THOR MAY + THE PLAIN & FANCY LANGUAGE CO. |
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internet address: Department of English, Bansong Campus of Youngsan University telephone: +82(51) 545 9484 (home) position: Lecturer in English Language
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Table of Contents
1. The Plain & Fancy Language Company
.... a word hospital for your valued documents professional editing in English at a fair price
2. Self ...in which our hero advertises himself : résumé, images of qualification documents, references, photograph, publications etc.
3. Technical Stuff .... papers in a) linguistics, and b) other technical writing (reports etc.)
4. Language Teaching Methodology & Critique ...a selection of papers
5. Samples of ESL Teaching Materials ... brain surgery with a blunt axe
6. Poems...time out
7. Stories ... tales from long ago and far away
8. Philosophy...a rough brew of ideas
9. Political Debate ... a bit of polemic
10. Inventions & Ideas ... the odd idea to kick around
11. Thor's China Diary (August 1998 - July 2000)
12. Thor's Korea Diary (September 2000 ~ )
13. Thor's Unwise Ideas - a forum for The Passionate Skeptic with regular additions
14. Photography - The world caught with a sideways glance
15. Your Comments
16. Links to Other Sites
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1. The Plain & Fancy Language Company
.... a word hospital for your valued documents; professional editing in English at a fair price
2.Self ...in which our hero advertises himself
A Resume for Optimists
Publication List
Photograph of TM + more Photos of TM
Australian Passport - Thorold May (page 1)
Documentation for Thor May
1. Master of Arts in Formal & Applied Linguistics
- Diploma Document
2. Master of Arts in Formal & Applied Linguistics
- Thesis Approval Document
3. Master of Arts in Formal & Applied Linguistics
- Thesis - "Purposive Constructions in English"
4. Master of Arts in Formal & Applied Linguistics
- Degree Approval Document
5. Master of Arts in Formal & Applied Linguistics
- Transcript Document 1
6. Master of Arts in Formal & Applied Linguistics
- Transcript Document 2
7. Master of Arts in Formal & Applied Linguistics
- Transcript Document 3
8. B.A. 1st Class Honours (Equivalent) - Letter of Approval
9. Bachelor of Arts - Diploma Document
10. Bachelor of Arts - Transcript Document
11. Postgraduate Diploma of Teaching - Transcript Document
12. Cambridge/RSA Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language
13. 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
14. 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
15. 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
16. 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
17. Statement of Service / Reference from Kangan Batman Institute of TAFE, 1998
18. Statement of Service / Reference from Batman Institute of TAFE, 1997
19. Letter of Appreciation from the Director of John Batman Institute of TAFE
20. Reference from Professor N.R. Cattell, University of Newcastle, NSW
21. Note of Appreciation from Assoc. Professor Nicholas Evans, University of
Melbourne, on my withdrawal from a Ph.D. candidacy in 1996
22. Letter of Appreciation/Reference from the Co-ordinator, Language Studies,
Northern Metropolitan TAFE, Victoria, 1995
23. Reference from the Victorian Supervisor, Adult Migrant Education, 1978
A. Linguistics
- Postsupposition & Pastiche Talk [cognitive linguistics]
Purposive Constructions in English [formal linguistics]
- 1. This paper related to my second PhD candidacy, since withdrawn from.
2. The material is presently published in two places in addition to this site:
a) "University of Melbourne Working Papers in Linguistics" [hard copy];
b) "Dynamical Psychology" at http://goertzel.org/dynapsyc/ [an e-journal
edited by Dr Ben Goertzel in New York, concerned with the theory and applications of cognition.
Verbs of Result in the Complements of Raising Constructions [formal linguistics]
- Note 1: This paper was first published in Australian Journal of Linguistics, 1990:Vol. 10,1.
Note 2: The content was accepted as a thesis, submitted to the Faculty of Greenwich University,
Hawaii, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in Formal and
Applied Linguistics. Approved: Date: 6 June, 1994. Examiner: Peter Peterson, PhD, Head of Department,
Dept. of Linguistics, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Language in Suva: language use and literacy in an urban Pacific community [sociolinguistics]
- Note 1: This paper was first published in the Australian Journal of Linguistics 7 (1987), 25-42.
