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Summary
I am a native English speaker, hold a B.A. in Philosophy (University of Cape Town), a B.A. Honours in French (University of South Africa), an M.A. in English (University of Potchefstroom), a Ph.D. in English language and linguistics (University of Cape Town), and a postgraduate teacher's diploma (University of South Africa). I have published articles on language, education, and literature, and presented conference papers in South Africa and internationally.
I have taught English and French for 16 years in schools in South Africa and Zimbabwe. I moved into tertiary education, where I have been lecturing for 15 years. I have taught undergraduates and postgraduates at three tertiary institutions in South Africa: University of Port Elizabeth (education in multilingual settings, education development, social responsibility), University of Fort Hare (English for special purposes and applied linguistics) and Border Technikon (English for students in engineering, tourism and hospitality). I moved to the UK where I taught English to foreigners (EFL) in Cambridge and at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston. I spent one year as assistant professor of English at the University of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. I am now teaching ESP, and working in the Language Testing Centre at the Sultan Qaboos University, Oman, where I compile tests and do research in language testing.
Personal Information
| Address: |
Language Centre, Box 43, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman
|
| Phone: |
(00968)24541146 (Muscat, Oman) |
| Email: |
raphgam@yahoo.co.uk |
| Thesis: |
www.grammargraph.com |
|
| Native English speaker. |
Experience -
29 years
| Teaching |
» Have previously held a
position of responsibility for teaching staff.
» Have previously held a position of responsibility for
course programmes.
» Has previously held a position of responsibility for
resources. |
|
Lectured in ESL, EAP and linguistics. Trained English Teachers
and designed courses (graduate and post-graduate) in English
language and Applied Linguistics.
|
| Qualifications |
|
Secondary and higher education:
University of Cape Town (1998)
Ph.D. in English Language and Applied Linguistics
University of South Africa (1984)
BA Honours in French
University of Potchefstroom (1985)
MA in English and Applied Linguistics
University of Cape Town (1963)
BA in French and Philosophy
|
| Titles of Theses |
|
MA - "Native Language Transfer in Tswana Speakers’
English."
Ph.D. - "English Proficiency Testing and the Prediction of
Academic Achievement."
The thesis has been published on the web: www.grammargraph.com
|
| Teaching Certification: |
|
Post Graduate Diploma in Higher Education, University of South Africa (1979)
|
| Memberships of professional institutes or
societies: |
|
Linguistic Society of South Africa
|
Employment history:
| Sultan Qaboos University Muscat, Oman |
» (August
2004 – Ongoing)
» Testing Unit, English Language Centre. |
| Abu Dhabi University, Al Ain |
» (August 2003 – June 17 2004)
» Assistant Professor of English |
| ApectWorld Summer
School, Cambridge |
|
» (July - August 2002)
» Employer activity: Summer School
English teacher
» Position/s held: Lecturer
» Reason for leaving: Fixed term
|
| University of Central
Lancashire |
|
» (August 22 - September 13 2000)
» Employer activity: English for
incoming Asian students
» Position/s held: Lecturer
» Reason for leaving: Fixed term
|
| Border Technikon, College Street East
London, South Africa |
|
» July 2001 – June 2002; October 2002 - December
2002
» Employer activity: English for
hospitality, tourism and engineering
» Position/s held: Lecturer
» Reason for leaving: Resigned
|
| University of Port Elizabeth, South
Africa |
|
» July 2001 to January 2002
» Employer activity: Lecturer
» Position/s held: Lecturer in multilingual education
(BA.Ed. Honors)
» Reason for leaving: Fixed term contract
|
| University of Fort Hare, PB X1314, Alice,
5700, South Africa |
|
» January 1989 to December 2000
» Employer activity: English language and
Linguistics
» Position/s held: Senior Lecturer
» Reason for leaving: Changed from permanent to contract
work.
