EDUCATION

• Ph.D in Applied Linguistics, University of Edinburgh, UK, 1990.
• Certificate in TESL, The British Council, HK, summer, 1984.
  
• Certificate in Education, University of Hong Kong, 1982-1984.
  
• B.A. in English, University of Hong Kong, 1979-1982.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• The Chinese University of Hong Kong

  Academic

• • • Emeritus and Research Professor, Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, 2024-present.
    • Professor, Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, August, 2004-2024.
    • Associate Professor, Department of Modern Languages and Intercultural Studies, 1998-2004
    • Assistant Lecturer, Department of English, 1990–1998
  • Research Centres
    
    • Director, Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies, 2003-present
    • Co-director & Researcher, Research and Technology Centre for Language and Communication Disorders, Shenzhen Research Institute, 2012-2019

Administrative (Concurrent Appointments)

• Department
  • Graduate Division Head, Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, 2014-2018
  • Chairperson & Graduate Division Head, Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, 2004-2011
  • Undergraduate Programme Coordinator (Linguistics), Department of Modern Languages and Intercultural Studies, 1998–2004
    
• Faculty 
  • Associate Dean (Research), Faculty of Arts, 2020-2023
  • Member, Faculty Academic Personnel Committee, 2017–2023
• University
  • Member, Taskforce on e-Learning of SEN Students, 2021-present
  • Chairperson, Senate Committee on Language Enhancement, 2017-present
  • Member, Campus Planning Committee, 2016-present
  • Member, Senate Committee on Sub-degree, Professional and Continuing Education Programmes, 2017-2020
  • Member, Senate Committee on Language Enhancement, 2015-2017

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

• Hong Kong
  
  • Life member, Linguistics Society of Hong Kong, 1990-present.
  • Fellow, Hong Kong Academy of the Humanities, 2014-present.
  • Board member, Institute of Human Communicative Research, 2012-2018
• International
  
  • Member, International Association of Sign Linguistics, 2004-present.
  • Member, International Association of Chinese Linguistics, 2010-present.
  • Member, Societas Linguistica Europaea, 2015-present
  • Member, Bilingualism Matters, 2018-present
  • Member,  Steering Committee, International Association of Teachers for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, 2010-2013
  • Affiliate Member, Postsecondary Education Network-International, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology, 2001-2010.

MAIN RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Sign Linguistics:
  Linguistic structure of Hong Kong Sign Language
• Language acquisition:
  Bimodal bilingual acquisition of deaf and hard-of-hearing children in Hong Kong Sign Language, Cantonese and written Chinese
• Applied research:
  Sign bilingual and co-enrollment education for deaf and hearing students in mainstream settings

Representative Publications

Books Authored & Edited

• Tang, G. 2007.Hong Kong Sign Language: A Trilingual Dictionary with Linguistic Descriptions Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press.
• Marschark, M., Tang, G., Knoors, H. (eds.) 2014. Bilingualism and Bilingual Deaf Education. Oxford University Press.
• Tang, G. 2025, ed.. Sign Language in Mainstream Education for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students in Asia. Routledge.

