Personal Details
Name: Wilhelm Henry (Billy) Meyer
Qualifications: PhD
Phone: 033 260 5749
Fax: 033 260 5836
Room: G11 OMB
Email: Meyerw@ukzn.ac.za

Research Interests
Since the late 1980’s the School of Language Literature and Linguistics[1] has been engaged in the process of developing the academic discourse of first year BA and BSoc Sci on the Pietermaritzburg Campus of UKZN[2]. The courses Effective Writing for the Social Sciences and Effective Research for the Social Sciences[3] provide two semesters of reading and writing development for students who have, mainly but not exclusively, English as an Additional Language in their Matriculation and also students who have been referred to us for slow progress in their degrees.

The aim of the course is to provide our students with critical reading and writing competence in the discourse required by Humanities and Social Science disciplines. In particular we have long been influenced by the Genre Theory of Christie and Martin,[4] developed from the Systemic Functional Grammar of Halliday[5] . These theories have been a major influence on the development of the Reading to Learn methodology developed by Rose[6] out of his particular concern for indigenous Australians and their exclusion from the main stream of education. In the light of the success of this method[7] and the availability of training provided by Mr M. Hart, a retired senior lecturer from the Faculty of Education at UKZN, various members[8] are in the process of gaining accreditation as Reading to Learn practitioners. In addition, as Academic Coordinator for Academic Literacy on the Pietermaritzburg Campus, I have developed learning materials based on the Reading to Learn method[9] which have been trialled in Effective Writing for the Social Sciences over the first semester of 2010. The results of the first semester were encouraging (See Appendix B)and as a result we propose to set out a three year cycle of testing the effectiveness of this method in the area of Academic discourse Development.

Other Information
PHD, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, Thesis: Reading Mark 4:35 -41: A Study of Student Discourses in the School of Theology, the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg.

Publications

Charton, N. (2009) The Calling: The story of a pioneering woman priest Pietermaritzburg, Cluster Publications (W.H. Meyer Editor).

Meyer, W. H. (2009) ‘When you just get a mark and a nasty comment, what’s that called?’‘Summative assessment’ Creating an enabling environment for formative assessment Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 27(2) ISSN: 1607-3614 p. 215–228.

Meyer, W. H. and Niven, P. 2007 At the coal face: critical reflections on the role of identity in formative assessment practices under pressure. English Academy Review 24(2).

Meyer, W. & Niven, P. 2007. Understanding the impact that principled formative feedback has on first year students writing: Is it useable of not? An action research Project The International Journal of Learning 14 (8) p. 13-22.
Jackson, L.; Meyer, W. H. and Parkinson, 2006 J. ‘A study of the writing tasks and reading assigned to undergraduate science students at a South African University.’ English for Specific Purposes 25 (2006)

Meyer, W. H. 2006 ‘Evolutionary Diversity: A Challenge to Monolithic Masculinity?’ Review Article Journal of Constructive Theology 12 No.1 July 2006
Meyer, W. H. 2005 “The first semester was totally mind blowing and I just flipped”: An investigation into the discourses of theology students at the School of Theology at the (then) University of Natal Pietermaritzburg. Journal of Theology for Southern Africa Number 121 March 2005.

Meyer, W. H. 2005 ‘Histories of Reading and Readings of “History”: A Study of a group of South African Students Reading Mark 4:35-41.’ Neotestamentica May 2005

[1] In the form of its ancestors, The English Language Development Scheme, The Department Second Language Studies , The Department of Applied Language Studies, and The School of Language Culture and Communication.
[2] Formerly the University of Natal
[3] known previously as Learning Language and Logic and Academic Communication Studies 101 and 102
[4] Christie, F. & Martin, J.R. eds. (1998) Genres and Institutions: Social Practices in the Workplace & School. London: Cassell.
[5] Halliday, M.A.K. (1975). Learning How to Mean: explorations in the development of language. London: Edward Arnold
Halliday, M.A.K. (1989). Spoken and Written Language. Geelong: Deakin University Press/ Oxford: Oxford University Press

Halliday, M.A.K & Martin, J.R. eds. (1993) Writing Science: literacy and discursive power. London: Falmer (Critical perspectives on literacy and education)
[6]Rose, D. (1999). Culture, competence and schooling: Approaches to literacy teaching in Indigenous school education. In F. Christie (Ed.), Pedagogy and the shaping of consciousness: Linguistic and social processes (pp. 217-
245). London: Cassell.
Rose, D., Gray, B., & Cowey, W. (2000). Scaffolding reading and writing for Indigenous children in school. In P. Wignell (Ed.), Double power: English literacy and Indigenous education (pp. 23-60). Melbourne: National
Language & Literacy Institute of Australia.
Rose, D. 2004a. Sequencing and Pacing of the Hidden Curriculum: how Indigenous children are left out of the chain. In Muller, Davies & Morais (eds.), 91-107

Rose, D. 2004b. Early Years Reading and Writing. Teacher Training Video. Sydney: Learning to Read: Reading to Learn. For copies (VHS or DVD) contact author d.rose@edfac.usyd.edu.au

Rose, D. 2004c. Reading and Writing Factual Texts. Teacher Training Video. Sydney: Learning to Read: Reading to Learn. For copies (VHS or DVD) contact author d.rose@edfac.usyd.edu.au

Rose, D. 2004d. Stories in the Middle Years. Teacher Training Video. Sydney: Learning to Read: Reading to Learn. For copies (VHS or DVD) contact author d.rose@edfac.usyd.edu.au

[7]Rose, D. 2005 LEARNING TO READ READING TO LEARN Submission No. 315 to the National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy 2005, Department of Education, Science and Training (Australia)
[8] Dr W. Meyer (Academic Coordinator), Ms G. Bold, Mr J. Cameron, Dr B. Dlamini, Ms R. Tasker (Fixed Term Lecturers)
[9] I was assisted in the first semester by Ms T. Millin and Dr B. Dlamini