|
| In Service Training, Qwaqwa, Orange Free
State, South Africa |
|
» January 1988 to December 1988
» Employer activity: English
» Position/s held: Head of Department of English
» Reason for leaving: Moved to the University of Fort
Hare
|
| Tshiya College of Education, South
Africa |
|
» April 1987 to December 1987
» Employer activity: Lecturer
» Position/s held: Lecturer to Teachers of English
» Reason for leaving: Promotion to Head of Department of
English in In-Service Training
|
| Mmabatho High School, Mmabatho, South
Africa |
|
» January 1980 to April 1987
» Employer activity: French and
English
» Position/s held: Teacher
» Reason for leaving: Resignation
|
| Westerford High School, Main Road
Newlands, South Africa |
|
» January 1977 to December 1979
» Employer activity: French and
Science
» Position/s held: Teacher
» Reason for leaving: Resignation
|
| St George's College, Harare,
Zimbabwe |
|
» April 1971 to December 1976
» Employer activity: Teacher of foreign
languages
» Position/s held: Head of Section
» Reason for leaving: Resignation
|
Special Achievements
| » Award for outstanding
researcher for 1997-1999 at University of Fort Hare, South
Africa |
References
| 1. Dr Timothy Duszynski, Abu
Dhabi University, Dean of Arts |
» ghlearning@aol.com
» 0971(0) 506 195 400 |
| 2. Christine Coombe,
Dubai Men's College HCT |
|
» christine.coombe@hct.ac.ae
» 0971(0) 506 194 796
|
| 3. Douglas Bell,
Head of English Language Centre & Principal Lecturer in
English as a Foreign Language |
|
» University of Plymouth
Plymouth Business School
2F Cookworthy Building
Plymouth
PL4 8AA
» Tel: +44 (0) 1752 233 586
» Fax: +44 (0) 1752 233 569
» douglas.bell@plymouth.ac.uk
|
| 4. - Mohammad Athar Khan, Acting Director Testing Unit |
|
» Sultan Qaboos University
Language Centre
Box 43
Muscat 123
Oman
» athar@squ.edu.om
|
| |
| |
List of published
articles
| 1987 |
| Problems in the
learning of a second language. Language Matters (Previously English
Usage in South Africa, 18(2). |
| 1988
(a) |
|
1988a. Native language transfer and false analogy in Tswana
Speakers' English. English Usage in South Africa, 19(1).
|
| 1988 (b) |
| 1988b. The
problematic progressive. English Usage in South Africa, 19(2). |
| 1995
(a) |
|
Affirmative action and academic merit. Forum, 1(1).
Journal of the World Council of Curriculum Instruction, Region 2,
Africa South of the Sahara, Lagos.
|
| 1995 (b) |
| 1995b. Solutions to
academic failure: The cognitive and cultural realities of English
as a medium of instruction among black learners. Per Linguam,
11(2):15-33. |
| 1996 |
|
Is the (unreal) tail wagging the (real) dog? Understanding the
construct of language proficiency. Per Linguam, 12(1): 48-58.
|
| 1997 (a) |
| Paradigm lost,
paradigm regained: Statistics in language testing. Journal of
Language Teaching 31 (2), 131 139. |
| 1997
(b) |
|
Language as a deep semiotic system and fluid intelligence in
language proficiency. South African Journal of Linguistics, 15(1):
11-17.
|
| 1997 (c) |
| Can the
deconstructive tour (surprisingly) translate us anywhere? Journal
of Literary Studies, 13 (3/4), 397 415 (1997c). |
| 1997
(d) |
|
"Old paradigm" language proficiency tests as predictors of
long-term academic achievement, Per Linguam, 13(2), 1-23.
|
| 1998 (a) |
| Cloze tests as
predictors of global language proficiency: A statistical analysis.'
South African Journal of Linguistics, 16 (1), 7 15. |
| 1988
(b) |
|
Language, content and skills in the testing of English for
academic purposes.' South African Journal of Higher Education, 12
(1), 109 116.
|
| 1998 (c) |
| Language
proficiency tests and the discrete-point controversy. Journal of
Language Teaching, 32(2): 94-104. |
| 1999 |
|
Indiscriminate advancement and the matric pass rate. South
African Journal of Education, 19(3).
|
| 1999 |
| Activity theory,
mediation and intelligence in learning, South African Journal of
Higher Education, 13(1). |
| 1999 |
|
Rater reliability in language assessment: the bug of all bears.
System, 28, 1-23.
|
| 2000 |
| ESL and Linguistic
Apartheid. English Language Teaching Journal (ELTJ), 54(3),
297-298. |
|
Publications at Fort Hare
|
» Easy
reading is difficult writing.
» Are our tests valid and reliable?
» Girls and mathematics. |
Published
Proceedings
| 1993 |
|
MulticulturEalism and EMI (English as the medium of instruction:
One man’s meat is another man’s poisson.
Proceedings (Part 2) of the South African Applied Linguistics
Association conference 'Our multilingual society: Supporting the
reality. Port Elizabeth: University of Port Elizabeth.
|
| 1995
(a) |
|
Deep Language, Intelligence and Language Proficiency in
(Academic) Learning. Proceedings of the Linguistic Society of South
Africa conference. (University of Port Elizabeth, 1995b).
|
| 1995 (b) |
| Critical language
study as a solution to academic failure: The cognitive realities.'
Proceedings of the South African Academic Development (SAAAD)
conference, Free State Technikon, Bloemfontein, 29 November 2
December. |
| 1996 |
|
Abilities, access and that bell curve. Grewar, A. (ed.).
Proceedings of the South African Association of Academic
Development "Towards meaningful access to tertiary education".
