English Language Tutor & Life Coach

I have deep experience with second language learning because I was an international student, having studied Mandarin in China 北京大学 and Taiwan 政治大學 , Spanish in Costa Rica and Spain, and Afrikaans and Xhosa in South Africa. I can also speak Hawaiian-style English, or “Pidgin English”, the common language spoken throughout the Hawaiian Islands today.

Although I am recently retired from university, I continue contributing to international education through online teaching and learning platforms. If you would like to connect with me for a lesson or consultation in English, please send a brief message here on my website contact page.

Special topics of interest among my international students

In recent years, I have helped learners from around the world. Popular topics currently include:

Life Coaching through conversational English – A learner-centered approach.
Work life balance and and other life philosophies.
World knowledge – Exploring life and the world around us through experiential language learning.
New enlightenment philosophy – Revisiting how we measure personal and professional success in a world of unprecedented social change.
Learning Adventures – Discussing traditional, formal, academic, and time-orientated education and knowledge - in contrast with - untraditional, incidental, accidental, and experiential learning.
Content English – Learning English in the context of special topics of interest, such as those related to school or university classes, courses, or other subject areas. Example: "Weather words".
Conscious language learning versus subconscious language learning – Exploring English through "Graded Readers".
International travel consulting and life experience. See: The Jewel of Travel.
Study abroad and international education opportunities.
International planning for Asian students intending to live or study in Europe, United States, or Canada.
Visa applications and processes for travel or education.
University applications and admissions.
Resume and CV building and editing.
Research, writing, and editing, including university theses and academic papers.
Systematic research and publication, including international journal articles.
Health, wellness, and the food environment – understanding organic foods and farming.
Chinese culture and philosophy 中国哲学 , including the Silk Road 絲綢之路 and the Journey to the West.
Anthropology and the indigenous Taiwanese peoples.
The sport and philosophy of surfing.
Hawaiian culture and history.
Developing new and personal life philosophies.
Exploring and understanding different measures of success.
How and why to build a personal website for yourself and others.

Learning though Content English

Content English is generally understood as a set of vocabulary or world knowledge of a specific subject taught in English. I further define content-based English language learning as a way of empowering students through combining language, literacy, and content knowledge of a given topic, subject, or study area in a real-world context.

Having knowledge of a specialized English vocabulary in the context of a given subject facilitates deeper ‘learning access’ to the world, allowing learners find their own voice and world concept through English.

As a university professor and experienced English language tutor, I do my best to bring the world to my lessons and my lessons to life, encouraging an ‘English journey’ through engaging students to shape their world view in their own words as global citizens.

Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Continuing Education in English Language Learning and (TEFL)

With online English language learning increasing in popularity, I decided to enroll in a 120 hour TEFL course (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), the global standard certificate for English teachers, particularly those who live and work abroad. It was a great way to learn new online teaching skills and strategies, and I completed the TEFL program on December 4, 2023. The course was accredited through the International Council for Online Educational Standards (ICOES) as a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activity.

Life Coaching Through Conversational English

A Learner-centered Approach

I recently completed a certificate in Coaching Skills for Learner-centered Conversations with Imperial College London, a global top 10 university in the United Kingdom. The course was focus on how to hold “effective conversations leading to meaningful change.”

“Coaching is unlocking people’s potential to maximize their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.” – Sir John Whitmore

The learner-centered approach to life coaching is based on the idea that people are resourceful, with inner strengths and capabilities. Coaching differs from conventional teaching as the educator’s role broadens from expert to genuine facilitator of learning-in equal partnership with learners within a relationship of respect.

“A coach assumes that there is a solution for the learner’s needs and that learners can find solutions themselves because of their own inner wisdom.” – London Imperial College

In an education setting, life coaching is based on an acquired skillset based on effective conversations leading to meaningful change, one where the educator actively listens, reflects, and asks powerful questions to support the learner to develop new perspectives and new thinking. In this way, the learner is empowered to move forward with their issue.

Asst. Professor “Surf Doctor” Steven Andrew Martin Retires with Certificate of Honor at 2022 University Ceremony

A Systematic Review of Surf Tourism Research in International Journals (2011-2020)

Abstract

Previous research outlined the genesis of a new body of surf tourism research based on a wide array of grey and published literature (Martin & Assenov, 2012). The aim of this paper is to further investigate the development of the field through an evidence-based informetric analysis of international journal articles listed in Web of Science or Scopus databases. Employing a systematic review of journal papers published from 2011 to 2020, the study addresses the previous grey literature problem of accessibility and eligibility criteria for citation. Findings are drawn from explicit and tangential studies which capture an up-to-date overview of the evolution of surf tourism research. The study identifies active journals, authors, field locations, and leading areas of research, suggesting that the field has entered a period of ‘academic professionalization’. A bibliography of 96 journal articles presents academics and readers with a corpus of accessible research.

