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Qualifications

a) Accredited The qualifications in this section are accredited. That is, they are certified in the official way which academic administrative officers, employers and government departments require. Much more rarely (unfortunately) there may be a genuine interest in the real substance of what an indivual knows and has investigated in his field. In my case this goes well beyond formally accredited documents. Those interested in this extra range of knowledge are advised to also look to section b) below.

1. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) 2010, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia. Thesis topic : "Language Tangle : Predicting and Facilitating Outcomes in Language Education". Through examining a series of twenty case studies, this thesis deals with issues of knowledge worker productivity.

PhD testamur + transcript. (The transcript covers official enrolment in earlier studies too, 1978 to 2010, including long periods when I was actually lecturing linguistics in other places and mostly not studying).

An abstract of the dissertation can be seen here. The thesis itself (pdf) may be viewed here. The letter of completion from the University of Newcastle, formally announcing the award may be viewed here. A current reference (2010) from Dr Christo Moskovsky, Thor May's doctoral supervisor, may be viewed here. The thesis is also online in the University of Newcastle research depository at http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/804346 .A further link is the Australian Research Directory.

2a. Master of Applied Linguistics, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia - Testamur 2005 (The University of Newcastle is a government owned university).
2b. Transcript - Master of Applied Linguistics, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia 2005; [high distinction in all subjects]
2c.Transcript key - Master of Applied Linguistics, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia

3.    Masters Qualifying in Linguistics. 1st Class Honours (Equivalent) - Letter of Approval University of Newcastle NSW,  Australia (1978). The research essays supporting this were also reviewed by an external examiner (Macquarie University). Most institutions today would document this one year program as a coursework Masters degree.

4.    Bachelor of Arts - Testamur Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand (1974); majors in Linguistics and Social Anthropology
       Bachelor of Arts - Transcript Document (1974)

5.   Postgraduate Diploma of Teaching - Transcript Document Auckland Secondary Teachers College, New Zealand (1975; now a division of Auckland University); Teaching English as a Second Language specialization. Many institutions today would document this one year program as a coursework Masters degree.

6 .   RSA/Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language 1996, Melbourne

7. Certificate IV in Workplace Training Category 2: Assessor (1997) Kangan Batman Institute of TAFE, Melbourne, Australia

8.  Certification and Recommendation from Professor Nicholas Evans, University of Melbourne (2004), on Doctoral Research work

9    PhD Enrolment Records, University of Melbourne, Australia, 1991, 1992, 1993 [note that Australian PhDs are on the British model, which does not involve coursework and therefore does not yield transcripts. The thesis production to date (about 50,000 words) was fully supervised by Professor Nicholas Evans, and may be viewed on this website under Generative Oscillation, as well as the published paper, Postsupposition and Pastiche Talk]

10. High school dux certificate - Belmore High School 1961 - 1st in English, 1st in History, 1st in Geography, 1st in Economics

 

b) Non-accredited

11.  Master of Arts in Formal & Applied Linguistics,Greenwich University, Hawaii 1994 - This document no longer has formal recognition since the supporting university became defunct in 2004. However, certified transcripts are available under the stewardship of Akamai University at http//www.greenwich.edu. The degree itself was based on extensive prior doctoral research and publication at the University of Newcastle, NSW, and examined by staff there who are still willing to certify its standard.

11a   - Diploma Document
11b.    Master of Arts in Formal & Applied Linguistics
          -  Thesis Approval Document
11c.    Master of Arts in Formal & Applied Linguistics
          -  Thesis - "Purposive Constructions in English"
11d.    Master of Arts in Formal & Applied Linguistics
          -  Degree Approval Document
11e.    Master of Arts in Formal & Applied Linguistics
          -  Transcript Document 1
11f.    Master of Arts in Formal & Applied Linguistics
          -  Transcript Document 2
11g.    Master of Arts in Formal & Applied Linguistics
          -  Transcript Document 3

 

Thor May - qualifications translated into Korean

 