Journal Papers and Book Chapters

Sign Linguistics

• Tang, G., Mak, J., Cheng, K-Y., Yu, B., Wong, A., Lam, C-F. 2023. Developing an inventory of
  handshapes, locations and movements in HKSL. In Wehrmeyer, E. (ed.) Advances in Sign Language Corpus Linguistics, pp.309-352, John Benjamins.
  https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.108.12tan
• He, J., Tang, G. 2022. Causative alternation in Tianjin Sign Language. In Matsuoka, K. Crasbon,
  O., Coppola, M (eds.) East Asian Sign Linguistics, pp101-143. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.  https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501510243
• Thierfelder, P., Wigglesworth, G., & Tang, G. 2020. Sign phonological parameters modulate parafoveal preview effects in deaf readers. Cognition. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104286
  https://aims.cuhk.edu.hk/converis/portal/detail/Publication/149479741?auxfun=&lang=zh_HK
• Thierfelder, P., Wigglesworth, G., & Tang, G. 2020. Orthographic and phonological processing in Hong Kong deaf readers: An eye-tracking study. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747021820940223
  https://aims.cuhk.edu.hk/converis/portal/detail/Publication/149480263?auxfun=&lang=en_GB
• Tang, G., Li, J. 2018. Acquisition of Classifier Constructions in HKSL by Bimodal Bilingual Deaf Children of Hearing Parents, Frontiers in Psychology, July.
  doi.ord/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01148
• Sze, Felix & Gladys Tang. 2018. R-Impersonal constructions in Hong Kong Sign Language. SignLanguage & Linguistics, 21(2), 284-306.
• Cat, H.-M Fung, Tang, G. 2016. Code-blending of functional heads in Hong Kong Sign Language and Cantonese: A case study. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition. Cambridge University Press, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/ S1366728915000747.
• Tang, G., Lau, Prudence. 2012. Coordination and Subordination in Sign Languages. In  Pfau, R.,Steinbach, M., Woll, B., (eds.) Handbook on Sign Language. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
• Wong, K., Tang, G., Chung, R., 2011. Asia Signopedia: An Open Information System of Asian Sign Languages. In International Journal of Technology and Disability, 23: 1-10.
• Mak, J., Tang, G. 2011. Movement types, Repetition, and Feature Organization in Hong Kong Sign Language. In R. Channon, H. V. Hulst (Ed.) Formational Units in Sign Languages pp. 315-338.    USA: Mouton de Gruyter/Ishara Press.
• Tang, G., Brentari, D., González, C., Sze, F. 2010. Crosslinguistic variation in the use of prosodic cues: the case of blinks. In Brentari, D. (Ed.), Sign Languages: A Cambridge Language Survey, pp. 519-542, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Tang, G. 2009. Acquiring FINISH in Hong Kong Sign Language. In Tai, H-Y., Tsay, J. (Eds.), Taiwan Sign Language and Beyond (pp.21-47). Taiwan: Taiwan Institute for the Humanities, National Chung Cheng University.
• Tang, G., Sze, F., Lam, S. 2007. Acquisition of simultaneous constructions by deaf children of Hong Kong Sign Language. In M. Vermeerbergen, L. Leeson & O. Crasborn (Eds.), Simultaneity in signed languages: Form and function (pp. 283-316). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
• Tang, G. 2006. Questions and negation in Hong Kong Sign Language. In U. Zeshan (Ed.) Sign Language Typology Series: Interrogative and negative constructions in sign languages pp. 198-224. Nijmegen, The Netherlands: Ishara Press.
• Tang, G. 2003. Classifiers of Hong Kong Sign Language: Conflation and Lexicalization. In Emmorey, K. (Ed.), Perspectives on Classifier Constructions in Sign Languages, pp.143-167. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates.
• Tang, G. 2003. Verbs of motion and location in Hong Kong Sign Language: Conflation and lexicalization. In K. Emmorey (Ed.), Perspectives on classifier constructions in sign languages, pp. 143-165. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc.
• Tang, G., Sze, F. 2002. Nominal expressions in Hong Kong Sign Language: Does modality make a difference?. In R. P. Meier, K. Cormier & D. Quinto-Pozos (Eds.), Modality and structure in signed and spoken languages (pp. 296-321). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Deaf Education

• Tang, G. 2024. Sign language and inclusive deaf education: An Asian perspective. 26/1, Deafness and Education International. https://doi.org/10.1080/14643154.2024.2302702
• Wong, F., Tang, G., Yeung, P-S., Yiu, C. K-M. 2022. Emerging ecology of a sign bilingualism
  And co-enrollment classroom: A qualitative analysis, Croatian Review of Rehabilitation  Research, 58: 52-82, doi: https://doi.org/10.31299/hrri.58.si.3
• Wong, F., Tang, G., Li, Q., Yiu, C. K-M. 2022. Literacy learning of deaf and hearing pre-
  schoolers in a sign bilingual, co-enrollment setting in HK. American Annals of the Deaf, 166/4: 527-553, doi: 10.1353/aad.2021.0034
• Tang, G., Adam, R., Simpson, K. 2020. Educating bilingual and multilingual deaf children in the 21st Century. In Morgan, G. (ed.) Understanding Deafness, Language and Cognitive Development: Essays in Honour of Bencie Woll, John Benjamins,  https://doi.org/10.1075/tilar.25.10tan
• Sze, Felix, Gladys Tang, James Woodward, Jafi Lee. 2020. Postsecondary education for Nurturing deaf professionals in sign linguistics in the Asia-Pacific region. Sign Language Studies, 21(1), 137-167. doi:10.1353/sls.2020.0031
• Tang, G., Sze, F. 2019. Bilingualism and Sign Language Research. De Houwer, A., & Ortega, M. (eds.) Handbook of Bilingualism, Cambridge University Press, pp.483-509.
• Yiu, Chris K-M, Tang, G., & Ho, Chloe C-M. 2019. Essential Ingredients for Sign Bilingualism and Co-enrollment Education in the Hong Kong Context. In Marschark, M., Knoors, H., & Antia, S. (eds.) Co-Enrollment Education for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Learners. Oxford University Press.
• Tang, G. 2016. Sign Bilingualism in Deaf Education: From Deaf School to Regular School Settings.  In O. Garcia and Lin, A. (Eds.) Encyclopaedia of Language and Education, pp.192-203, Springer.
• Tang, G., Yiu, C., K-M. 2016. Developing Sign Bilingualism in a Co-enrollment School Environment: A Hong Kong Case Study. In Marschark, M., & Spencer, P. (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Deaf Studies in Language, pp.197-217. Oxford University Press.
• Knoors, H., Tang, G., Marschark, M. 2014. Bilingualism and Bilingual Deaf Education. In Marschark, M., Tang, G., Knoors, H. (eds.) Bilingualism and Bilingual Deaf Education. Oxford University Press, pp. 1-23.
• Marschark, M., Knoors, H., Tang, G. 2014. Perspectives on Bilingualism and Bilingual Education for Deaf Learners. In Marschark, M., Tang, G., Knoors, H. (Eds.) Bilingualism and Bilingual Deaf Education, pp.445-476. Oxford University Press.
• Yiu, C., Tang, G. 2014. Social Integration of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students in a Sign Bilingual and Co-enrollment Environment. In Marschark, M., Tang, G., Knoors, H. (eds.)   Bilingualism and Bilingual Deaf Education. Oxford University Press, pp. 342-367.

