Prof Parker: an English degree hurdles traditional boundaries

Once upon a time, a BA English student graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and embarked on a postgraduate course in applied linguistics at Oxford University. He then returned to Hong Kong where, still jetlagged, he was snapped up by a merchant bank - despite his lack of financial or business skills. Although an inherent belief exists among Hong Kongers that you absolutely must have an MBA to be a banker, these are not unusual circumstances.

Indeed, there is a trend among more discerning employers in certain industries to veto candidates with narrow vocational skills and opt instead to recruit people who can think for and express themselves and, if needs be, provide on-the-job training to fill any knowledge gaps

. Professor David Parker, professor and chair, Department of English, CUHK, believes this recruitment strategy echoes a shift in the way companies are restructuring and redefining themselves, which in turn requires a versatile workforce adept at changing. One factor that he says will remain the same is that "an education in humanities will always be relevant and always be needed".

But how can a humanities degree prepare students to accommodate this change and develop their creative thinking? Prof Parker says a degree in English endows a student with a valuable international currency and a "broader view of the way things are" that very few other courses can offer. "[To] fully engage in language, you must also embrace history, politics, psychology, ethics ..." The list goes on but the heart of the requirement at CUHK is that students think for themselves, "logically, analytically and creatively," he says. "Students need to develop sharp analytical skills to grasp the subtle rhetoric of Shakespeare, for example."

Some students may be concerned about the career prospects for English majors. Obviously, many graduates embark on teaching at primary and secondary levels - the most popular career path. This is followed by advertising and marketing, mass communications and publishing. The remainder are scattered throughout social and public service organisations and the government. Overall, there are few industries that do not offer a future for an English graduate.

The English major is a three-year programme. The first year consists of communicative skills, linguistics and literature and is dedicated to strengthening spoken and written English through the exploration of the language in various texts and contexts, particularly social and rhetorical ones. Students study key English literary texts and background ideas of Western culture, which form the basis of a comparative study of Western and Chinese literature.

The remaining two years allow the students to develop a comprehension of the various forms taken by English literature, from the Renaissance to the present day. Optional course content is extremely varied - children's literature, creative writing, drama, short film production and poetry courses are available. At CUHK, there is an emphasis on role-playing, which develops the flexibility to think from different points of view and "transcend monocultural existence", resulting in open-mindedness and an ability to "think outside the frame".

Linguistics - the scientific study of language - develops awareness of what language is, how it is structured and how it relates to the mind and society. In the study of language, linguistic concepts are applied to a student's own language experience, with an emphasis on the ability to analyse literary and non-literary texts.

When asking yourself whether or not English is the right path for you, view it as a degree that hurdles the traditional boundaries and limitations that apply to other subjects and consider yourself a world-class graduate. Prof Parker says that, if there is one reason why a student should choose English, it is because "the top people in Hong Kong are always going to need to be as bilingual and multicultural as possible ... Leaders in Hong Kong society need these qualifications and qualities". So, do you want to be a leader or a follower?

Course information

A competitive edge The English department at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is extremely flexible about accepting students for its courses. The only requirements are good certificate and A level results in any subject. A background in English literature is not essential. Surprisingly, the majority of applicants come from a scientific background. Course flavours range from humanities courses, such as literature and communications, to more scientific courses, such as linguistics. Major and minor combinations are available. For example, you can major in English and minor in law - a very attractive choice for employers in the corporate and government sectors. One highly competitive aspect of the English major at CUHK is the "Special English Stream". This comprises a shortlist of the top students at the end of the first year. The select few are given the opportunity to spend five weeks of their summer vacation in England, where they embark on fieldwork, such as theatre trips and concerts, and visits to museums, places of historical interest, the countryside and, of course, pubs. Students lodge with local families for "total immersion" in English. Naturally, in between sampling fish and chips, television soaps such as "Eastenders" and pints of beer, students need to research the topic of their choice as well as attend courses at an English university such as Oxford or Warwick. For those wanting to further their education, the department offers postgraduate (taught and research) programmes in both literary studies and applied linguistics at PhD and MPhil levels. There is also a taught MA in Applied Linguistics. Whether or not their interest in the language is creative or scientific, an underlying factor in many people's decisions (when choosing a degree or opting to change their career path later in life) is the competitive edge that accompanies the qualification. Prof Parker says that, in particular, an MA in Applied Linguistics is a great step towards "moving up the ladder in the workplace", particularly for those in the corporate sector and professional organisations. Statistically speaking, within one year of obtaining their degrees, around 65 percent of English students are fully employed, mainly within the arts, media or education, while 32 percent are furthering their studies.

Taken from Career Times 2003/07/11