For example, the English language and literature major of Shanghai International Studies University has seven directions: language direction, literature direction, teaching method direction, translation direction, interpretation direction, English-speaking country culture direction and cross-cultural communication direction. As a foreign language major, the research direction of this major in Beijing Foreign Studies University is obviously different, and the eight research directions in Guangdong University of Foreign Studies are the same as those in the first two schools.
In this case, it is not surprising that many English majors are at a loss about how to choose their own research direction. Therefore, the teacher of Cross-examination Network will make a summary and induction of the research direction of English major for everyone.
As far as the postgraduate entrance examination for English majors is concerned, there are many two subjects under foreign languages and literature, including English language and literature, Russian language and literature, French language and literature, German language and literature, Japanese language and literature, Indian language and literature, Arabic language and literature, European language and literature, Asian-African language and literature, foreign linguistics and applied linguistics, and translation studies. Among them, there are three or two subjects involving English majors: English language and literature, foreign linguistics and applied linguistics, and translation studies. English majors in colleges and universities set up two majors: English language and literature, foreign linguistics and applied linguistics. Therefore, the major setting of English major postgraduate entrance examination is actually relatively simple, generally two majors. However, after these two majors were refined by different schools, they became complicated. As mentioned above, the English language and literature major of Shanghai International Studies University has seven directions, which are further subdivided into 37 small research directions.
Although there are many research directions for English majors, they are not chaotic, and the setting still follows certain rules. Roughly speaking, these research directions can be divided into two categories: traditional research directions and emerging research directions.
Traditional research direction
Traditional research direction, as its name implies, refers to the old research direction that has been set for many years, and these research directions are generally offered by schools.
1. literary direction
Setting up schools: Most schools in China enroll English majors. According to the enrollment statistics in 2007, only 17 schools that recruit English postgraduates do not offer literature majors.
Research content: This paper mainly studies major issues in the field of British and American literature research, aiming at improving literary literacy, theoretical level and research ability.
Employment direction: There are many schools and students in this direction, and the employment area is very wide, generally teachers and researchers.
Courses studied: Western literary theory, American classic literature, American modern and contemporary literature, English classic literature, literary criticism, selected reading of English literature, selected reading of American literature,17 ~19th century English literature research, Greek drama research, English novel reading, American novel reading, English poetry reading, American poetry reading, British and American prose appreciation, Wilde drama appreciation.
2. Linguistics
Setting up schools: Most schools in China enroll English majors. According to the enrollment statistics in 2007, only nine schools that enroll English majors do not offer linguistics.
Research content: Linguistics is a comprehensive language learning subject generally offered in Chinese universities in recent years. I mainly study linguistic theory and the application of language in various disciplines. Different schools have different emphases.
By reading a large number of relevant documents, papers and the latest research reports, students can further understand the formation and development of linguistics and the latest trends and development of modern linguistics. Linguistics especially emphasizes and attaches importance to extensive reading of graduate students, including professional foreign language journals and linguistics-related papers in recent years.
Employment orientation: this major is theoretical and mainly oriented to teachers and researchers in colleges and universities.
Courses studied: introduction to linguistics, pragmatics and discourse analysis, applied linguistics, modern grammar, semantics, pragmatics, English stylistics and discourse analysis, etc.
3. British and American cultural studies
Schools: Nanjing University, Shanghai International Studies University, Tianjin Normal University, etc.
Research content: Studying British and American traditions and modern culture, involving literature, history, philosophy, aesthetics, art, religion, sociology and other fields. Different schools have different names and research focuses. For example, some schools are called English cultural studies, and their research scope is not limited to Britain and the United States.
Employment orientation: There are many jobs in foreign affairs and foreign trade departments and major news media.
Courses studied: Introduction to American Studies, American Social and Cultural History, British Social and Cultural History, Western Cultural Theory Criticism, Western Religious Culture, Introduction to Eastern and Western Cultures, Introduction to British and American Culture, Essentials of European Culture, American History and Culture, British Social Culture, and Western Religious Studies.
4. Translation studies, translation studies
Schools: Beijing Foreign Studies University, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Shanghai International Studies University, etc.
Research content: mainly study Chinese and western translation theory, translation history, oral English and translation skills, appreciate the translated works of famous works, and make a comparative study from different angles of Chinese and foreign cultures.
This course is one of the main courses for postgraduates majoring in English language and literature, which consists of translation theory and translation practice. Translation theory mainly includes the analysis and understanding of the original intention and style in the process of translation, the functions of translation, various translation methods focusing on semantic translation and communicative translation, the relationship between translation and culture, and the standards of translation. The teaching purpose of translation theory course is to enable students to systematically study translation theories, schools and representatives who have great influence at home and abroad, and lay a solid theoretical foundation for future translation practice. The main content of the translation practice course is to carry out translation practice in synchronization with translation theory, so that students can understand and be familiar with various translation skills through translation practice, enhance their understanding of the influence of cultural differences between Chinese and English on translation, and then improve their practical translation ability.