Note 2: The material was researched while the writer was doing doctoral research in Linguistics
at the University of Newcastle, N.S.W. The analysis is quite technical, and presupposes that readers
have some familiarity with generative grammars, in particular Noam Chomsky's Government & Binding model,
and Joan Bresnan's Lexical Functional Grammar.
- Note 1: This paper was first delivered in its present form to a conference of the Australian Linguistics
Society at Macquarie University in Sydney, NSW, 1990.
Note 2: The material for the study was gathered in a pilot survey in Suva, Fiji, while the writer was a
lecturer in Linguistics at the University of the South Pacific.
B. Technical Writing (reports etc.)
4. Language Teaching Methodology & CritiqueConsultant's Interim Report: J.B.I. Technical English Program at P.T. Koba Tin, Pulau Bangka, Indonesia, 15 April 1996; pp.1-20
Consultant's Project Report: J.B.I. Technical English Program at P.T. Koba Tin, Pulau Bangka, Indonesia, 22 April 1996; pp.1-26
- Note 1 : These reports were the formal outcome of an offshore consultancy conducted by Thor May on behalf of John Batman Institute of TAFE, Melbourne Australia. JBI had extensive training contracts in heavy engineering mechanics throughout Indonesia. The purpose of this consultancy at the mining site of P.T. Koba Tin was to facilitate the training of Indonesian mechanics in technical English skills.
... a selection of papers
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- Evaluating Linguistic Difficulty [guidance for teachers]
This Is Your Problem, Friend, Not Mine: Towards A Cure For Formal
- Note 1: This paper was first published in TESOL News Vol. 8 NO 3 1987 (Australian Commonwealth Schools
Commission). The analysis it contains is still very relevant to ESL teachers.
Note 2: At the time of writing Thor May, was preparing a doctoral dissertation in theoretical
linguistics, and teaching in the Department of Language and Communication Studies at the Papua
New Guinea University of Technology.
Language Errors In Papua New Guinea (& Elsewhere) (advice for teachers]
Plain Speaking: The 1989 Fiji National Oratory Contest
- The material in this article is as relevant as it was a decade ago. Some things don't change.
It was first published in Guidelines - A Periodical For Classroom Language Teachers, Vol.8, No.1,
June 1986, SEAMEO Regional Language Centre, Singapore. This is an extended version of a paper given
at the TESLA Conference in Goroka, PNG, in July 1985.
[advice for teachers & speech judges]
Technical & Further Education in Australia: Is there a star to
- In 1989, as a Lecturer in Linguistics at the University of the South Pacific, I was asked to be one of
the judges in the Fiji National Oratory Contest. This contest was to be a precursor for the winners to
participation in international contests. Further, traditions of oratory in Pacific Islands cultures are
radically different to those found, for example, in Anglo-Saxon styles of presentation. It was therefore
an excellent opportunity to compare varying styles of oratory, and the possible consequences for Pacific
Islands speakers in international forums.
steer by?
The De-Skilling of 100,000 Skilled Tradesmen
- This document has been tabled (December 1996) in the Senate of the Australian Parliament as a
submission to the Enquiry into the Status of Teachers. It has also been published in:
Campus Review (a nationally distributed Australian newspaper); April 16, 1997
The News (weekly publication of the Australian Education Union); May 29, 1997
This document was sent to:
National Literacy
- The Hon. John Howard, Prime Minister reply from A. Greer, 1st Asst. Secretary,
VET Division, DEETYA 3/10/97
The Hon. Kim Beazley, Leader of the Opposition
reply from Kim Beazley 29/8/97 ; reply from Martin Ferguson 29/9/97
The Hon. Jeffrey Kennett, Premier of Victoria
reply from Phil Honeywood 18/9/97 (Minister for Tertiary Education & Training)
The Hon. John Brumby, Leader of the Victorian State Opposition reply from John Brumby 18/8/97
The Hon. Cheryl Kernot, Leader of the Australian Democrats Party
Apprentice Literacy: Designs for a Bonfire of the Vanities
- Note: This letter was sent to The Australian (newspaper) on 17 September 1997 in order to assist
informed community debate. Nobody has a monopoly of wisdom on issues as complex as this one..
