History
National Chiao Tung University is recognized for its achievements in electrical engineering, computer science, and management. As much as we pride ourselves in these areas of research, we also know the importance in cultivation of the liberal arts. It is only through a firm understanding and eloquence in language that the discoveries in technological fields can be communicated in their entirety.
The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at NCTU was established in August 1994 in response to an increasing need to integrate humanities and technology. After laying a solid foundation of understanding in linguistics, literary analysis, and humane training at the undergraduate level, we also saw the need for an in-depth, specialized program that could offer further training. This resulted in the founding of our Graduate Institute of Linguistics and Culture Studies in 2000. To better reflect the fundamental objective and spirit of our department, we officially altered our graduate program's name to the Graduate Institute of Foreign Literatures and Linguistics in 2005.
Distinguishing Features
The Department places equal emphasis on language proficiency, literature, and linguistics. General proficiency courses are mainly offered in the first two years of the students' study program, while the later two years are spent mostly on individualized guidance to ensure students' ability to conduct independent research and produce original and analytical research papers. Catering to community needs, the Department also provides training in various aspects of translation, including general translating skills, consecutive translation, simultaneous interpretation, translation criticism, translation theories, etc.
The Department's literature component is again characterized by its variety and flexibility. Courses covering the accepted canons in English, American and European literatures are offered in such a way that they reinforce each other. Students are exposed to basic texts, authors, periods and concepts in Western literature. To ensure that students relate themselves to discipline, subjects in cultural criticism are also introduced. They include courses dealing respectively with gender and literature, literature and culture, film and literature, postmodernism and post colonialism, etc.
The linguistics component aims to provide students with basic analytical skills to investigate various language structures and uses. In addition to required courses covering different aspects of language (e.g. syntax, phonetics, phonology and semantics), specialized courses are also offered in the areas of socio-linguistics, applied and indigenous languages are also introduced.
To prepare students for different careers upon their graduation, students are encouraged to take minor courses in other professional fields and disciplines. Students can choose to take elective or minor courses in linguistics, literatures, and translation, or even computer science, management or other disciplines. They must take at least three related courses under the guidance of their personal instructor, to pave the way for further advanced research in that particular field.
