Language and Code

A number of research groups around the world have begun to study how the brain acquires and processes language, but we still know comparatively little about it. Many such groups work on very specific,

Evolution of language has evolved at multiple levels - from changes in the cognitive processes by which language is acquired in the individual, to language change by diffusion of acquired linguistic f

Following the ending of the First Opium War and the signing of the Treaty of Nanjing in 1842, Britain opened five treaty ports on the Chinese mainland in the cities now known as Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Ningbo, Shanghai, and Xiamen. Foreigners were allowed for the first time to live and work normally in these cities under the eyes of their state’s consul. In establishing this presence, consular staff and their families faced numerous challenges, including unsuitable accommodation, illness, hostile local authorities, attacks from militias and pirates, while at the same time adjusting to an unfamiliar language and culture.Henrietta Alcock (1812–1853), the first wife of the British Consul, Rutherford Alcock, was little-known until an album of sketches and watercolours depicting her life in China came to light. Acquired by the Martyn Gregory Gallery, London in the early 1990s, the works in the Alcock Album feature picturesque natural landscapes, traditional Chinese architecture, and scenes of co

Prof. William S-Y. Wang, an eminent linguist, has made significant contributions to the field regarding lexical diffusion, experimental phonetic studies, language simulation and modeling, and aging and language. To celebrate his 90th birthday, colleagues and friends worldwide have contributed over 30 articles to a two-volume Festschrift. The English volume includes topics such as Chinese language evolution, the relationship between language and music, and the brain processes involved in language production. This Festschrift is written by and for experienced language researchers and is also suitable for students of Chinese linguistics and those interested in Chinese culture, history, and neurology.

ONE OF THE MOST SPOKEN DIALECTS in China, Southeast Asia, and globally, Cantonese was nevertheless deemed a local dialect enjoying little prestige among the intellectuals. Not much was recorded in official documents or gazetteers about the early history of Hong Kong. The Cantonese language and its origin remained much of a mystery until the mid-20th century when scholars started to accord it with increasing attention. Thanks to dedicated efforts of early missionaries, pedagogues, and linguists, we can now trace back the evolution of modern Cantonese since the 19th century— how differences in sounds, words, and grammar distinguish the old from contemporary speech today. In this book, Hung-nin Samuel Cheung, an acclaimed scholar on the study of Cantonese, offers profound insights to various firsthand century-old materials including language manuals, Bible translations, and maps of Hong Kong, with findings that will be useful for ongoing efforts to study the development of

The first exhaustive English-language history and analysis of the Chinese opera genre, Kunqu. In Kunqu: A Classical Opera of Twenty-First-Century China, Joseph S. C. Lam offers a holistic and interdisciplinary view of Kunqu, a 600-year-old genre of Chinese opera that has been fashionably performed inside and outside of China. The first comprehensive and scholarly book on Kunqu written in English, this book explains how and why the genre charms and signifies Chinese culture, history, and personhood. Approaching the genre from several perspectives, ranging from those of performers and producers to those of casual audiences, dedicated connoisseurs, and scholarly critics, Lam also employs a judicious blend of Chinese and international theories and methods. Herein, he establishes the significance of Kunqu not only in the sphere of Chinese music but among the cultural heritage and performing arts at a global level as well.

本書輯錄了哥倫比亞大學東亞系商偉教授近年的學術隨筆、專題訪談及散文。全書分為上下兩編，上編以寬廣及比較的視角探討有關中國語言文字、文學等方面的問題，包括五四白話文運動對白話文的誤解，並且在一個廣闊的比較視野中，反思五四的白話文觀念和實踐，及其在傳統帝國向現代民族國家轉型中的意義；此外對古典小說 《紅樓萝》、《儒林外史》、《金瓶梅詞話》，以及唐詩的題寫名勝等主題作深入分析，透視文學作品與歷史文化、時代語境的互動關係。下編回顧作者學術生涯中與師長相處的點滴，以及從他們那裏得到的幫助與思想啟迪，文字中洋溢着對師友的感激之情。本書既有嚴肅的學術探討，又有充滿温度的回憶與隨想，為讀者帶來了不一樣的閱讀體驗。「新秋更欲浮滄海，臥看雲帆萬里天。」在一個變幻莫測的時代，期望本書能引起讀者對中國文學的興趣，思考相關的文化與歷史問題，以延續傳統的人文精神。

