Dr. Chang Tsung Chi Hawk
LIT2043 Literatures in English: Fiction
As part of the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) initiative at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), LIT2043 Literatures in English: Fiction integrated a fiction-based collaborative learning activity delivered in partnership with National Chengchi University, Taiwan (Lecturer: Professor Wu Min-hua, Chair of the Department of English). This COIL activity was designed to boost students’ international engagement and cultural diversity by creating a space for learners from diverse backgrounds to engage in collaborative learning. Approximately 70 junior college students from both institutions participated in reading and discussing the short fiction “A Pair of Tickets” by internationally renowned Chinese American writer Amy Tan. The materials below serve as an exemplar of how COIL can be implemented at the course level to enrich undergraduate learning experiences.
Guest Lecture via Google Meet
- Amy Tan and “A Pair of Tickets” (Prof. Wu Min-hua):
Prof. Wu Min-hua delivered a short lecture on Amy Tan and “A Pair of Tickets.” He shared his views on Amy Tan, migration, and the public’s receptions of “A Pair of Tickets.” He guided students to review the short fiction by focusing on the following questions: (1) Is Jing-mei’s “becoming Chinese” a natural or cultural phenomenon? (2) Does Amy Tan romanticize China—or deliberately mythologize? (3) Can return ever truly restore what migration has already broken? (4) Could you share a diasporic story of your family? (5) Have you ever experienced identity issues because of language divergence?
- Amy Tan and “A Pair of Tickets” (Dr. Hawk Chang):
Dr. Hawk Chang further illustrated critical notions related to identity, cultural identity in particular, and how Amy Tan’s short fiction demonstrated the dynamic evolution of one’s cultural identity. He invited students to reflect on the following questions and provided feedback on their views: (1) How far does Amy Tan’s “A Pair of Tickets” follow the typical plot structure? What are the functions of the various flashback sequences embedded within the main story about the trip to China? (2) What are the respective merits of ‘telling’ (direct characterization) and ‘showing’ (indirect characterization)? Discuss with respect to examples from “A Pair of Tickets.” (3) Some critics argue that, instead of promoting Chinese customs and cultural values, Amy Tan demonizes the Chinese people and their way of living in “A Pair of Tickets.” Do you agree? (4) In “Requitted Reading and Other Dangerous Subjects,” Amy Tan says she worries that “If you are a minority, you may not be read in the same way that, say, Anne Tyler, John Updike, or Sue Grafton is read…. [y]our stories may not be read as literary fictions, or as American fiction, or as entertainment; they will be read more likely as sociology, politics, ideology, cultural lesson plans in a narrative form” (Opposite of Fate 308). Discuss.
(guest lecture on 16 March 2026)
Reflection and Evaluation
NCCU students’ feedback on the COIL activities：
EdUHK students’ feedback on the COIL activities:
