Research in the area of Linguistics and Communication encompasses three Departments - Chinese, Translation and Linguistics; English; and Media and Communication. Research fields in linguistics include such applications of linguistics and language technology as machine translation, corpus linguistics, computational linguistics, speech analysis, language and law, computer assisted language learning and forensic phonetics, as well as studies in syntax, semantics, pragmatics, terminology, sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, first and second language acquisition, translation and interpretation, Chinese and English for creative and professional purposes (with particular focus on such areas as business, law, medicine, cultural industries and education), computer-mediated discourse, the English language and intercultural communication, world Englishes and English as a second language. The area also includes the fields of comparative cultural studies, comparative literature and cultural and heritage management. Research fields in media and communication studies include the structures, processes, content and effects of various modes of media communication in relation to their larger political economic, technological and cultural contexts - for example, adoption and use of the Internet, global news and comparative journalism, political economy of communication, determinants of news selection, online games and social capital, media and social change, media globalization, inter-cultural communication, computer-mediated communication and cyberspace piracy and regulation.