Studies in Colloquial Chinese and Its History: Dialect and Text presents cutting-edge research into issues regarding prestige colloquial languages in China in their spoken forms and as well as their relationship to written forms and the colloquial literary language. These include the standard regional languages and prestige dialects of the past, the influence of historical forms of spoken Chinese on written Chinese, the history of guānhuà and the history of báihuà, proto-dialects and supra-regional common languages (koines), and their relationship to spoken dialects. The various studies in this collection focus on the dialect groups with the most substantial written tradition, including Mandarin, Wu, Min, and Cantonese, in north, central and eastern coastal, and southern China respectively. The contributors explore the histories of these dialects in their written and spoken forms, presenting a variegated view of the history and development of the regional forms, including their evoluti

…. to imagine a language means to imagine a form of life.––Ludwig Wittgenstein(Philosophical Investigation, 1953)Whatever specific goal motivated people who study Chinese at first eventually

Ulaanbaatar beyond Water and Grass is the first book in the English language that takes the visitors to an in-depth exploration of the capital of Mongolia. In the first section of the book, M. A. Aldr

The culture of food and drink occupies a central role in the development of Chinese civilization, and the language of gastronomy has been a vital theme in a range of literary productions. From stanzas

How do Chinese societies approach humour in personal life and in the public sphere? This book addresses the etymological difficulties of "humour" as a concept in Chinese language and explores connecti

Independent learning is not a new concept for language educators but while teachers, curriculum designers and policy makers have embraced it as underpinning modern notions of education, it remains a d

《香港中國語文課程新路向：學習與評估》一書，是由香港大學教育學院語文教育學者，為了配合近年來香港課程發展議會進行中學中國語文教育課程改革，以及2007年香港考試及評核局公布中文科評估發展的新方向而撰寫的。目的是為強化教學及促進學習，並為中文新課程五份試卷及校本課程的評估提供理論與實踐的依據。

本書分語言研究篇和課堂實踐篇兩大部分。前者重點是與語言教學密切相關的語言學研究，此部分論文的作者從宏觀的角度提出自己對華語習得的一些研究課題的看法，包括語音、語義與辭彙、語用、語料的難度劃分和書面語變體等。後者各章的共同特點是有多年教學經驗的教師從自己的教學實踐出發，與讀者分享在對外漢語教學，包括粵語教學的一得之見。所有文章，剛入行的新兵讀起來當然受益匪淺，對有經驗的教師來說也不乏啟迪。

Whereas in previous decades autonomous, self-directed or ‘independent’ learning may have been assumed to be an alternative to classroom learning, the emphasis has now shifted to the point where learne

Questions regarding whether a first or a second/foreign language should be used as a medium of instruction (MOI) in schools, and if yes, for whom, and when, have been enthusiastically debated in recen

A Touch of Zen is one of the first Chinese-language films to gain recognition in an international film festival (the Grand Prix at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival), creating the generic mould for the "crossover" success of Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon in 2000. The film has achieved a cult status over the years but little has been written about it. This first book-length study of the classic martial arts film therefore redresses its critical neglect, and explores its multi-leveled dimensions and mysteries. One of the central features of the film is the enigmatic knight-lady (xia nü) whose quest for revenge leads her to cross paths with a poor scholar whose interest in military strategy seals their alliance. Teo discusses the psychological manifestations and implications of this relationship and concludes that the film's continuing relevance lies in its portrait of sexuality and the feminist desires of the heroine. Teo also analyzes the film's form as an action piece and the dir