Language Development of deaf and hard-of-hearing children

• Thierfelder, P., Tang, G., Li, J. 2024. The acquisition of Hong Kong Sign Language in deaf and
  hard-of-hearing children: A longitudinal study of sign language development in a bimodal bilinguals co-enrollment programme. 26/1. Deafness and Education International.   https://doi.org/10.1080/14643154.2023.2292860.
• Tang, G., Li, Qun, Li Jia, Yiu, C. K-M. 2023. Chinese grammatical development of
  d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing children in a sign bilingualism and co-enrollment program. American Annals of the Deaf, 167/5:675-699, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38661779/
• Li, Q., Tang, G. 2020. Vocabulary Development of Deaf and Hearing Children of a Sign Bilingualism and Co-enrollment Program in Hong Kong. In Wang, Q-Y., Andrews, J. (eds). Toward a Global    Understanding of Literacy Education for Deaf Studies, Gallaudet University Press.
• Sze, F., Tang, G. 2017. Metalinguistic awareness in the bimodal-bilingual acquisition of locative sentences in Chinese and Hong Kong Sign Language by deaf/hard of hearing children. Journal of Applied Psychololinguitics, 16(2), 101-132.
• Tang, G., Yiu, C., Lam, S. 2015. Awareness of Hong Kong Sign Language and Manually Coded Chinese by Deaf Students. In Knoors, H., Marschark, M. (eds). Educating Deaf  Learners: Creating a Global Evidence Base. Oxford University Press, pp117-148.
• Sze, F., Tang, G., Lau, T., Lam, E., Yiu, C. 2014. The development of discourse referencing in Cantonese deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Journal of Child Language, pp 1-43 (doi: 10.1017/S030500091400004X), Cambridge University Press.
• Tang, G., Lam, S., Yiu, C. 2014. Language development of deaf children in a sign bilingual and co-enrollment environment. In Marschark, M., Tang, G., Knoors, H. (eds.) Bilingualism and Bilingual Deaf Education. Oxford University Press, pp. 313-342.

RESESARCH DATABASES CREATED

HKSL Corpus (http://www.cslds.org/hkslcorpus/)

A repository which archives 15 hours of spontaneous dialogues between native/native or native/near-native signers of HKSL, and 6 narratives of native HKSL signers. All data have been transcribed using ELAN. This signbank is going to support future research into the grammatical properties of HKSL as well as sign language teaching and sign interpretation training in HK.

Asia SignBank (http://cslds.org/asiansignbank/)

A repository to archive Asian Sign Languages with search functions to view signs as well as their phonological features for linguistic analysis. Recent updates include a publishing function to access the archived materials for the production of dictionaries and teaching materials. Under construction is a set of procedures to transfer sign language discourse materials into the SignBank to support grammatical analysis of sign languages. The sign languages so far include HKSL, Ho Chi Ming Sign Language, Jakarta Sign Language, Yogyakarta Sign Language, Sri Lankan Sign Language. The Asia SignBank was used to support the MPhil research of Mak Ka Leong.

