Information Session: Choosing Your Concentration
On February 25, 2026, the Department of English and Humanities (DEH) at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) organized an information session titled “Choosing Your Concentration.” The event aimed to guide students through the pivotal decision of selecting Literature or Applied Linguistics tracks by aligning their academic choices with career goals and personal interests.
The session featured Ms. Nadia Rahman, Assistant Professor (Literature), and Dr. Mahmud Hasan Khan, Professor (Linguistics), as primary facilitators. Ms. Rahman opened the discussion by urging students to balance work and academic life through informed choices. She introduced the faculty members via the DEH website and emphasized that selecting a concentration should not be a “random choice” but a strategic move based on a student’s background, research interests, and future plans. She highlighted that a concentration in Literature equips students with critical and creative skills in writing, translation, transcription, branding, and communication, which are highly valued in sectors like PR, research, advertising agencies, and newspapers. Ms. Rahman specifically encouraged students to “be the flag bearer” of their chosen path, advocating for contextualized studies in areas like Feminism and Marxism within the Bangladeshi landscape.
Dr. Mahmud Hasan Khan then addressed the Linguistics track, noting that students often lack a clear vision of their career goals. He explained that linguistics training in semantics and pragmatics enables students to distinguish nuances in language – a skill essential for branding, news journalism, and policy-making. He discussed the importance of Speech Acts in constructing realities and the necessity of “identifying assertive speech acts” to navigate a world where truth is often subjective. Dr. Khan pointed out that employers in the corporate sector, NGOs, and government offices increasingly require the analytical precision that linguistics provides. The final takeaway reminded students that “the future of work is the work of linguistics” and that in the modern professional landscape, “there is nothing outside language.”
Lecturer Vincent Dip Gomes contributed further technical insights, distinguishing between theoretical and applied linguistics. He noted that specialized areas like Phonetics and Phonology can lead to careers in speech therapy and audiology. He advised students to choose their thesis topics carefully, as a well-aligned thesis clarifies professional intent. The session also touched upon modern advancements, such as the use of Corpus Linguistics for data reports and the ethical integration of AI tools in developing multimodal literary tools.
The session concluded with a Q&A round. Addressing a student’s concern about whether a “Double Major” is necessary, the facilitators clarified that specialization is often more valuable, especially for pursuing higher education abroad.
Report by Tuni Nigar (223013042)