Language matters greatly in almost every aspect of human behaviour and experience. Neurally and culturally humans are powerfully equipped to acquire language and use it for a variety of cognitive and

The Kung Fu series, a set of learning material on the Chinese language, is the product of collaborative efforts of experts from mainland China, Hong Kong and the U.S. It aims at providing texts and ex

Travels and Revelations: 23 Essays by Zhang Chengzhi is aboutcultures which the author knows intimately.With sophisticated sensibility, he describes the tangible cultures of Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia and Xinjiang in recent decades– the landscapes and cityscapes, the roads and waterways, the rural and urban dwellings, the working and living habits, and the outstanding symbols and totems.Like a traveller pausing before stunning scenery– the Mongolian grasslands, the yellow-earth plateaus, the Yellow River’s mighty gorges– he reflects on the intangible cultures that have made the Han, the Hui, the Mongolian and the Uyghur peoples who they are, and contemplates on their language usages, socio-political dilemmas, philosophical traditions, beliefs and biases and their religious aspirations.These essays show how deeply Zhang Chengzhi understands modern China’s painful evolution through war and revolution and how deeply he is attached to his Hui–Muslim roots. They also show his b

Widely respected and beloved as one of Hong Kong’s most original painters, Gaylord Chan (1925-2020) had a dynamic career that traversed cultural epochs and the boundaries of media. He made his first serious foray into painting only at the age of 42 after enrolling in an extra-mural studies art course organised by the University of Hong Kong in 1968. Chan’s late start, however, did not at all limit his potential. While he worked as an engineer for Cable & Wireless by day, Chan continued to experiment and refine his creative practice. The artist eventually developed a unique abstract language of bold colours and rustic forms that reflects on the simple wonders of daily life, science and metaphysics, and the contemporary human condition. Referencing an evocative painting by Chan from the 1990s, Never End: The Art and Life of Gaylord Chan, presented by Asia Society Hong Kong Center, is a tribute to the late master and his invaluable artistic legacy. It explores the development of Chan’

Mountain Songs embodies the intersecting narratives of migration and how it shapes one’s identity.Mountain songs (山歌) are integral to Hakka culture – Tegan Smyth’s maternal heritage – and have been a way to keep stories by unknown authors alive in an oral tradition. As Hakka’s prominence as a spoken language gives way to other more widely spoken dialects of Chinese, it is in careful records that the cultural practices and stories are captured so they can be seen by future generations. This is true of the poems contained in Mountain Songs, which focuses on the accounts of different women in the writer’s family, whose existence and memories have been passed down only orally and never in writing. The movement of mountain songs sung across different terrains and milieus mirrors the movement of Hakka people themselves, a widely dispersed people, where migration is tied to the community’s experiences both within and outside China. The writer draws parallels to the migration of her grandparen

The Journal of Translation Studies is a double-blind peer reviewed bilingual journal (English and Chinese) devoted to all aspects of translation studies. While the journal has a special focus on the history, theory and practice of Chinese-English, English-Chinese translation, it also publishes high-quality articles on research regarding other language combinations and/or general theoretical aspects of translation. The Journal also publishes book reviews by invitation. Contributions may be submitted all year round.

The Journal of Translation Studies is a double-blind peer reviewed bilingual journal (English and Chinese) devoted to all aspects of translation studies. While the journal has a special focus on the history, theory and practice of Chinese-English, English-Chinese translation, it also publishes high-quality articles on research regarding other language combinations and/or general theoretical aspects of translation. The Journal also publishes book reviews by invitation. Contributions may be submitted all year round.

