The evolution of ESP in Hong Kong: a translanguaging perspective on language planning at HKUST

Thesis

This dissertation examines the evolution of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) from 1991 to 2008, framed through a translanguaging lens on language policy and planning (LPP) under founding director Gregory James. Adopting an interpretive paradigm and ethnographic singlecase study design, the study reconstructs James's multilingual vision, rooted in his polyglot background, and its implementation in an English-medium instruction (EMI) context, highlighting shifts from remedial English for Academic Purposes (EAP) to competency-based communication across professional domains. The research method integrates systematic archival document searches (yielding 51 documents via deductive and inductive keywords, partially adapting PRISMA principles for transparency), a specialized corpus of 224 course descriptions from 1991-2008 (8,172 words) analyzed via ROAD-MAPPING analysis, and autoethnographic reflections on the researcher's experiences as an ESP student, ESP practitioner, and an Applied Linguist at HKUST for triangulating findings from the primary evidence. Thick description and tracing networks of signification reveal how James's LPP fostered translanguaging spaces, enabling bidirectional flows between policy ideals and pedagogical practices while navigating colonial legacies and globalization pressures. This study offers three key contributions. First, it provides a comprehensive documentation of ESP development in Hong Kong, using the HKUST Language Centre as its primary case study. Second, it demonstrates a transition from monolingual EMI constraints to dynamic multilingual repertoires, with course offerings expanding from foundational skills to contextual innovations, reflecting decolonization efforts amid Hong Kong's socio-political changes. Third, this research is methodologically significant as it demonstrates how LPP can be examined through the lenses of transpositioning, showcasing how Gregory James’ LPP visions and implementations were shaped by his fluid identities.

Authors: Wong, C

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-donqyqygv
• Type of award: MSc taught course
• Level of award: Masters
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: ROAD-MAPPING framework; transpositioning; English for specific purposes; ALLT; English-medium instruction; translanguaging; language policy and planning; ALLT2025
• Subjects: Language policy; Applied linguistics; English-medium instruction; English language--Study and teaching--Foreign speakers