Research

TANG Wai Lan Gladys, Ph.D.

Professor

Gladys Tang received her PhD in Applied Linguistics from The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom. Her research focus has been second language acquisition and applied linguistics. Besides second language acquisition in spoken language, she ventures into the linguistics of Hong Kong Sign Language, its phonology, morphology and syntax. She is also developing research on how deaf and hard-of-hearing children develop Hong Kong Sign Language, Cantonese and written Chinese. As for applied research, she has been focusing on the implementation of sign bilingualism in deaf education, i.e. deaf children can develop competency in both signed and spoken language, and receive education through the support of natural sign language in deaf or mainstream educational settings. She has published on second language acquisition, second language pedagogy, sign linguistics, sign language acquisition and deaf education. She is Director of The Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies.

WOODWARD James, Ph.D.

Professor

Prof. James Woodward received his Ph.D. degree with distinction in Sociolinguistics at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., completing his dissertation on grammatical variation in American Sign Language. From 1969-1995, he worked at Gallaudet University in various positions related to the linguistic and anthropological analyses of sign languages and Deaf cultures. From 1992 to 1995, he also taught Linguistics at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. From 1996 to 2000, he worked at Ratchasuda College, Mahidol University at Salaya, Thailand as Director of Research and as local director of the World Deaf Leadership Thailand Project. In 2000, he moved to Viet Nam where he became Director of the Project on Opening University Education to Deaf People in Viet Nam at the Dong Nai Provincial Department of Education and Training. Since 2004, he has also been an Honorary Adjunct Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages and Co-Director of The Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies at CUHK. He has published on sign language sociolinguistics, universal and unique characteristics of sign languages, historical-comparative relationships of sign languages, and deaf education. His current research interests include historical-comparative relationships of sign languages and the description and documentation of endangered sign languages.

SZE Yim Binh Felix, Ph.D.

Professor

Prof. Felix Sze graduated with first-class honours from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1997 majoring in English. During her undergraduate years, Prof. Sze received a number of scholarships from Chung Chi College, her affiliated college at CUHK, for her academic achievements. These include Q. W. Lee Scholarship, Class Scholarship, Kunkle and Pommerenke Scholarship, Kunkle and Pommerenke Grand Scholarship, and Departmental Prize in English. She completed her M.Phil degree at the Department of Modern Languages and Intercultural Studies at CUHK in 2000. Her M.Phil thesis, Space and Nominals in Hong Kong Sign Language, was the first academic thesis on the linguistic properties of Hong Kong Sign Language. Her master study was partially funded by Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fellowship. In 2000, Prof. Sze was awarded the British Chevening Scholarship, which supported her to embark on her Ph.D study at the Centre for Deaf Studies, University of Bristol, U.K.. She completed her Ph.D at Bristol in 2008 and the title of her dissertation was Topic Constructions in Hong Kong Sign Language.   Prof. Felix Sze’s research interests include:

  • Sign Language Grammar: Information structure, word order patterns, use of non-manuals, voice phenomenon
  • Sign Language Typology: comparing sign languages in the Asia Pacific Region in various linguistic aspects
  • Language acquisition of Deaf children: spoken and sign language development as reflected in narratives
  • Sign Language documentation: Dictionary making, archiving discourse and variation data
  Prof. Felix Sze would like to contribute herself to the Deaf Community by conducting research as well as nurturing Deaf and hearing researchers in Sign Linguistics who will be able to shoulder up the responsibility of Deaf Empowerment in the long run.

LAU Sin Yee Prudence, Ph.D

Dr. Prudence Lau graduated in Linguistics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her research interest focuses on the interface between syntax and semantics of Hong Kong Sign Language within the generative grammar. She is currently working as Research Assistant in Asia Pacific Sign Linguistics Research and Training Program. She would like to help the Deaf community by contributing her linguistic knowledge to the development of Hong Kong Sign Language as well as the education for the Deaf.

LEE Yin Fai Jafi, M.Phil.

Mr. Jafi Lee graduated with a Master’s degree in Linguistics from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2006. His thesis topic is Negation in Hong Kong Sign Language. His basic research focuses on Semantic of Hong Kong Sign Language under the generative framework. His research interests involve Negation and Aspect of Hong Kong Sign Language. He developed his interest in Sign Language Lexicography, Sign Language Teaching and Learning Materials production & Sign Language data elicitation methodology through his participation in various research projects at the Centre. He is currently working as a Senior Research Assistant in the Asia Pacific Sign Linguistics Research and Training Program. He is actively involved at the project management, front-line Deaf training & research supervision levels. He would like to work together with Deaf and hearing colleagues at the Centre for the betterment of Deaf communities in the Asia Pacific region by raising people’s (Deaf and hearing) linguistic awareness and changing people’s attitudes towards languages in general as well as sign languages specifically.

