, and the English Language Centre), and the Department of Computing in the Faculty of Engineering, the interdisciplinary DALS curriculum comprises four areas of enquiry.
1. Language Education
This area focuses on the frameworks of knowledge and skills that underpin language education theories of linguistics and language learning, discourse and corpus analysis, and the role of language in society and on language education itself, particularly trends in teaching, learning, curriculum development and assessment. Another important focus is on the processes involved in first and second language acquisition.
2. Intercultural and Professional Communication
The emphasis here is on the key concepts, issues and practices in intercultural, organisational and professional communication, and on analysing spoken, written and multimodal discourses in a range of intercultural and professional contexts. The area addresses the need for individual professionals to acquire expertise in relevant fields of knowledge, theoretical and conceptual frameworks, methodologies, applications and frameworks of evaluation to comprehend the complexities of professional communication in intercultural and media-based settings. The subjects associated with this area also aim to enhance both professional and personal communicative competence.
3. Translating and Interpreting
This area focuses on providing professional training to university teachers and those who are currently working in the fields of translation and interpreting but do not hold formal academic credentials. The area encompasses the understanding of general linguistic theories, rhetorical studies in cross-cultural contexts, contemporary theories of translation and interpreting, and recent discoveries in typological divergencies amongst languages.
4. Speech Sciences, Language Processing, and Cognition
This focus area is built on the knowledge of how language is processed, with the intention to apply this knowledge to areas such as communication disorders, digital humanities, language and speech sciences, language technology and neuro-cognitive approaches to language use and language learning. Language technology, including computational and neuro-cognitive technologies, permeates many aspects of life and has an indispensable role to play in the delivery of language policies, language education and language related health care, as well as in a wide range of content industries and the knowledge economy. A critical understanding of how language is processed in the mind as well as language processing technologies is an essential part of a professional’s competence. The focus area is suited for professionals whose work is related to one or more of the following academic fields: Communication Disorder and Speech Therapy, Digital Humanities, Health Informatics, Natural Language Processing and Neuro-cognitive Linguistics.
In addition to meeting the academic entrance requirements, applicants are required to have substantial and relevant work experience, i.e.,
The English language requirements for those who do not have a degree from a recognised university at which the language of instruction is English are:
Comparable scores obtained from other internationally recognised public examinations may be considered.
All English language test scores are considered valid for five years after the date of the test.
Individual cases will be considered on their own merits. Applicants may be required to attend interviews and/or tests to demonstrate that they possess the required level of language proficiency for carrying out research in their area of enquiry.
We offer scholarships exclusively to outstanding students with excellent academic merit and teaching assistantships to qualified candidates.
PolyU reserves the right to change or withdraw the scholarship at any time. In case of any dispute/disagreement, PolyU’s decision is final.
For further programme information, please contact:
Office of the Faculty of Humanities
Email: fh.enquiry@polyu.edu.hk
Tel: (852) 3400 8217 / 3400 8213
For information on academic matters, please contact:
Dr Dennis TAY
Email: dennis.tay@polyu.edu.hk
Tel: (852) 3400 3654
I have been a researcher, consultant and business owner, but pursuing a doctorate had been an unrealised dream until recently. The DALS programme has provided the structure, support and flexibility that I needed. In recent years, I have been more attracted to education, teaching courses on my research software as well as publishing and consulting. Having the chance to teach during a guided study session during the programme helped me realise that applying for a position as a professor is an ideal career path for me, while I continue my consulting practice. Adam PEASE |  |
 | The working and learning environment at PolyU offers both advanced technologies and sufficient human interest. I enjoyed getting along with PolyU and FH staff, who were always more than helpful in assisting students in every domain of our campus life. Admittedly, the essence and most appealing quality of the DALS programme lay in the professionalism and academic performance of its full-fledged, world-class professors, paving the way for students’ guaranteed academic horizons and academic maturity in their own career paths. My professors perfectly demonstrated their work ethic, leadership in academia and humanitarian caring for us through cultivation of our academic reading, writing, creativity and critical thinking ability, as well as all-rounded qualities both in and out of class. My advice for future DALS students would be “open your mind and mouth” in the class, as class participation in the Chinese mainland is perhaps not as prevalent and valued as in HK and DALS. Overall, it is an understatement to say that the DALS programme enables the rebirth of its students, academically, professionally, psychologically, internationally and fundamentally. FENG Wei |
The DALS programme is an excellent and well-organised doctoral programme for those who aim to achieve high-level academic performance, while keeping their current jobs. I am fully satisfied with the quality of the lectures by the world-class professors. They opened the door to a new world and invited us into the deep forest of academic theories and practices. I had never imagined that I would be a researcher of professional communication in English when I started my DALS study as a Japanese lecturer. Professor Martin Warren, my thesis supervisor, has demonstrated sophisticated professionalism and guided me along my academic path. The insightful advice enabled me to complete my thesis. The administrative support is also an outstanding strength of the DALS programme. The decision to enrol on the DALS is one of the best I have ever made and the programme continues to provide me with further avenues to explore as a researcher. Chie URAWA |  |
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| Date | Time | Venue | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08 Jan 2022 (Sat) | 2:00PM - 4:00PM |
To be confirmed |
Medium of Instruction: English |
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