MELVIN J. HOFFMAN
PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH, EMERITUS, BUFFALO STATE COLLEGE
OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
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CURRICULUM VITAE
September 2, 2008.
TITLE: Professor of English, Emeritus, Buffalo State College.
DATES OF ACTIVE SERVICE: September 1, 1968-September 1, 2008.
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DEGREES:
M.A. May 1983: Religious Studies. Canisius College, Buffalo, NY.
PH.D. May 1970: Linguistics. State University of NY at Buffalo.
M.S. June 1965: Linguistics. IL Inst. of Technology, Chicago, IL.
B.S. June 1963: English. IL Inst. of Technology, Chicago, IL.
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COURSES TAUGHT:
American Literature before 1900. Applied Social Dialectology.
The Bible as Literature. Biblical and Classical Literature.
College Composition I. College Composition II.
Comparative Literature. Developmental English.
English Grammars. English as a Second Language.
Foundations of Language. Introduction to Literary Analysis
Methods of Teaching Language. and Interpretation.
Writing for the Professions. Wisdom Literature of the the Bible.
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CONSULTANT EXPERIENCE:
Fall 1982: Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute: Cognitive Sciences
Department; Troy, NY; Paralinguistic Transcription for
Public Health Project: Baby and Non-Baby Talk to
Institutionalized Aged.
Apr. 1979: Communication and Office Skills Training Institute; NY
Regional Training Center; US Civil Service HUD, DOD &
GSA Personnel In-Service.
Jl.-Je. 1965-9: Chicago Board.of Education; Psycholinguistcs Oral
Language and Reading Project.
Dc.-Je. 1964-5: Chicago Board of Education; Tesla School Demonstration
Center.
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MONOGRAPH:
2004. _Four English Vocabularies to Spell: Facing Spelling as
Student and Teacher._ Lanham, New York: University Press
of America,Inc. ADVERTISEMENT
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ARTICLES PUBLISHED OR FORTHCOMING:
2008. "Echoes of Acrimony: Decades of Grammar Disputes." _Academic
Exchange Quarterly._ 12.1 (Spring): 126-130.
2007. "Sentence Diagramming: No Unanimity among Users." _Academic
Exchange Quarterly._ 11.1 (Spring): 108-113.
2006. "More Grammar Gaps." _Academic Exchange Quarterly_ 10.1
(Spring): 220-226.
2005. "Grammar: Defying Definition beyond Two Millenia." _Academic
Exchange Quarterly_ 9:2 (Summer): 280-284.
2003. "Grammar for Teachers: Attitudes and Aptitudes." _Academic
Exchange Quarterly_ 7:4 (Winter): 199-203.
2002. " 'Classical' versus 'Vulgate/Popular' English." _Academic
Exchange Quarterly_ 6:1 (Spring): 218-224.
ARTICLES PAGE
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1998. "Ebonics: The Third Incarnation of a Thirty-Three Year Old
Controversy about Black English in the United States."
_Links and Letters_ Ed. D. Prendergast. Journal of the
Department de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística of the
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. 5: 75-87.
1991. "Punctuation: Prose & Consequences." _Proceedings of 1990 Con-
ference. SUNY Council on Writing_ Eds. R. Crisp & Z. Snow.(2)
1990. "Reshuffling of 'Relic' English Paradigms through Phono-
Symbolism." _The 16th. LACUS Forum 1989_ Linguistic
Association of Canada and the US. (LACUS) Ed. M. Jordan.
Columbia, SC: Hornbeam Press. (10)
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1987. "An Aspectual Examination of Some Relic English Paradigms."
_Proceedings of the 16th. Spring Conference_ Niagara
Linguistic Society (NLS) Ed. J. Hesch. (8)
1985. "An Aspectual Examination of English Strong Verbs." _Proceed-
ings of the 15th. Spring Conference_ NLS. Ed. J. Hesch. (5)
1984. "Testing Writing: Trials, Errors and Tribulations." _English
Record_ 35 (Fall): 25-7.
1982. "Sound Change versus Social Shibboleths." _The 8th. LACUS
Forum 1981_ Eds. W. Gutwinski and G. Jolly. (13).
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1979. "Examination of Parallels among Aspectual Phonological Strata."