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References

References - 2010 3. Letter of recommendation, April 2010, from Dr Christo Moskovsky, Thor May's doctoral supervisor. [Chinese translation ] 2. Letter of recommendation, April 2010, from Professor Fu Li, [English; Chinese  versions] Vice President of Zhengzhou Railway Vocational & Technical College (my co-employer in a joint venture with Holmes Institute). 1. Letter of recommendation, April 2010, from Iris Hong, [English & Chinese ], former Academic Coordinator from Holmes Institute who observed my teaching for a year. References - Korea (2000 to 2007)  6. Letter of Recommendation, April 2007, from Professor Park Byungjoo, Department of English, Chungju National University, 123 Geomdon-ri, Iryu-myeon, Chungju-shi, Chungbuk 380702, South Korea. Tel. +82 (0)43 841 5497; e-mail bjpark@cjnu.ac.kr. Professor Park hired me for Chungju National University in 2004. 5.      Letter of Recomendation from the Graduate TESOL Students          of Pusan University of Foreign Studies, 2004 [in Korean]  In 2003-2004 Thor May lectured these students in English Grammar and Second Language Acquisition for a graduate certificate in TESOL (the course content is listed here). This course was taught to international standards and accepted for cross-crediting for a Masters in TESOL at various American universities. (Although the program was in English, the students felt they could express their intentions more precisely here in Korean). 4       Letter of Recommendation from Professor Han Young-ju         Dean of General English at Youngsan University, Bansong-dong Campus         Youngsan University, 249 Bansong-dong 612743, Busan, South Korea         tel. 82 +051 540 7273; e-mail yjhan@ysu.ac.kr         Professor Han Young-ju was my immediate superior in 2003  3.     Letter of Recommendation from Professor Chon Hong-sik         Director of the Institute of Language Education         Youngsan University, 249 Bansong-dong 612743, Busan, South Korea         tel. 82 +051 540 7250; cell phone 011 855 1761; e-mail chonhs52@ysu.ac.kr         Professor Chon Hong-sik was responsible for my initial engagement         by Sungsim College (nowYoungsan University) in 2000 2.     Letter of Recommendation (in English) from Professor Eunjoong Kang         Letter of Recommendation (in Korean) from Professor Eunjoong Kang         Professor, School of Asian Business, Youngsan University         San 150, Junam-ri, Ungsang-up, Yangsan-shi, Gyongnam 626-847, South Korea         tel. 82 +55 386 9114; fax 82 +55 383 4374; e-mail ejk@ysu.ac.kr         Professor Eunjoong Kang was Dean of Academic Affairs & President         at the time of my initial appointment to Sungsim College** in 2000           [**note: in 2003 Sungsim College of Foreign Languages was absorbed            by Youngsan University]            1.      Letter of Recommendation (in Korean) from Professor Kang Uk-ki         Professor of Korean, French and English, Youngsan University         249 Bansong-dong 612743, Busan, South Korea         tel. 82 +055 380 9213; h.p. 016 557 5116; e-mail kang@ysu.ac.kr  Parent's & Associates' References - Korea 1.   Letter of recommendation from Dr Jeong Jin-Hwan, PhD, dental surgeon. From January 2007 until        August 2007 I did a 2 hour language exchange twice a week with Dr Jeong and his family in        Chungju, South Korea. His contact: mobile 82 +02 043 854 1298. 2.   Letter of recommendation (Korean) from Mrs Seong Su-jeong, teacher and parent        Sungsim Information High School, 249 Bansong-dong 612743, Busan, South Korea        tel. 82 +051 542 1810; e-mail ssj5020@hanmail.net        She observed my children's classes regularly. 3.    Letter of recommendation (English) from Mrs Kim Jung-hee, teacher and parent        Letter of recommendation (Korean) from Mrs Kim Jung-hee, teacher and parent        Sungsim Information High School, 249 Bansong-dong 612743, Busan, South Korea        tel. 017-596-1170; e-mail birog@hanmail.net        She observed my children's classes regularly. References - China (1998 to 2000) 1.   Letter of Recommendation from Professor Zhang Longsheng,         Head of the Teaching Group for Graduates, Dept. General English,         Huazhong (= Central China~) Normal University, Wuhan, China;         tel. 86 +27 8767 24 51 ; fax 86 +27 8787 6070 ; March 2000 2.    Letter of Recommendation from Mr. Zhai Jianjun,          Director of the International Office, Huazhong (= Central China~)          Normal University, Wuhan, China; tel./fax 86 +27 8787 5696           e-mail ccnuwb@public.wh.hb.cn ; March 2000 3.    Letter of Recommendation, from Dean of Studies, Hubei Foreign Trade School         Wuhan, China; fax [86] 27- 8780 3917; tel. [86] 27 - 8780 2011;          January 2000 4.    Letter of Recommendation [in Chinese] from Mr Heng Bin,          Dean of Studies, Affiliated Middle School, Wuhan University of Hydraulic          & Electrical Engineering Wuhan, China; e-mail bheng@wuhee.edu.cn References - Australia 1.    Certification and Recommendation from Professor Nicholas Evans, University of Melbourne, on Doctoral Research work [2004] 2.    Statement of Service / Reference from Kangan Batman Institute of TAFE, 1998 3..    Statement of Service / Reference from Batman Institute of TAFE, 1997 4.    Letter of Appreciation from the Director of John Batman Institute of TAFE 5.    Reference from Professor N.R. Cattell, University of Newcastle, NSW 6.    Note of  Appreciation from Assoc. Professor Nicholas Evans, University of          Melbourne, on my withdrawal from a Ph.D. candidacy in 1996 7.    Letter of Appreciation/Reference from the Co-ordinator, Language Studies,          Northern Metropolitan TAFE, Victoria, 1995 8.    Reference from the Victorian Supervisor, Adult Migrant Education, 1978 Sales Awards [.. for a few months in 1998, between jobs, I decided to pay the rent by working in telesales. The pitch was to solicit donations for a charity, then put in a hard-sell on gift items. The ethics were uncomfortable, and it was tough cold-calling ! But I learned some useful lessons, and managed to score a few bouquets ... ] 1. April 1998 -- Highest donations for the month -- Postel Australia 2. May 1998 --  Highest donations for the month -- Postel Australia 3. May 1998 --  Salesperson of the month -- Postel Australia 4. May 1998 --  Sales Team of the month -- Postel Australia