[ref. CBT (competency based training), self-paced learning]
The National Reporting System: A Critique
- This piece was commissioned by Fine Print, journal of VALBEC (Victorian Association of Literacy and
Basic Education Council) for publication in December 1997. Although the paper is structured around
questions of literacy, it also raises issues about the New Apprenticeship Scheme, CBT (competency based
training), self-paced learning and course evaluation.
[ref. CBT]
Observations on the Adult Migrant Education Service's
- A shorter version of this paper was first published in
Fine Print Vol.18, No.1 1996 (Journal of the Victorian Adult Literacy & Basic Education Council).
The analysis it contains is still very relevant to ESL teachers in Victoria.
Certificate in Spoken & Written English [ref. CBT]
Assessment in the AMES Certificate in Spoken
- This paper, and another entitled Assessment in the AMES CSWE, were circulated as memoranda in the
Adult Migrant Education Service teaching centres, Victoria, in early 1993.
& Written English [ref. CBT]
Fraudulent Certificates of Language Competency [ref. CBT]
- This paper, and another entitled Observations on the AMES Certificate in Spoken and Written English,
were circulated as memoranda in the Adult Migrant Education Service teaching centres, Victoria, in
early 1993.
Colour Sheet Publishing
- This was a letter forwarded to the Federal Ministers of Immigration and Employment, Education & Training
on 31 July 1997. Their minders showed no real sign of wanting to know about the issues raised. The
communication followed internal critiques of CBT which I had made to the Adult Migrant Education Service,
Victoria.
[proposal for publishing standards in tertiary institutions]
Productivity in an Educational Institution
- Note 1: This paper makes a number of concrete suggestions about publication standards within TAFEs.
However, it goes beyond simple technical recommendations to identify an existing situation of plagiarism
and low publication standards which undermines the very educational mission of tertiary institutions.
Note 2: The document has been circulated privately to educational managers and others, twice, within a
two year interval. The silence has been deafening: there simply seems to be no genuine interest in reform.
Exit of a Hack Teacher
- The Director of John Batman TAFE* in 1995 had hectored staff at length on the need for improved
productivity. He was dealing with "productivity" in the economic rationalist mode. It seemed useful to
give a reasoned response.
- Note 1: This letter, written to the director of Kangan Batman TAFE in early 1998, records my exit from
the institution. There are thousands of such departures every day from Australian workplaces. The
details of this one are not of any special significance. However, taken out of its personal context,
the letter is a kind of historical window, for this moment in time, into the reality of teaching in a TAFE.
Note 2: Reply from John Parish, Director of Kangan Batman TAFE
Note 3: Reply from the Hon. Phil. Honeywood, Minister for Tertiary Education and Training, Victoria
5.Samples of ESL Teaching Materials
...brain surgery with a blunt axe
6. Poems...time out
- Popup English :
- Overall index of materials prepared for ESL, including those developed in South Korea
- Barebone English (Sungsim Colleg / Youngsan University internet address)
- Materials developed specifically for students at Sungsim College (now Youngsan University), South Korea
- English for Mechanics ..Paragraph Units on Topics in Automotive Mechanics for teaching to NESB students (non-English speaking background) and others
Short Texts from Oz .. ..Paragraph Units on topics drawn from Australian culture and lifestyle for teaching to NESB students (non-English speaking background) and
- 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
further development, especially with regard to diagrams and extra learning activities. Because it is
ultimately intended to market English for Mechanics for commercial use, only sample extracts are provided
on this web site.
others
- 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.
- Bus to Heaven A quirky story of unexpected events in an ordinary life... for teaching to NESB students
- Practice Dialogues for English Conversation
- 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.
