• School of Humanities & Social Science

    • Dr TSO Wing Bo, Anna （曹穎寶博士）
    PhD (Birmingham)
    MA in Literary & Cultural Studies (HKU)
    MA in English Studies (HKU)
    BA (Hons) (HKU)
    MEd (OUHK)
    PGDE (HKU)
    CELTA (Solihull)
    LPAT (Cert. of Merit) (EDB, HK)

    Head and Associate Professor
    Programme Director of BA-ENG Programme
    Department of English

    Tel : (852) 3963 5441
    Email :
    annatso@hsu.edu.hk


    Dr Anna Tso obtained her Ph.D. from the School of English, Drama and Creative Studies of The University of Birmingham. Prior to joining The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, she has 12 years of teaching and research experience in the tertiary education sector in Hong Kong, during which she took up academic leadership roles directing a research institute for 3 years and overseeing a master’s degree program for 8 years. Interested in children’s literature, myths and fairytales, Shakespeare, digital literacy, and applied linguistics, she has a publication record which encompasses 9 funded research projects with successful completions and over 60 publications, including 3 authored books, 5 edited volumes, 3 special issues, and a substantial number of peer-reviewed book chapters and journal articles in indexed journals across Asia, Russia, Europe, the U.K., the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. She has served as a PhD external reviewer for The University of Newcastle, Australia, and acted as a review panel member for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Grants of the Canadian Government. She also holds the position of associate editor for the Digital Culture and Humanities book series (Springer, 2017 – present), serves as the President of the Hong Kong Association for Educational Communications and Technology (2022 – present), and contributes monthly as a columnist for The Hong Kong Economic Journal. Alongside her career as an academic, she is an award-winning children’s writer and editor. Her children’s book series, Hong Kong Stories (2017 – 2020) was heralded by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) as an adventure “navigating life in Hong Kong” (Bookbird, 2021). Honoured with numerous accolades, including the 2022 Child’s Eye Award first runner-up, the 2020 Eric Hoffer Book Award second prize (digital nonfiction), the 2020 Wishing Shelf Book Awards finalist in the U.K., and nomination for the 2019 Debbie Alvarez Memorial Award in Hong Kong, she was a recipient of Munich’s Internationale Jugendbibliothek fellowship and a featured author in the Hong Kong International Young Readers’ Festival.

    Authored BooksEdited BooksSpecial IssuesChildren’s BooksJournal ArticlesBook ChaptersBook ReviewsTranslations(Selected) External Funded Research GrantsProfessional and Community Services
    TopAuthored Books
    • Lee, S., & Tso, W. B. (In preparation). Cross-cultural Studies of English, Chinese and Italian Short Stories.
    • Tso, W. B., & Lee, P. W. (2019). Reading the Short Story: A Student’s Guide to Selected British, Irish and American Works. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company Inc., viii + 197 pp.
    •  Tso, W. B., Ho, S. Y., & Chung, S. K. (2016). Academic Writing for Arts and Humanities Students. Singapore: McGraw-Hill Education, x + 161 pp.
    • Lau, L. C., & Tso, W. B. (2016). Teaching Shakespeare to ESL Students: The Study of Language Arts in Four Major Plays. Singapore: Springer, xxxii + 149 pp.
    TopEdited Books
    • Sit, H. H. W., Chan, A., Tso, W. B., & Chan, W. W. L. (Forthcoming). The Vistas of Inclusive Innovations in Educational Communications and Technology: Opportunities and Challenges. Singapore: Springer.
    • Ng, S. K. K., Bai, T. S., Lo, N. L. P., Tso, W. B., and Chan, W. W. L. (Eds.). (Forthcoming). Transcending Boundaries in the Digital Age: Teaching, Research and Practice. Singapore: Springer.
    • Tso, W. B., Chan, W. W. L., Ng, S. K. K., Bai, T. S., & Lo, N. L. P. (Eds.).(2023). Critical Reflections on ICT and Education. Singapore: Springer, xii + 256 pp.
    • Tso, W. B., Ng, S. K. K., Law, L. S. H., & Bai, S. (Eds.) (2023). Innovation and Transformation: The Post-pandemic Landscape of Education and Beyond. Singapore: Springer, xv + 308 pp.