Hong Kong Sign Language Browser (http://www.cslds.org/hkslbrowser/)

A repository to archive the variation of Hong Kong Sign Languageyo to support the practical domains of society such as sign language interpretation now appearing on TV programs and LegCo meetings. Variation data from different deaf groups in HK are included, to facilitate future research on the variation of Hong Kong Sign Language.

Child HKSL Corpus (http://www.cslds.org/acquisition/en-us/Corpora)

This corpus focuses on two deaf children who acquired HKSL at a young age. They are siblings born to deaf parents. With CC, there are 212 clips of HKSL data covering ages from 1;9-6;11; with YY, there are 143 clips of HKSL data covering ages from 1;3 to 5;6. The database has been used to support the MPhil research of Fung Hiu Man and PhD research of Scholastica Lam.

Child HKSL-Cantonese Bilingual Corpus (http://www.cslds.org/acquisition/en-us/Corpora)

This corpus focuses on the bimodal bilingual development of two deaf children: YC was born into a hearing family and observation has resulted in 48 clips on HKSL and 44 clips on Cantonesedevelopment. The second child, WT, whose mother is deaf and father hearing, is a typical case for investigating bimodal bilingual development. Collection of data started in 2012. So far, 150 clips on HKSL and 150 clips on Cantonese have been collected and processed, covering WT’s age of development from 0;10 to 4;09. The database is now being used to support the PhD research of Li Jieqiong.

Hong Kong Sign Language Elicitation Tool
Tang, G., Lee, J., Lam, S., Sze, F., Li, j., Wong, Y-O., Chu, K., Wong, P., Lo, C. (2010). Hong Kong Sign Language Elicitation Tool. The Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Chinese Grammatical Knowledge Assessment
Tang, G., Li, Q., Li, J., Hu, Y-Y., Yiu, K-M., Lam, D. (2020). Chinese Grammatical Knowledge Assessment. The Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

RESEARCH GRANTS

External Competitive Research Grants

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH COLLABORATION

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER ACTIVITIES

1. Asia Pacific Sign Linguistics Research and Training Programm (2003-present, http://www.cslds.org/apsl/)
   
   

   Promotion of and establishment of Sign Linguistics research in Asian Universities through The Asia Pacific Sign Linguistics Research and Training Program (The APSL Program) organized by The Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies. Countries include Royal University of Phnom  Penh (Phnom Penh,  Cambodia), University of South Pacific (Fiji), Kwansei University (Osaka, Japan0, University of Indonesia ( Jakarta, Indonesia), and University of Kelaniya (Columbo, Sri Lanka), Yangon University of Foreign Languages (Yangon, Mynamar).

2. Project Shuwa (2019-present, https://projectshuwa.com/)
   

   Project Shuwa is the joint research efforts of CSLDS, Google(Asia) and BitStudio (an extension of Google(Asia). It aims to further expand the existing Asian SignBank (http://cslds.org/asiansignbank/) to support Asian universities to develop sign linguistics research and training. It uses AI technology for sign language recognition as the basis for building the technological infrastructure of the signbank, enabling the incorporation of more signs, existing or new, into the database system at a relatively faster speed. Initially, Hong Kong Sign Language and Japanese Sign Language are used to test the model. The first research output is SignTown (https://www.signtown.org/), a multi sign language learning platform using AI technology.

3. Establishment of Sign Bilingualism and Co-enrollment Education for deaf and hearing children in a mainstream setting (2006-present, http://cslds.org/slco/en/intro2.php#:~:text=Thanks%20to%20the%20seeding%20fund,the%20guiding%20principles%20of%20%22Sign)
   

   Since 2006, The Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies has been innovating an approach of education that potentially benefits both deaf and hearing children in a mainstream classroom. The Sign Bilingualism and Co-enrollment (SLCO) in Deaf Education Programme is grounded with findings of years of sign linguistics research, including research on deaf children’s language acquisition. To date, the Programme is firmly anchored in a kindergarten, a primary school and a secondary school in Hong Kong. The Centre is currently advising on establishing SLCO education in China, Macau and Singapore.

4. Establishment of SLCO Community Resources Limited, a non-project organization to promote bimodal bilingualism in society (Jan 2016-present, https://www.slco.org.hk/en/) 
   

   This non-profit organization promotes bimodal bilingualism in society through provideing quality services to support various sectors of the population especially children whose needs can be addressed via the support of sign language and spoken language.

External Advisor

PUBLIC SERVICES

Hong Kong

AWARDS AND HONORS