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School of Chinese Scholar Seminar

Healing and Harm: Language as a Tool for Communication — Also discussing on Medical Language

療癒和傷害：作為交流工具的語言 — 也談醫學語言

Speaker: Professor Mei WAN

(Anhui Medical University)

Moderator: Professor Richard V. N. SIMMONS

(School of Chinese, The University of Hong Kong)

Date: Monday, May 12, 2025

Time: 11:00 am to 12:30 pm

Venue: CRT-7.30, 7/F, Run Run Shaw Tower, HKU

Language: Putonghua

Mode: Face-to-face

Abstract:

作為人類最主要的交流工具，語言具有神奇的功能，既能療癒傷痛，又會造成傷害。我們讚美積極的語言給我們帶來的巨大正能量，卻又不免用負面語言傷害他人或被傷害。為什麼會有語言傷害？對交流會有什麼影響？如何避免語言傷害、發揮語言的療癒作用？這個講座還將從醫學語言的視角去關注醫生和患者之間的語言交流，以及跨領域的醫學語言學科建設的重要性。

Language, as human’s primary tool for communication, has remarkable functions. It can heal wounds and also inflict harm. We praise how uplifting language brings us immense positive energy. However, we inevitably harm others or get hurt by negative language. Why does linguistic harm occur? What impact does it have on communication? How can we avoid linguistic harm while leveraging language’s healing power? This talk will also explore linguistic communication between doctors and patients from the perspective of medical language. It will also highlight the importance of establishing the interdisciplinary discipline of medical linguistics.

萬梅，語言學博士，安徽醫科大學國際學院副教授，香港大學中文學院訪問學者。研究方向：應用語言學，關注語言學科的跨領域融合尤其與醫學科學、醫學教育的緊密關聯。

Ph.D. in Linguistics, Associate Professor at International College of Anhui Medical University, Visiting Scholar at the School of Chinese, the University of Hong Kong. Research focus: Applied linguistics, with a particular emphasis on the interdisciplinary integration of linguistics, especially its close connection to medical science and medical education.

ALL are welcome

No registration is required