    • Tso, W. B., Chan, C. K., Chan, W. W. L., Sidorko, P. E., & Ma, W. W. K. (Eds.). (2022). Digital Communication and Learning: Changes and Challenges. Singapore: Springer, xv + 400 pp.
    • Ma, W. W. K., Tong, K. W., & Tso, W. B. (Eds.). (2020). Learning Environment and Design: Current and Future Impacts. Singapore: Springer, xv + 325 pp.
    • Tso, W. B. (Ed.). (2019). Digital Humanities and New Ways of Teaching. Singapore: Springer, xvi + 249 pp.
    TopSpecial Issues
    • Ma, W. W. K., & Tso, W. B. (Eds.). (Forthcoming). Engaged Learing and Innovative Teaching in Higher Education. Journal of Communication and Education, 6.
    • Tso, W. B., Ho, S. Y. (Eds.). (2021). Creativity and Critical Thinking in Practice. Journal of Communication and Education, 5(1), 134pp.
    • Tso, W. B., Ho, S. Y. & Kang, S. (Eds.). (2020). Digital Culture and Humanities. Journal of Global Literacies, Technologies, and Emerging Pedagogies, 6(1), 153pp
    TopChildren’s Books
    • Tso, W. B. (2020). A Tale of Two Haunted Universities. Illustrated by Joanne Wai-nam Lo. Dearborn, Michigan: Alpha Academic Press, 22 pp.
    • Tso, W. B. (2019). Herstory. Illustrated by Joanne Wai-nam Lo. Dearborn, Michigan: Alpha Academic Press, 20 pp.
    • Tso, W. B. (2018). Taming Babel. Illustrated by Joanne Wai-nam Lo. Dearborn, Michigan: Alpha Academic Press, 20 pp.
    • Tso, W. B. (2018). Unforgettable Neighbours. Illustrated by Joanne Wai-nam Lo. Dearborn, Michigan: Alpha Academic Press, 20 pp.
    • Tso, W. B. (2017). The Summer of 1997. Illustrated by Joanne Wai-nam Lo. Dearborn, Michigan: Alpha Academic Press, 20 pp.
    • Tso, W. B.  (2017). Culinary Charades. Illustrated by Joanne Wai-nam Lo. Dearborn, Michigan: Alpha Academic Press, 20 pp.
    TopJournal Articles
    • Tso, W. B. (Under review). Gender Discourse in Grade 3 English eBooks on a Digital Reading Platform. Asian Journal of English Language Teaching.
    • Tso A. W. B. (2024). Challenges in Achieving Coherence and Cohesion: A Discourse Analysis of Chinese EFL Students’ Essays. Professional Discourse & Communication, 6(1), 95-108. https://doi.org/10.24833/2687-0126-2024-6-1-95-108
    • Tso, A. W. B. (2023). Students’ Perceptions of Using Video Essays as Assessment Tools. Journal of Communication and Education, 6, 57-66.
    • Tso, W. B. (2021). Revealing Obscurity: A Linguistic-conceptual Analysis of English Academic Writing by Chinese Learners. Journal of Communication and Education, 5(1), 3-11.
    • Tso, W. B. (2020). An Investigation of the Effectiveness of English Language Apps for EFL Vocabulary Building. Journal of Global Literacies, Technologies, and Emerging Pedagogies, 6(1), 1083-1102.
    • Tso, A. W. B. (2019). Representations of the Queer: The Screening of Cross-dressing in Chinese Cinemas. The New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies, 21(2), 25-36.
    •  Tso, A. W. B. (2019). Losing Sight, Gaining Insight: Blindness and the Romantic vision in Grimm’s “Rapunzel”. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 10(3), 140-144.
    • Tso, W. B., & Ho, S. Y. (2018). Chances and Challenges: Teaching Academic Writing to University Students in Hong Kong. The Journal of Linguistics and Language Teaching,. 9(1),: 67-82.
    • Tso, W. B. (2017). Repressed Sexual Modernity: A Case Study of Herbert Giles’ (1845 – 1935) Rendition of Pu Songling’s Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio (1880) in the late Qing. Acta Linguistica Asiatica, 7(2), 9-18.
    • Tso, W. B., & Ho, S. Y. (2017). Teaching English Academic Writing in the Second Language Classroom and Beyond. The Canadian Journal for Teacher Research. 5, n. pag.