(Alice, Academic Development Center, Fort Hare.
|
Conferences
| SOUTH AFRICA |
| 1990 (a) |
|
Translating Derrida. Paper presented at the South African
Philosophy Conference, University of Cape Town, January 21-24.
|
| 1990
(b) |
|
Language proficiency and achievement at Mmabatho High School: A
longitudinal study. Paper presented at the "Language in education:
Towards 2000" conference, Mmabatho High School, Bophuthatswana,
April 1990.
|
| 1990 (c) |
| Language
proficiency as a predictor of language and general achievement from
primary to tertiary level: a longitudinal study. Paper presented at
the South African Applied Linguistics (SAALA) conference,
Grahamstown, June 1990. |
| 1991
(a) |
|
English as a first language for non-mother tongue speakers of
English: Implications of the restructuring of education in South
Africa. Paper presented at the South African Applied Linguistics
(SAALA) conference, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg,
July 1991.
|
| 1991
(b) |
|
The relation between culture fair tests and second language
proficiency and achievement. Paper presented at the South African
Language Teacher's (SALT) conference, University of Pretoria, July
1991.
|
| 1991 (c) |
| Ke a ja in
linguistics and linguistics in Ke a ja. Paper presented at the
African Languages Association conference of South Africa (ALASA),
Fort Hare. |
| 1993
(a) |
|
Transforming an English Department: English Language Studies
course at Fort Hare. Paper presented at the Association of
University English Teachers of South Africa (AUETSA) Conference, 12
July to 16 July, University of Port Elizabeth.
|
| 1993
(b) |
|
Multiculturalism and EMI. Paper presented at the Association of
University English Teachers of South Africa (AUETSA) Conference, 12
July to 16 July, University of Port Elizabeth.
|
| 1993
(c) |
|
Multiculturalism in English as the medium of instruction.
Proceedings of the South African Applied Linguistics Conference,
June, University of Port Elizabeth.
|
| 1994 |
| Culture, conceptual
frameworks and academic ability: A biocultural perspective. The
principles of multicultural education. International Conference on
The Principles of Multicultural Education, Vaal Triangle Technikon,
Vanderbijlpark, 5-7 April, 1994. |
| 1995
(a) |
|
Doing what comes socially (and naturally?): Discourse as social
practice in education. "Social reconstruction in a fragmented
society" Conference of the South African Sociology Society, Rhodes
University, 3-5 July.
|
| 1995
(b) |
|
Deep language, language proficiency and learning. South African
Linguistics Association Conference, University of Port Elizabeth,
5-7 July.
|
| 1996 |
|
Educational Performance, Intelligence and that Bell Curve. South
African Academic Development Conference, Fort Hare,
November-December.
|
| 1998 (a) |
| Psychometrics and
reductionism in Testing. Paper presented at the LINKS/SAAAD/SAARDHE
conference, “Capacity-building for quality teaching and
learning in further and higher education, University of the Free
State, Bloemfontein, 22-24, September. |
| 1998
(b) |
|
Interrater reliability in language assessment. Paper presented
at the National Association of Educators of teachers of English
conference, “Training teachers for the South African
Context”, Potchefstroom College of Education, 17-18
September.
|
|
| ABROAD |
| 1993(a) |
|
Affirmative action versus academic merit. Paper presented at the
World Conference of Curriculum Instruction, Lagos, 10 - 16
October.
|
| 1993
(b) |
|
Multiculturalism in Education: An African view. Paper presented
at the XIX World Congress of Philosophy, Moscow, 20 – 29
August.
|
| 1994 |
| Language, culture
and intelligence in education. Second International Conference on
Language and Culture, Kiev, Ukraine, 28 June-3 July. |
| 1997
(a) |
|
Language, content and skills. European Society for the Study of
English conference, Debrecen, Hungary, 5 Sept - 9 Sept.
|
| 1997 (b) |
| Deep language,
intelligence and language proficiency in learning. Language and
Cognition conference, Odense, Denmark, 21 Aug - 28 Aug. |
| 1997
(c) |
|
The biology of language and discourse. Sixth International
Sociolinguistics conference, Shumen, Bulgaria.
|
| 1997 (c) |
| African spaces in
culture and communication. Africa in a changing world conference,
Institute of Africa, Moscow, 1 Oct - 3 Oct. |
| 1998 |
|
The L2 speaker is dead! Long live the L2 speaker! Linguistics
Summer School, University of Odense, Denmark, July.
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| 2003 |
|
Reliability in language testing. Keynote Address, 5th ELT Conference, Al Ain, UAE, 25 March. |
| 2004 |
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What do test scores mean? 8th conference on Current Trends in English Language Testing (CTELT), American University of Sharjah, UAE, 8-9 December. |
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