Jonathan Stalling’s experimental approach to bridging art, poetics, and linguistics imagines a world where individual value systems are no longer translated into the language of other mediums, but foster conscious “interlanguages.” Stalling writes, “Meeting in the middle, ‘interlanguages’ are spaces where one learns a new language without having left one’s home fully behind; these situations can result in richly generative interlingual and intercultural estuaries which provide new ways of imagining.” Stalling’s conceptual language art fuses Classical Chinese poetics and linguistics with modern algorithms to create art installations and poetry that transform Chinese into English and English into Chinese in new and surprising ways.With a visual gallery of Stalling’s work, an interview with the artist, a critical introduction by the editor, and critical chapters written by the comparative literature scholar Timothy Billings and Chinese Linguist Liu Nian, the volume provides readers with a

The origins of modern Daoism can be traced to the Church of the Heavenly Master (Tianshidao), reputedly established by the formidable Zhang Daoling. In 142 CE, according to Daoist tradition, Zhang was visited by the Lord on High, who named him his vicar on Earth with the title Heavenly Master. The dispensation articulated an eschatological vision of saving initiates—the pure, those destined to become immortals— by enforcing a strict moral code. Under evolving forms, Tianshidao has remained central to Chinese society, and Daoist priests have upheld their spiritual allegiance to Zhang, their now divinized founder. This book tells the story of the longue durée evolution of the Heavenly Master leadership and institution. Later hagiography credits Zhang Daoling’s great-grandson, putatively the fourth Heavenly Master, with settling the family at Longhushan (Dragon and Tiger Mountain); in time his d

For more than 40 years, the Journal has proved itself to be a publication to encourage scholarly communication for advancing knowledge in the field of Chinese Linguistics (Languages in China) with vision, history, results, and innovative spirit. JCL’s effort to serve the international scholarly community in its field is attested by its inclusion byLinguistics and Language Behavior Abstract Linguistic Abstract online Modern Language Association Directory of Periodicals Modern Language International Bibliography Bibliography of Asian Studies Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) Arts & Humanities Citation Index(A&HCI) European Reference Index for Humanities Scopus DatabaseWe welcome scholars whose quality research involves issues in the theory of language and in exploration and description of Chinese languages to contribute research with original discoveries to JCL for inspiration of international scholarly communication.Journal of Chinese Linguistics is also available online

Learning Chinese Language and Culture is an intermediate-level textbook intended to be used throughout the entire school year and designed mainly for students who have completed introductory courses o

Learning Chinese Language and Culture is an intermediate-level textbook intended to be used throughout the entire school year and designed mainly for students who have completed introductory courses o

The Rudiments of Mandarin is designed for foreign students who have no prior knowledge of the Chinese language. It introduces the learner to the Chinese phonetic system Hanyu Pinyin and authentic dial

For nearly two thousand years, the condensed language of classical Chinese has offered the possibility of writing poems that may be read both forward and backward, producing entirely different creatio

In 2011, the University of Hong Kong celebrated its centenary as the first and for many years only university in Hong Kong providing a Western, English-language education for the region. An exhibition

In this practical guide to initial public offerings, Philippe Espinasse explains the pros and cons of turning private businesses into listed companies. In straightforward, jargon-free language he deta

This extensive survey documents Tibetan society over five decades, including population structure in rural and urban areas, marriage and migration patterns, the maintenance of language and traditional

The lingua franca role of English, coupled with its status as the official language of ASEAN, has important implications for language policy and language education. These include the relationship betw

Japanese anime has long fascinated the world, and its mythical heroes and dazzling colors increasingly influence popular culture genres in the West. Tze-yue G. Hu analyzes the “language-medium” of thi

Japanese anime has long fascinated the world, and its mythical heroes and dazzling colors increasingly influence popular culture genres in the West. Tze-yue G. Hu analyzes the “language-medium” of thi

The Buddha’s nirvana marks the end of the life of a great spiritual figure and the beginning of Buddhism as a world religion. Surviving Nirvana is the first book in the English language to examine how

This is the first English-language book to focus on the electric rice cooker and the impact it has had on the lives of Asian people. This account of the rice cooker’s globalization aims to move away f