    • Tso, W. B., & Chung, S. K. (2016). Academic Literacy Development: University Students’ Perceptions and Experiences of English Academic Writing in Southeast Asia. Pacific-Asian Education, 28(1), 51-61.
    • Tso, W. B. (2016). Teaching Shakespeare to Young ESL Learners in Hong Kong. Journal of Pedagogic Development, 6(2), 18-24.
    • Tso, W. B., & Lau, M. Y. (2016). Digital Game-based Learning: A Case Study of a Digital Educational Game in Hong Kong. Journal of Global Literacies, Technologies, and Emerging Pedagogies, 3(2), 433-447.
    • Tso, W. B., & Lee, P.W. (2015). Critical Discourse Analysis and Translation: A Comparative Study of Discourse and Ideology in Translated Versions of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Nordlit, 25, 505-517.
    • Tso, W. B. (2015). Reflections on Blended Learning: A Case Study at the Open University of Hong Kong. Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, 10(1), 77-86.
    • Tso, W. B. (2014). Masculine Hegemony and Resistance in Chinese Language”. Writing from Below, 2(1), 1- 15.
    • Tso, W. B. (2014). Female Cross-dressing in Chinese Literature Classics and Their English Versions. International Studies: Interdisciplinary Political and Cultural Journal, 16(1), 111-124.
    • Lee, P.W., & Tso, W. B. (2014). Delimit Imagination? A Comparison of Unabridged and Abridged Versions of Peter Pan. Interlitteraria, 19(1), 131-151.
    • Tso, W. B. (2014). Teaching Short Stories to Students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at Tertiary Level. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 10(1), 111-117.
    • Tso, W. B. (2014). Using Science Fiction in the ESL Reading Club: A Reader-response Approach. ECV: Engaging Cultures & Voices: Learning English through Media, 6, 1-35.
    • Tso, W. B. (2013). Teaching Science Fiction: from Reading to Creative Writing. Journal of English Language Teaching, 55(6), 3 – 15.
    • Tso, W. B. (2013). Transgressing the Gender Borders: The Subversive Re-inscription of Eve in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials.  Crossroads: A Journal of English Studies, 2, 29-42.
    • Tso, W. B. (2013). Taboos and Subversion in Children’s Literature. Cross-cultural Studies, 1(10), 135-140.
    • Tso, W. B. (2012). Representations of Monstrous-Feminine in the Selected Works of C.S. Lewis, Roald Dahl and Philip Pullman. Libri & Liberi: Journal of Research on Children’s Literature and Culture, 1(2), 215-234.
    • Tso, W. B. (2012). Engaged Translation: Submerged Gender Ideology in the Chinese Version of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. Translation Journal, 16(1), n. pag.
    • Tso, W. B. (2010). The Reinvention of the “Femmes Fatales” in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials (1995 – 2000) and its Chinese Translation. SPECTRUM: NCUE Studies in Language, Literature, Translation and Interpretation, 7, 49-63.
    • Tso, W. B. (2007). Transgression in the Gender Representation in MacDonald’s Princess Books. The International Journal of Early Childhood, 39(2), 11-21.
    TopBook Chapters
    • Tso, W. B. (Under review). Shakespeare’s Macbeth in Hong Kong 2017: A Jungian Interpretation?
    • Tso, W. B. (Under review). Evaluating the Efficacy of Grading Literature Essays with ChatGPT.
    • Tso, W. B. (Forthcoming). Questioning the Quality of AI-assisted Academic Essays: From the Perspectives of English Teachers and Postgraduate Students. In S. K. K. Ng, T. S. Bai, N. P. K. Lo, W. B. Tso, & W. W. L. Chan (Eds.), Transcending Boundaries in the Digital Age. Singapore: Springer.
    • Tso, W. B. (2023). A Critical Review of the Gender Representation in Children’s eBooks on a Digital Reading Platform. In W. B. Tso, Wendy W. L. Chan, Steven K. K. Ng, Tiffany S. Bai, & Noble P. K. Lo (Eds.), Critical Reflections on ICT and Education. Singapore: Springer.