 

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Courses Taught & Related Activities

 

a) University lecturing & tutoring

Topic		Institution
Second language acquisition		- Southern Cross University* - Lismore NSW (* at that time, NRCAE) - University of the South Pacific – Suva, Fiji + distance ed. & satellite teaching; also Honiara, Solomon Islands summer program - Pusan University of Foreign Studies – Busan, South Korea
Child language acquisition		- Southern Cross University* - Lismore NSW (* at that time, NRCAE) - University of the South Pacific – Suva, Fiji + distance ed. & satellite teaching; also Honiara, Solomon Islands summer program
Sociolinguistics & Pragmatics		- University of Newcastle, NSW - University of the South Pacific – Suva, Fiji + distance ed. & satellite teaching - Southern Cross University* - Lismore NSW (* at that time, NRCAE) - Pusan University of Foreign Studies – Busan, South Korea
Semantics		- University of Newcastle, NSW (tutoring) (note also own research, especially 2nd PhD work at University of Melbourne)

Topic		Institution
English phonology – segmental & non-segmental		- University of the South Pacific – Suva, Fiji + distance ed. & satellite teaching - Pusan University of Foreign Studies – Busan, South Korea
Introduction to linguistics		- University of Newcastle, NSW (tutoring) - University of the South Pacific – Suva, Fiji + distance ed. & satellite teaching - Pusan University of Foreign Studies – Busan, South Korea
Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language – methodology and teacher training (including trainee practicums)		- University of Newcastle, NSW (Education Faculty) - Southern Cross University - Lismore NSW (aid project for Solomon Islands teachers) - Pusan University of Foreign Studies – Busan, South Korea - Holmes Institute with ZRVTC (joint venture) – Zhengzhou, China (seminars for Chinese teachers of English)
Historical linguistics ( Newcastle)		- University of Newcastle, NSW (tutoring)
Critical Thinking Skills		- University of the South Pacific – Suva, Fiji + distance ed. & satellite teaching

 

b) Language Teaching & Related Activities

.

Curriculum Focus		Venue
IELTS and Preparatory English for Nursing & Business Studies students – needs analysis, curriculum preparation, delivery and assessment; program evaluation for joint venture partners; syllabus development of an English for Nursing program; teaching method seminars for Chinese teachers of English. The program aimed to send Chinese students to Australia.		- Holmes Institute ( Australia, China) in a joint venture with Zhengzhou Railway Vocational & Technical College, Zhengzhou city, Henan, China
English for Special or Academic Purposes - Business Studies / Surveying / Civil Engineering / Biological Sciences. Needs analysis in close cooperation with specialist subject lecturers, curriculum preparation, delivery and joint assessment with specialist subject lecturers. Emphasis on writing skills, with some student seminar presentation.		- Adult Migrant Education Service - Melbourne - University of Technology – Lae, Papua New Guinea
English for non-English speaking mechanics - needs analysis, curriculum preparation, delivery and assessment. I also authored and published a book in this field: English for Mechanics		- Kangan-Batman TAFE – Melbourne

Curriculum Focus		Venue
General Adult Migrant English - teacher & coordinator		- Adult Migrant Education Service – Sydney and Melbourne - Hunter TAFE – Newcastle - Australian Red Cross – Newcastle (voluntary teaching for refugees) - Kangan-Batman TAFE – Melbourne - Western Metropolitan TAFE – Melbourne - Northern Metropolitan TAFE – Melbourne - Box Hill TAFE - Melbourne
Industrial/workplace ESL – needs analysis, curriculum preparation, delivery and assessment		- Adult Migrant Education Service, Melbourne – at a variety of onsite industrial ventures
General & Academic English (also called “Practical English”) for undergraduate and graduate tertiary students including English language majors, non-English majors and teacher trainees. Emphasis on oral and aural skills, plus some note taking. Also some adult community classes in Wuhan.		- Wuhan University of Surveying and Mapping (now incl. in Wuhan U.) - Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China - Youngsan University, Busan city, South Korea - Chungju National University, Chungju city, South Korea
Child TEFL		- Youngsan University – Busan, South Korea
ELICOS teaching		- Adult Migrant Education Service – Sydney and Melbourne

.