_The 5th. LACUS Forum 1978_ Eds. W. Wölck & P. Garvin. (12)
1978. "A Different Perspective toward Economy and Symmetry in
English Consonants'." _The 4th. LACUS Forum 1977_ Ed. Michel
Paradis. (9)
1976. "Problems from Implicit Premises in Classical Phonemics:
Examination, Identification and Current Implications."
_The 2nd. LACUS Forum 1975_ Ed. P. Reich. (12)
1974. "It's Getting Harder to Tell the Scorers without a Placard."
_Issues in the Teaching of Standard English_ Spec. Issue.
_Florida FL Reporter._ Ed. A. Aarons. 12 (Spring/Fall): 1-6
& 191.
1974. "The Teaching of Pronunciation in the Second Dialect
Classroom." _English Record_ 25 (Summer): 13-8.
1972. "2nd. Dialect Pedagogy: Hydra & Hybrid." _Studies in Lin-
guistics in Honor of Raven McDavid Jr_ Ed. L. Davis. Uni-
versity of Alabama Press. (8)
1971. "Bi-Dialectalism Is Not the Linguistics of White Supre-
macy: Sense vs. Sensibilities." _Studies in English to
Speakers of other Languages and Standard English to Speak-
ers of a Nonstandard Dialect_ Special Anthology Issue and
Monograph No. 14. _English Record_ Ed. R. Jacobson. 21
(April): 95-102. [Reprinted in Patrick Bruch and Richard
Marback, Eds. (_The Hope and the Legacy: The Past, Present
and Future of "Students' Right" to their Own Language._
Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press Inc., 2005): 25-36]
ADVERTISEMENT (Vide: # 4 in Table of Contents)
1970. "Harmful Effects of Traditional Language-Arts Teaching
Methods When Used with Disadvantaged Afro-American
Children." _Elementary English_ 47 (May): 678-83.
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MISCELLANEOUS PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS:
1979. Part of "Stones, Suppostions & Science." with Authors. Section
of _Exploring the Unknown_ C. Cazeau & S. Scott, Jr. NY: Plenum
Press. {Remarks on Epigraphy} (3)
1971. _Dialect Evaluation of English Competence_ A Diagnostic Place-
ment Test [5th. author] with R. Fox, P. Hennig, H. Schlessinger
and M. Wilson. Buffalo, NY: Black Academy Press.
1968. _Psycholinguistics Oral Language Program: A Bi-Dialectal Ap-
proach_ [3rd. author] with O. Davis, M. Gladney, L. Leaverton Z.
Patterson. Chicago Board. of Ed. {Manual with Exercises} (181)
1966. Part of "Covert Communication & the Sender." with Author.
Section of _Interpersonal Accomodation_ Mark Abrahamson. NY: Van
Nostrand. {Remarks on Paracommunication.} (6)
1966. "English & the Culturally Deprived: A Bibliography." _Commu-
nication Barriers to the Culturally Deprived_ Report to Office
of Ed. Eds. R. McDavid, Jr. & W. Austin. IL Institute of Tech-
nology.(15) {Note: Editors Expected "Culturally Deprived" to be
Interpreted as "Deprived by the Majority Culture" not "without
Culture" as some have Interpreted it.}
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MISC. DEPARTMENTAL-, PROFESSIONAL-, AND PUBLIC-SERVICE PUBLICATIONS:
2000. _Grammatical Literacy_ NY: iUniverse Press. [2nd. author] with S.
Leist {Grammar Textbook Pub. by Subvention, Designed for Course,
ENG 311, Methods of Teaching Language.} ADVERTISEMENT
1991. "Black English: What Is it or Is it?" _BFLO Journal_ Spring:
27-28. {Feature.}
1990. "Does the NLS Exist to Satisfy a Need or to Create a Need?" _NLS
News_ Spring: 4-5 {Feature.}
1989. "Who? Me? Or, Accord on Concord Discord." _NLS News_ Spring: 5-7
{Feature.}
1987-8. "Finding & Fixing Sentence Fragments." Handbook Section.