The Last Refuge and Forced Migration of a Taiwanese Indigenous People During the Japanese Colonization of Taiwan – An Ethnohistory | Journal of Nationalism and Ethnic Politics

ABSTRACT

Through ethnohistorical studies, this paper explores social and political perspectives during the Japanese colonization of Taiwan which led to the forced resettlement of an entire indigenous society. Ethnographic life histories and translations of official Japanese police announcements are used to explore the 1941 Neibenlu (Laipunuk) Incident (內本鹿事件), a critical event in the oral history of the Bunun, a Taiwanese (Formosan) indigenous people of the southern mountains of Taiwan. We examine the reopening of Neibenlu’s Japanese mountain trail and its police stations offering new access to Bunun heritage to inform present and future generations. The study offers an innovative account of a neglected topic of indigenous resistance to imperialism, combining oral ethnography, and historical textual analysis.

Keywords: Bunun; forced migration; Japanese colonization of Taiwan; Laipunuk; Neibenlu (內本鹿); Taiwanese (Formosan) indigenous peoples

Teaching Demo

Additional criteria for the position of Associate Professor includes the publication of research in peer reviewed journals relevant to the study area.

Three publications are required:

Martin, S. A. (2020). A Taiwan knowledge keeper of indigenous Bunun – An ethnographic historical narrative of Laipunuk (內本鹿), southern mountain range. Ethnography. DOI: 10.1177/1466138120937037
Martin, S. A., & Ritchie, R. J. (2020). Sourcing Thai geography literature for ASEAN and international education. Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, 41(1) 61–85
Martin, S. A., & Ritchie, R. J. (2019). A social science index and conceptual framework for assigning weights in surf tourism planning and development. Tourism Planning and Development, 16(3) 281–303.

How to Conduct a Systematic Review | Online Research Presentation and Webinar | Steven A Martin, PhD

Desk research (i.e. field research is not required).
Highly publishable as a research in its own right.
Highly citable once published.
Serves as a “super literature review” for future articles.
Mastery of the literature and subject area (long-term benefits).
Familiarity with scholars in the field of study.
Identification of knowledge gaps, hence justification of future research areas.
Results in a database of authors, files, references for future works.
Lead to future trend and meta-analyses.
Identify avenues for the publication of your research.

Examples: Systematic reviews of surf tourism research

Martin, S. A., & Assenov, I. (2012). The genesis of a new body of sport tourism literature: A systematic review of surf tourism research (1997-2011). Journal of Sport and Tourism, 17(4) 257–28

2012 PDF Download

Martin, S. A. (2022). From shades of grey to Web of Science: A systematic review of surf tourism research in international journals (2011-2020). Journal of Sport & Tourism, 26(2) 125–146. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775085.2022.2037453

2022 PDF Download

A Taiwan knowledge keeper of indigenous Bunun – An ethnographic historical narrative of Laipunuk (內本鹿), southern mountain range

Abstract

This paper offers an ethnographic life history account of a Bunun hunter, Tama Biung Istanda, from Laipunuk, Taiwan, based on academic research and fieldwork. Audio-visual tapes recorded by the author in Taitung County, Taiwan, were reviewed and translated alongside extant Chinese, Japanese and English sources. The study constructs a remembered life into readable coherent sequences on behalf of an indigenous peoples, many of whom now seek international recognition as part of their struggle for essential entitlements such as land rights, access to traditional hunting grounds, and other natural, legal, and cultural resources. The testimony of Tama Biung Istanda, translated into English and summarised here for future generations, provides a compelling new source of data on the Bunun heritage that can help to assist knowledge for the local and scholarly community and cultural resource management practices.

Keywords: Bunun, ethnohistory, hunting, Japanese Colony of Taiwan, Laipunuk or Neibenlu (內本鹿), Taiwanese (Formosan) indigenous peoples