Activity		Venue
Language consultancy for a mining company – needs analysis, technical report, pilot program. The brief was to find a way for Indonesian speaking mechanics to comprehend technical service manuals for heavy industrial equipment (bulldozers etc), write basic servicing reports and communicate with English speaking expatriate engineers.		- P.T. Koba Tin (a division of Renison Gold Mines), Pulau Banka, Indonesia – on behalf of Kangan-Batman TAFE
Language curriculum & resources development for Solomon Islands Primary school teachers.		- Southern Cross University - Lismore NSW. This was a foreign aid project, funded from Canberra, and mostly conducted on-site in Lismore where the teachers undertook the program.
Language rescue – Banjalang language. – very basic. See Case Study 7 in my doctoral dissertation.		- Southern Cross University - Lismore NSW (undertaken at the request of the Aboriginal Studies Unit and funded by a Commonwealth grant)
Secondary high school English in a NZ high school – standard curriculum, but the students were 75% Polynesian so the ESL component was significant		- Tangaroa College, East Tamaki, New Zealand
Secondary high school Economics in a NZ high school		- Tangaroa College, East Tamaki, New Zealand

 

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Teacher Training Lecture Materials

TESOL Program (2003-2004) Pusan University of Foreign Studies, South Korea
[lectures & course materials for South Korean graduates, cross credited for Masters programs in American Universities. 2003-2004 was the program foundation year, developed by Thor May & Dr Brian King. It was taught by us for two cycles and doubled enrolments. The university and its business partner subsequently chose to continue to program with staff hired at an approximately 30% lower salary - a situation unfortunately common in the TESOL industry].

- the materials here include Powerpoint slides, and links to extensive resources

Fluency and Accuracy in Language Teaching 2000 words; seminar outline, 2009

Abstract : This is the outline of a seminar on teaching methodology given as a teacher inservice for Chinese English teachers in Zhengzhou, Henan, China, in November 2009. The seminar indicates a fundamental difference in objectives between language learning for certification and learning for live use. Whereas accuracy is an absolute goal within schooling contexts, its value on the street is highly variable. This difference is reflected in teaching perspectives.

Basic Tips for Language Teachers 2300 words; seminar outline, 2008

Abstract : This is an outline from one of a monthly series of seminars by Thor May on teaching skills. The seminars are given as a teacher inservice for Chinese English teachers in Zhengzhou, Henan, China. This seminar was conducted on 10 June 2008

The notes consist of three parts :

1. Some short backround notes on the profession of teaching languages;

2. A few useful links for teaching tips and content;

3. A collection of ten activities which the seminar presenter has invented or borrowed, and found to be popular with students.

 

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Samples of ESL Teaching Materials
         ...brain surgery with a blunt axe

Popup English :

Overall index of materials prepared for ESL, including those developed in South Korea. Also an extensive list of links to ESL/EFL resources.

Barebones English

Materials developed specifically for tertiary students in South Korea. Most of these students have been at the lower end of the tertiary ability scale, with very limited English language skills.

English for Mechanics ..Paragraph Units on Topics in Automotive Mechanics for teaching to NESB students (non-English speaking  background) and others

Over ninety units of this material have been written and trialed with overseas trained mechanics who  are learning English in Australia. It has also been used with unskilled immigrant men who are interested  in mechanics. In 1996 it was licensed for use by a mining company in Indonesia. The content requires some further development, especially with regard to diagrams and extra learning activities.

English for Mechanics is for sale commercially by download or as a printed book, so only sample extracts are provided on this web site.

Sixty-eight units of material are displayed here. All the units have been trialed  over a number of courses with adult immigrants to Australia. Each unit is accompanied  by about ten questions. The content is intended to be delivered and questioned orally  (after dicussion and priming for vocabulary), then distributed in written form later.  It can be put to many uses, and should be adapted flexibly, expanding or contracting units for particular situations. Although the themes are Australian, their application is often universal and interesting cultural contrasts can be made. Short Texts From Oz can thus be used with foreign language students as well as immigrants.

These little dialogues are best practised between pairs of students in a class after modelling by the  teacher. They are deliberately a bit whimsical (that helps recall) and should be delivered with  expression. Most of the scripts were written for industrial students in the city of Melbourne, Australia.

 

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