    •  Tso, W. B. (2023). Tragic Heroes. In S. T. Allison, J. K. Beggan, & G. R. Goethals (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Heroism Studies. Gewerbestrasse, Switzerland: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17125-3_449-1
    • Tso, W. B. (2023). Teaching Shakespeare to EFL Students through Transmedia. In W. B. Tso, K. K. Ng, L. Law, & S. Bai (Eds.). The Post-pandemic Landscape of Education and Beyond: Innovation and Transformation (pp. 19-29). Singapore: Springer.
    •  Tso, W. B. (2023). Between Career and Motherhood: Understanding Female Academics’ Pursuit of Success with Hofstede’s “Masculinity/Femininity” Dimension. In Alex C. K. Chan, M. F. Steger, Raymond C. Chui, Nicholson Y. Siu, Susanna C. P. Wong Ip, & Bess Y. Lam (Eds.), Proceedings of the Meaning in Life International Conference 2022 – Cultivating, Promoting, and Enhancing Meaning in Life Across Cultures and Life Span (MIL 2022) (pp. 101-111). Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Atlantis Press.
    • Tso, W. B. (2022). Self and Peer Assessment in the Socially Distanced Classroom: An Action Research for Improving English Oral of Asian Students. In W. B. Tso, C. K. Chan, W. L. Chan, P. E. Sikordo & W. W. K. Ma (Eds.), Innovation and Transformation: The Post-pandemic Landscape of Education and Beyond (pp. 3-17). Singapore: Springer.
    • Tso, W. B. (2020). English Vocabulary Building via Language learning Apps: Voices from Hong Kong University Students and Teachers. In Will W. K. Ma, K.W. Tong & W. B. Tso (Eds.), Learning Environment and Design: Current and Future Impacts (pp. 281-291). Singapore: Springer.
    •  Tso, W. B. (2020). Divination or Death Traps? The Semiotic Language in Chinese Folklore and Fortune Telling. In Michael Lackner, Kwok-kan Tam, Monika Gänßbauer and Terry Yip (Eds.), Fate and Prognostication in the Chinese Literary Imagination (pp.177-195). Leiden: Brill.
    • Tso, W. B. (2019). Learning English as a Foreign Language through Social Media: First-hand Perspectives from Hong Kong Adolescents. In Will W. K. Ma, W. L. Chan & C. M. Cheng (Eds.), Shaping the Future of Education, Communication and Technology (pp. 107-115). Singapore: Springer.
    • Tso, W. B. (2019). Introduction: Digital Humanities in Research, Practice, and Pedagogy. In Wing-bo Tso (Ed.), Digital Humanities and New Ways of Teaching (pp. ix-xiii). Singapore: Springer.
    • Tso, W. B., & Lau, M. Y. (2019). The Digital and Multimodal Art Experience: A Hong Kong Case Study. In Wing-bo Tso (Ed.), Digital Humanities and New Ways of Teaching (pp. 177-193). Singapore: Springer.
    • Tso, W. B., & Lau, M. Y. (2018). An Explorative Study on the Pedagogical Potential of Gamification. In K. C. Li, K. S. Yuen, and B. T. M. Wong (Eds.), Innovations in Open and Flexible Education (pp.143-152). Singapore: Springer.
    • Tso, W. B. (2017). Developing English Literacy Skills of Young EFL Learners with Children’s Stories. In Hsien-hao Liao (Ed.), Critical Reflections on Foreign Language Education: Globalization and Local Interventions (pp. 139-154). Taipei: Bookman Books Ltd.
    • Tso, W. B. (2014). Exploring Language Ideology: On Translation of ‘Death’ and its Related Words from English to Chinese. In Arnall, A. & Gentile, A. (Eds.), AUSIT 2012:Proceedings of the “JubilaTIon 25” Biennial Conference of the Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators (pp. 198-202). Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
    TopBook Reviews
    • 曹穎寶 (2016) 。〈寺山修司短詩中的留白與畫面〉，香港《聲韻詩刊》2016年4月號第二十九期，頁B21-23。
    • Tso, W. B. (2013). Engaged Translation: Submerged Gender Ideology in the Chinese Version of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. The American Translators Association Chinese Language Division Newsletter, Summer Issue.
    TopTranslations
    • Tso, W. B. and Horiuchi, I. (2017), Translation of Shuji Terayama’s “Sea Jockey”. Metamorphoses: A Journal of Literary Translation, 25(1), 80.