{In-house English Department Publication. Buffalo State
University College (BSUC).} (12)
1975. "The Decline of a Civilization: The Effects of Widely-Held
Philosophical & Religious Beliefs Relating to College
Composition." _Instructional Outlooks_ 1
(Summer): 3-11 {Satire.}
1972. "Surviving the System." _Strait_ Non-College-Sanctioned Student-
Run Periodical. BSUC. January 27, 1972: 12 & 26-28 {Feature.}
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DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE PARTICIPATION:
CHAIRS:
Curriculum, Developmental English, Challenge, Exemption/Placement, Freshman
English, Merit/Promotions, Recruitment, Renewal/Tenure, Scheduling.
OTHER MEMBERSHIPS:
Chair's Advisory, Chair's Renewal/Search, Faculty/Student, Graduate,
Grievance, Handbook Writing, Personnel, Professional Writing.
Contact Person for Internships, and Career Opportunities Liaison.
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DIVISIONAL COMMITTEE PARTICIPATION:
Humanities & Soc. Sci.'s Budget, Arts & Humanities By-Laws,
Arts & Humanities Curriculum, Arts & Humanities Dean's Renewal.
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LOCAL CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES, SELECTED SAMPLE:
Mar. 1986: CHAIR of Niagara Linguistic Society (NLS) Winter Workshop, BSUC.
July 1978: RESPONDENT to "Functional Styles in Modern English. "Paper
at Niagara-Soviet Colloquium on Linguistics & Language Teaching.
Sponsors: NLS & SUNY at Buffalo (SUNYAB) Linguistics Department,
Intensive Language Institute & International Studies Council.
Apr. 1979: CO-CHAIR of 10th. Annual Conference on Language & Linguistics,
NLS, BSUC.
Feb. 1979: MODERATOR of Panel on "How to Plan an Applied Linguistics
Program." NLS Interdisciplinary Workshop, SUNYAB.
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CERTIFICATE OF MERIT:
May 1977: Award From BSUC's SEEK/EOP Unit for Developmental English Work.
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COMMUNITY RELATION, SELECTED SAMPLE:
Oct. 28, 1997: PANELIST on Ebonics for Panel Discussion, "Ebonics,
Bilingualism & Formal English." Sponsored by the Center
for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching. BSUC.
Oct. 1997: GUEST SPEAKER for Buffalo Chapter of Biblical Archaeology
Society on "Some Possible Bible Discrepancies." BSUC.
Feb. 3, 1996: (Publication Date) INTERVIEWEE on Ebonics in "The Ebonics
Controversy--a Matter of Semantics" _Buffalo News_ by
Melinda Miller. A-9 & A-12.
Mar. 1994: GUEST SPEAKER for Buffalo Chapter of Biblical Archaeology
Society on "The Biblical Record for Writing." BSUC.
Apr. 1990: GUEST SPEAKER for Gifted Students' Program Seminar, on
"Language as an Enemy." Sweethome Senior H.S. Amherst, NY.
Nov. 1989: LECTURER at Assembly on the History of the English Language
to Students of Southside Preparatory School. Buffalo, NY.
Apr. 1978: PRESENTER of BSUC's Writing Program to Buffalo-Area English
Teachers Association. Daeman College Writing Workshop.
Oct. 2, 1977: (Video Airing Date) PANELIST on Report Card. "Literacy
Implications of Declining Test Scores." Host: J. Manch,
Former Buffalo School Superintendent.
Aug. 20, 1977: (Publication Date) INTERVIEWEE on Composition in "English:
It's a Foreign Language to many American Kids." _Buffalo
Evening News_ by Sue Buyers. A-8.
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PRE-DOCTORAL AWARDS:
1967-8: PRE-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP from American Council of Learned
Societies to SUNYAB.
Sum. 1965: SUMMER STUDY FELLOWSHIP to Communication Sciences Seminar
at and from the University of Florida at Gainesville.
1959 -63: FOUR-YEAR SCHOLARSHIP from Illinois State to the Illinois
Institute of Technology.
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GRANT:
1998: Center for Development of Human Services, BSUC FACULTY
FELLOWSHIP, No. 121-6155K&L. Creating a Guide for social
service workers working with immigrants and others who
need help translating from their language to English.
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MEMBERSHIPS:
American Dialect Society; Buffalo Bible Scholars Symposium;
Linguistic Iconism Association [Reviewer, Iconicity in Language];
New York State Council on Linguistics.
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HOMEPAGE E-MAIL FOR MELVIN HOFFMAN