- Stumpy and the Decision Tree : a daggy epic of the unexpected (growing day by day)
- The Wrong Address: fragments from an Australasian life (autobiography to 1985; an anthology of 19 prose-poems)
- Time Passing : an anthology of Thor's poems, 1970 to 2002
7.Stories ... tales from long ago and far away
Thor's China Diary [an ever growing collection of stories from life in central China from
1998-2000]
Thor's Korea Diary [transplanted to South Korea, more observations from September 2000]
Stumpy and the Decision Tree : a daggy epic of the unexpected (growing day by day)
- Folk Tales [Nasreddin & other stories]
The Five Minute Future [Science Fiction (?)]
The Price of Freedom [actual story of an escape from Vietnam]
Loss [ a short story of invented truth, if that's what our memories are made of ...]
The Sale of Tabu Soro[a post-colonial parable]
8.Philosophy ... a rough brew of ideas
9.Political Debate ... a bit of polemic
- The Atheist's Catechism ...
a wry, curious, sometimes furious collection, where TM arm-wrestles
with the persistence of religious belief.- Thor's Unwise Ideas .. a forum for the Passionate Skeptic
- Curiosity Questionnaire
A Personal Declaration of Membership in the Human Community
(would you like to sign?)
Signatories to the Personal Declaration of Membership in the
Human Community (... the pioneers)
Social Innovation (and resistance to...) the odd idea to kick around
Notes to Myself from The Bottom of the World
[fragmentary thoughts on who does what to whom and why.. ]
Part I : Qualities and Values [dropping an anchor against the tide]
Part 2: The Human Circus [looking askance at political culture]
Super-Culture & the Ghost in the Machine
(a whimsical essay on keeping the batteries of civilization charged)
EDINN: Respinning Intellectuals into the Social Fabric
(coffee shop babble ... or sparks for a new social order?)
Psychological Time & May's Constant (an eccentric graph of time passing)
10.Inventions & Ideas ... the odd idea to kick around
- Technical & Further Education in Australia: Is there a star to steer by?
The De-Skilling of 100,000 Skilled Tradesmen This document was sent to:
- This document has been tabled (December 1996) in the Senate of the Australian Parliament
as a submission to the Enquiry into the Status of Teachers. It has also been published in:
Campus Review (a nationally distributed Australian newspaper); April 16, 1997
The News (weekly publication of the Australian Education Union); May 29, 1997
National Literacy
- The Hon. John Howard, Prime Minister
reply from A. Greer, 1st Asst. Secretary, VET Division, DEETYA 3/10/97
The Hon. Kim Beazley, Leader of the Opposition
reply from Kim Beazley 29/8/97 ; reply from Martin Ferguson 29/9/97
The Hon. Jeffrey Kennett, Premier of Victoria
reply from Phil Honeywood 18/9/97 (Minister for Tertiary Education & Training)
The Hon. John Brumby, Leader of the Victorian State Opposition
reply from John Brumby 18/8/97
The Hon. Cheryl Kernot, Leader of the Australian Democrats Party
Performance-Linked Micro-Tariffs
- Note: This letter was sent to The Australian (newspaper) on 17 September 1997
in order to assist informed community debate. Nobody has a monopoly of wisdom on
issues as complex as this one..
The South Pacific & Someone's Restaurant at the End of the Universe
- Note: This letter was addressed to Prime Minister Keating, 8 July 1995.
The reply from a minder was what you might expect: vapid. Nevertheless the points
made here remain germane to any Australian government
- Note: This piece was written while I was a lecturer in Linguistics at the University of the
South Pacific, Suva, Fiji (1987-1990). Not so much has changed -- certainly not for the better.
The observations still have some currency.
- Technical Innovation
Social Innovation (see also Philosophy)
Inventions we have to have
** Do you have some bright ideas? If I like them, I'll add them to the list**
11. Thor's China Diary (August 1998 - July 2000)
12. Thor's Korea Diary (September 2000 ~ )
13. Thor's Unwise Ideas - a forum for The Passionate Skeptic with regular additions
14.Photography ... the world caught with a sideways glance
15. Your Comments
16. Links to Other Sites
contact: thormay@yahoo.com
copyright (c) Thor May 1999-2002, all rights reserved
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![Letter of Recommendation [in Chinese] from Mr Heng Bin](tmref_hengbin2.gif){kind=link}