    • Tso, W. B. and Horiuchi, I. (2016). Translation of Shuji Terayama’s “Soap Bubble Love Song”. Ezra: An Online Journal of Translation. 2(1), article 10.
    • 曹穎寶、堀内アイリーン合譯 (2016) 。〈寺山修司詩作翻譯〉，香港《聲韻詩刊》2016年4月號第二十九期，頁B16-20。
    Top(Selected) External Funded Research Grants
    • Principal Investigator, “An investigation of Hong Kong students’ perceptions and experiences of English academic writing: A case study at The Open University of Hong Kong” (Ref. No.: UGC/FDS16/H01/15), Faculty Development Scheme (FDS), RGC Competitive Research Funding Schemes for the Local Self-financing Degree Sector. Award: HK$523,825 (18 months)
    • Principal Investigator, “Exploring the Digital Literacy Practices of Hong Kong Students beyond Classroom: Writing through Facebook and Whatsapp” (Ref. No.: S/V/EL in U002(1/2017)), Sunrise Charitable and Education Fund. Award: HK$10,000 (18 months)
    • Principal Investigator, “Childhood Literacy Development: Hong Kong Children’s Stories Project” (Ref. No.: S/V/EL in U001(8/2016)), Sunrise Charitable and Education Fund. Award: HK$30,000 (18 months)
    TopProfessional and Community Services
    • President (2022 – To date) & Vice President (2020 – 2021), Hong Kong Association for Educational Communications and Technology.
    • Conference Chair (2022 – To date), Hong Kong Association for Educational Communications and Technology International Conference 2022, 2023 & 2024, co-organized with The University of Hong Kong Libraries.
    • Invited Speaker (26 March 2024). Defining Villainy. English Festival Academic Talk. Arts Association, The University of Hong Kong.
    • Keynote Speaker (30 June 2023). Shakespeare and Social Media. Research Retreat. The School of Humanities and Social Science, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong.
    • Keynote Speaker (30 April 2022). Horror Archetypes in Children’s Books and Films. Heterotopic Junction Graduate Conference on Language, Literature and Culture. The Department of English, Baptist University of Hong Kong.
    • Plenary Speaker (7 April 2022). Evaluation of English Learning Apps for Vocabulary Building. Eurasia 2022: Social and Humanitarian Space in the Era of Globalization and Digitalization, International Scientific Cultural and Educational Forum. Magnitogorsk State Technical University, Magnitogorsk, Russia.
    • External Reviewer (January – February 2022). Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Grants of the Canadian Government.
    • Guest Speaker (28 January 2022). Digital Humanities in Higher Education Workshop. Teaching and Learning Development Office, Shue Yan University of Hong Kong, China.
    • Invited Speaker (4 October 2021). Children’s Shakespeare in Children’s Shakespeare in the Transmedia Universe. Seminar Series on Digital Humanities. The Department of Linguistics and Modern Language Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
    • PhD External Examiner (September – October 2021). School of Education, The University of Newcastle, Australia.
    • Invited Speaker (11 & 13 January 2021), “Bringing Together Creativity and Literacy: Igniting Gifted/More Able Students’ Creativity and Enhancing their Language Awareness”(Primary and Secondary Sectors), two Continuing Professional Development Teachers’ Workshops, Gifted Education Section, Curriculum Development Institute, Hong Kong Education Bureau.
    • Featured author (9 – 13 June 2020), the 9th Hong Kong International Young Readers’ Festival.
    • Keynote Speaker (12 June 2020), “Digital Impacts on Children’s Literature,” a keynote speech for the 4th Undergraduate Academic Conference on Humanities, The Education University of Hong Kong.
    • Guest Editor, (2019 – 2023), The Journal of Communication and Education. 
    • Associate Editor (2017 – To date), Springer’s Digital Culture and Humanities book series.
    • Reviewer (2014 – To date), System (SSCI-indexed), China Review(SSCI-indexed), The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health(SSCI-indexed), Interlitteraria(ESCI-indexed), Education Sciences (Scopus & ESCI indexed), Informatics (ESCI-indexed), Palgrave Communications (ESCI-indexed), Humanities (ERIC-indexed), and The Journal of Chinese Literary Studies.
    • Adjudicator (2021 – To date), Hong Kong Budding Poets (English) Award.