Employment direction: mostly in foreign affairs and foreign trade departments, large enterprises, and mostly engaged in translation work.
Courses studied: interpretation foundation, translation foundation, consecutive interpretation, consecutive interpretation, simultaneous interpretation, stylistic translation, literary translation, practical translation, literary translation research and practice, overview of western translation theory, translation theory and skills, interpretation theory and skills, language and translation, etc.
5. English teaching direction
Schools: Shanghai International Studies University, Beijing Normal University and other normal universities.
Research content: mainly study the theory and practice of foreign language education. This paper introduces the teaching theories of different schools in Britain and America: grammar translation teaching method, listening and speaking teaching method, direct teaching method, silent teaching method, constructivism teaching method, communicative teaching method, conceptual teaching method, functional teaching method, balanced teaching method and cognitive teaching method. The introduction of each method includes its main theoretical basis, main contents and comments.
This course aims to guide students to combine the actual English learning of China students, on the one hand, apply it to teaching practice to improve teaching quality, on the other hand, apply it to teaching research to improve scientific research level, and form a set of effective teaching theories and methods.
Employment direction: more engaged in education and teaching.
Courses studied: English teaching method, English test, teaching material analysis, etc.
Emerging characteristic direction
Emerging characteristics are set by universities according to their own research characteristics and professional strength, such as bilingual dictionary research of Nanjing University and international business English of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.
Research on 1. Bilingual Dictionary
Schools: Nanjing University, Xiamen University, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, etc.
Research content: To study the theory of lexicography itself, the application of advanced achievements of linguistics and related disciplines in lexicography, and explore the establishment of new lexicography methods and interpretation modes together with linguistics, cognitive science, statistics, translation studies and computer science.
Employment orientation: Dictionary Research Center, Dictionary Publishing House.
Courses studied: Introduction to Lexicography, Semantics and Dictionary Interpretation, Translation and Bilingual Dictionary, Dictionary Compilation Methodology, Computational Linguistics and Computational Dictionary, Introduction to Dictionary Classics, Linguistic Research Methodology, Overview of British and American Dictionaries, etc.
2. International news
Schools: Beijing Foreign Studies University, etc.
Research content: To cultivate international news and cross-cultural communication talents to adapt to global communication competition, students are required to be proficient in English and master the theory and business of international news communication when they graduate.
Employment orientation: major news media at home and abroad.
Courses of study: advanced English news interview, advanced English news writing, advanced English newspaper editing, advanced English news compilation, English broadcasting and hosting, English network communication, English documentary production, analysis of English classic news works, communication theory, international news research, etc.
simultaneous interpretation
Schools: Beijing Foreign Studies University, Xi Foreign Studies University, Tianjin Foreign Studies University, Nankai University, etc.
Research content: This is a practical research direction, which mainly studies English-Chinese translation and Chinese-English translation.
Employment orientation: mainly working in foreign-related government departments, large enterprises and institutions and universities.
Courses studied: English-Chinese translation, Chinese-English translation, visual translation, English-Chinese consecutive interpretation, Chinese-English consecutive interpretation, Chinese-English simultaneous interpretation, translation theory, etc.
4. Cross-cultural communication
Schools: Shanghai International Studies University, Xi International Studies University, Beijing Second Foreign Studies University, Nankai University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, etc.
Research content: Based on the theories of anthropology, sociolinguistics, sociology and other disciplines, compare the different values and behavior patterns of Chinese and foreign cultures, study the cross-cultural communication in Sino-foreign economic cooperation, and cultivate high-level compound talents with strong cross-cultural communication awareness and ability and knowledge system.
Employment direction: mainly working in foreign-related government departments, large foreign companies and universities.
Courses studied: oral English, advanced English, English interpretation, English translation, British and American society and culture, cross-cultural communication, cross-cultural communication topics, cross-cultural business communication, cross-cultural language communication research, etc.
5. International Business English
Schools: university of international business and economics, Xi International Studies University, etc.
Research content: To cultivate high-level compound talents with strong business English communication skills and systematic international business knowledge who can engage in advanced business English translation and specific business after graduation.
Employment orientation: Students have a wide range of employment, from translation work in foreign trade and international business to various practical work in foreign trade and international business.
Courses studied: advanced English interpretation, advanced English translation, business negotiation (English), advanced English, international trade theory, management, international finance, western economics, marketing (English), international economic cooperation, international investment, etc.
6. Computational linguistics
Schools: Shanghai Jiaotong University, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, etc.
Research content: The research includes many branches of traditional and theoretical linguistics as well as lexicography, philosophy of language, analytical philosophy, logic, text processing, database access, oral and written language processing and other fields.
Employment orientation: computer industry, software development company, etc.
Courses studied: introduction to computational linguistics, automatic tagging of parts of speech, syntactic analysis based on context-free grammar, statistical syntactic analysis, collocation statistical analysis, machine translation overview, natural language processing, mathematical linguistics, machine translation research, etc.