Linguistics Abroad and Applied Linguistics (International Affairs)

Program Overview

International Affairs is one concentration of the master’s degree program of Linguistics Abroad and Applied Linguistics at Sun Yat-sen University. In 2010, the School of International Studies (SIS) began to recruit academic graduate students of Linguistics Abroad and Applied Linguistics oriented toward second language acquisition. The concentration was changed into Foreign Language Education Research in 2011 and International Affairs in 2014. Taking the national development strategy as well as the backdrop of globalization and regionalization into consideration, this direction aims to cultivate interdisciplinary talents with high-level language proficiency, a broad humanistic vision, prominent practical skills and outstanding research abilities. Through the international cultivation and systematic training in language, culture and linguistics, SIS endows students with a long-term international vision and scientific analytical capacities of international affairs from the perspectives of linguistics and cultural research.

Training Goal

The International Affairs program aims to cultivate bilingual (English and a regional foreign language) talents who are familiar with the target country/region and qualified for relevant affairs such as politics, economy, commerce, diplomacy, media and cross-cultural education and communication as well as to provide excellent doctoral candidates for related disciplines such as the humanities and social sciences.

The master program of International Affairs features three characteristics: Liberal Arts Foundation, Bilingual Ability and International Cultivation.

Liberal Arts Foundation: Under the framework of liberal arts foundation, this program cultivates students’ broad humanistic vision, emphasizes their basic knowledge and awareness of the contemporary humanities, builds comprehensive knowledge structures as well as enhances students’ academic potential.

Bilingual Ability: Under the backdrop of globalization and regionalization, this program aims to recruit students with bilingual backgrounds (English and a regional foreign language) for further intensive training, so that the students can acquire excellent bilingual application ability as the basis of practice in the fields of politics, economy, commerce, diplomacy, media and cross-cultural education and communication.

International Cultivation: Through exchange programs and joint training programs with well-known overseas colleges and universities, SIS creates opportunities for students to study in the target foreign country/region. At present, SIS has established joint training cooperation agreements with Miami University, The University of Manchester, University of Essex, Tel Aviv University and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Curriculum Design

In light of the basic training scheme, the school’s faculty characteristics and its disciplinary resources, SIS offers five categories of courses to the students of International Affairs, including Common Theory Courses, Basic Compulsory Courses, Advanced Academic Courses, Research Methodology Courses and Interdisciplinary Courses.

Common Theory Courses include Second Foreign Language, Political Theory, etc.; Basic Compulsory Courses include Selected Readings of Classics on Humanities in the 20th Century, Discourse Analysis, Systemic Functional Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Semantics, Introduction to Translation, Advanced English: Reading, etc.; Advanced Academic Courses include Theory and Methodology on International Relations, International News and Commentaries, Chinese to English Translation, Asia-Pacific Studies, etc.; Research Methodology Courses include Research Methodology and Academic Writing, etc.; Interdisciplinary Courses include Cross-cultural Communication Studies, Sociolinguistics, Contrastive Analysis Between Chinese and English, Highlights of European Thought, etc.