FUNG Hiu Man Cat, M.Phil.

Ms Hiu-Man Cat FUNG graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her thesis topic is Code-blending in Early Hong Kong Sign Language: A Case Study. Her basic research focuses on Deaf Children Bilingual Language Acquisition of Hong Kong Sign Language (HKSL) and Cantonese under the generative framework. Her research interests involve language development of HKSL and Cantonese, as well as how the signers/speakers mix these two languages during development. She is currently working as a research assistant in the Asia Pacific Sign Linguistics Research and Training Program. Her main duty is to conduct courses of introduction to sign linguistics and sign language acquisition.

HOA Thi Nguyen

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa graduated from the Sai Gon University with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics in 1983 and later a Bachelor’s in Educational Administration (with honors) from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Viet Nam National University, Ho Chi Minh City in 2011. She has taught deaf students at all levels in Viet Nam over the last 24 years. From 2000 until now, she has worked at The Dong Nai Department of Education and Training, and Dong Nai University in implementing two Nippon Foundation-funded programs: 1) “Opening High School and University Education to Deaf People in Viet Nam: Through Sign Language Analysis, Teaching, and Interpretation” and 2) “Training, Hiring, and Promoting Deaf Teachers in Viet Nam. As Co-Director of the first program and as Director of the second program, she has managed the first successful junior high school program for Vietnamese deaf students, the first and only senior high school for Vietnamese deaf students, and the first and only university program in Viet Nam to train deaf students as teachers. She is centrally involved in sign language materials production activities in Vietnam under the APSL program. She has been an integral part of the Ho Chi Minh Sign Language Production Team which has produced three handbooks and 3 companion dictionaries of Ho Chi Minh City Sign Language. She is currently serving as the Director of the Center for Studying and Promoting of Deaf Culture at Dong Nai University, in Viet Nam.

MAK Ka Leong Joe, M.Phil.

Mr. Mak graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2007 with a Bachelor’s degree (first-class honor) in Engineering, majoring in Electronic Engineering and minoring in Linguistics and Translation. In the same year, he was a part-time research assistant in the Center providing technical support for the Child Hong Kong Sign Language Corpus. Afterwards, he enrolled in the MPhil program in Linguistics focusing on his research interest in sign phonology. Mr MAK is back to the Center since 2009 and is now working on the data in Asian SignBank and as a teaching assistant under the Asia Pacific Sign Linguistics Research and Training Program. He hopes that he can further explore phonology in Hong Kong Sign Language and other sign languages in the Asia-Pacific region.

CHU Kwan Ngai Kenny

Mr. Chu graduated from the Hong Kong School for the Deaf. In 1999, he began working as a language research project assistant for Prof. Gladys Tang at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, collaborating with her on “Hong Kong Sign Language: A Trilingual Dictionary with Linguistic Descriptions”. He joined the Centre in 2003, mainly involves in Deaf children’s HKSL acquisition research, development of HKSL textbooks and teaching HKSL. He also helps researchers with various sign linguistics research projects. During this time, he also completed the first Asia-Pacific Sign Linguistics Research and Training (APSL) Programme, earning two higher diplomas in (1) linguistics of Hong Kong Sign Language and (2) teaching of Hong Kong Sign Language. In 2007, he was chosen to participate in the second APSL programme from 2007-2012. During the past 12 years, he has learnt a lot about sign linguistics and he believes that sign linguistics research is important in promoting the status of sign language in society and helps the development of Deaf education. In addition, he hopes that more hearing people will learn sign language and be able to assist Deaf people who need interpretation.

CHOI Wai Hung Michael

Mr. Choi graduated from the Hong Kong School for the Deaf. From 1996, Mr Choi was consecutively elected as President and Vice President of the Hong Kong Association of the Deaf, and has represented the Association several times in meetings with WFD RSA/P representatives. He joined the Centre in 2004 and is currently working as a language research project assistant. His major duties include sign language data input and sign language teaching. He has taken related courses in Chinese, English, and language teaching at the Centre. He is especially interested in writing up teaching plans and he also cooperates with hearing colleagues in research on distinguishing HKSL lexical items. He hopes to promote the status of HKSL and the quality of HKSL interpretation in Hong Kong.