H.Y. Wong
Studies of linguistics can be very systematic and “down-to-earth” at the same time. If you are a practical person, you would love phonetics as it helps us speak English with a great accent, and we will appreciate the world Englishes more. Psycholinguistics can also allow us to understand languages from a psychological perspective. Sociolinguistics shows us the systems of languages are changing across time and places. Linguistics never gets us bored.

 

T.Y. Chow
The interdisciplinary approach to learning English makes me realise that English is more than just English (The language itself). The course offers me a wider perspective. Other than focusing on linguistics and literature, it is an interdisciplinary and cultural one. The course is particularly in line with culture studies ideas like Feminism and Anthropocene, and they serve as a great perspective to look at different materials (from literature to drama and film) and thus training critical minds.

 

L.S. So
The interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning in our department has changed how I see the idea of studying or pursing a degree. It is no longer just memorising all the knowledge you receive in class or that you read from textbooks, then preparing yourself for the exam at the end of the semester. It is nowhere close to that boring stereotype of studying. The interdisciplinary study in this department has allowed me to explore the world that we are living in today, from analysing the TV shows that we watch over the weekend to understanding the planet earth that we stand on. The department provides a wide range of knowledge which constantly makes me think and re-think not only our lives but the earth. Because of that, I’ve grown my interest in interdisciplinary studies, and further pursued my Masters degree here. 
 
When I acknowledged translation was of the four streams in the department, it made me wonder what I could get out of it other than practising translating one language to another. Throughout the years, not only has the department shown me a wider view on this stream, I have also learnt way more than I expected. We got to touch on gender studies where we would analyse translated texts to further look into the biased word usage on females which we should certainly avoid. This stream has made me realise that translators play a crucial role in what kind of a message to give to readers in a translated work, which will further influence how readers see certain social issues in the future.