References in journal format | Ethnography

Adawai JP (2020) Taiwan. In: Mamo, D (ed) The Indigenous World 2020. Copenhagen: Eks-Skolen Trykkeri.
Binkinuaz T (Tsai SS) (2006) Laipunuk Bunun Tribal Migration Before 1942. Master’s thesis, National Chengchi University, Taipei. (in Chinese).
Brown M (2004) Is Taiwan Chinese? The Impact of Culture, Power and Migration on Changing Identities. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Campbell WM (1903) Formosa Under the Dutch. Taipei: SMC Publishing Inc. 2001.
Chu H (2010) Disciplining and Cultivating the Colonized: Literary Representations of Ethnic Relations between Japanese Policemen and Taiwanese People. Journal of Taiwan Literature Research 10: 117 – 148. (in Chinese).
Council of Indigenous Peoples (2020a) National Aboriginal Population by Nationality and Age. (in Chinese). Available at: www.apc.gov.tw/portal/ (accessed 15 May 2020).
Council of Indigenous Peoples (2020b) Online Dictionary of Indigenous Ethnic Languages (in Chinese). Available at: e-dictionary.apc.gov.tw/Index.htm (accessed 15 May 2020).
Davidson JW (1903) The Island of Formosa Past and Present. Taipei: SMC Publishing Inc. 2005.
Fang C (2016) Transforming Tradition in Eastern Taiwan: Bunun Incorporation of Christianity in their Spirit Relationships. Doctoral dissertation, Australian National University, Canberra.
Huang YK (1988) Conversion and Religious Change among the Bunun of Taiwan. Doctoral dissertation, London School of Economics and Political Science, London.
Huang YK (2001a) Lost Laipunuk: Outside social and across tribal boundaries. Journal of Eastern Taiwan Studies 6: 139–172. (in Chinese).
Huang YK (2001b) Taitung County history - Bunun Zu. Taitung County: Taitung County Government. (in Chinese).
Huang YK (1995) The ‘Great Man’ Model Among the Bunun of Taiwan. In Austronesian Studies Relating to Taiwan (eds.) Li, P, Tsang, C, Huang, Y, Ho, D, and Tseng, 57–107. Taipei: Academia Sinica.
Langness LL and Frank G (1981) Lives: An Anthropological Approach to Biography. Novato, CA: Chandler and Sharp Publishers, Inc.
Lee H and Cho Y (2012) Introduction: Colonial Modernity and Beyond in East Asian Contexts. Cultural Studies 26(5): 601–616.
Li PJ (1988) A comparative study of Bunun dialects. Bulletin of the Institute of History and Philology (BIHP) 59(2): 479–508.
Li LL (2018) A Grammar of Isbukun Bunun. Doctoral dissertation. National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Linde C (1993) Life Stories: The Creation of Coherence. Oxford Studies in Sociolinguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Martin SA (2006) Ethnohistorical Perspectives among the Bunun: A Case Study of Laipunuk Taiwan. Master’s thesis, National Cheng-Chi University, Taipei.
Martin SA (2011a) Laipunuk (Nei Ben Lu)—the Last Frontier of the Taiwan Aborigines During the Japanese Occupation on Taiwan: Ethnographic Narratives of a Bunun Elder. The International Journal of Asia Pacific Studies (IJAS) 7(1): 123–142.
Martin SA (2011b) Rebuilding Mama’s House—An Ethnohistorical Reconstruction and Homecoming of the Bunun on Taiwan. Journal of International Studies 1(2): 61–78.
Martin SA (2020a) Ethnographic film and Bunun oral history in southern Taiwan. Available at: StevenAndrewMartin.com/ethnographic-film/ (accessed 15 June 2020).
Martin SA (2020b) Tama Biung Istanda Ethnography Laipunuk 內本鹿 Taiwan. University Filmworks. Available at: YouTube.com/TamaBiung (accessed 15 June 2020).
Martin SA (2014) Contextualizing Island Formosa Through Cultural Heritage, Digital Mapping, And Museology: A New Trial for the Journey Home to the Bunun Villages of Old Laipunuk, Taiwan. Paper presented at the 2014 International Conference on Formosan Indigenous Peoples: Contemporary Perspectives, 15–17 September 2014, Taipei.
Martin SA and Blundell D (2017) Cultural Continuum among the Bunun of Laipunuk (Nei Ben Lu), Southern Taiwan. In Religion, law and state: Cultural Re-Invigoration in the New Age, (eds.) Chang, H and Mona, A, 215–246. Taipei: Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines.
Mao LC (2003) East Taiwan View. Taipei: Yuen-Ming Wen Hua. (in Chinese).
Neihardt JG (1932) Black Elk Speaks. New York: William Morrow & Co.
Palalavi H (2006) Bunun: the Origin of Tribes and the History of Tribal Migration. Taipei: Council of Indigenous Peoples. (in Chinese).
Poyer L and Tsai F (2019) Wartime Experiences and Indigenous Identities in the Japanese Empire. Journal of Military and Strategic Studies 19(2): 41–70.
Radin P (1913) Personal Reminiscences of a Winnebago Indian. Journal of American Folklore 26: 293–318.
Savage PE and Brown S (2014) Mapping music: Cluster analysis of song-type frequencies within and between cultures. Ethnomusicology, 58(1) (Winter 2014): 133–155.
Simon S (2005) Paths to Autonomy: Aboriginality and the Nation in Taiwan. Unpublished paper. Ottawa: University of Ottawa.
Simon S (2006) Formosa’s First Nations and the Japanese: From Colonial Rule to Postcolonial Resistance. The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus 4(1): 1–13.
Simon S (2012) Politics and Headhunting among the Formosan Sejiq: Ethnohistorical Perspectives. Oceania 82(2): 164–185.
Sturge K (2014) Translation Strategies in Ethnography. Translator 3(1): 21–38.
Tsai F (2011) From Dulan to New Guinea. Taipei: Yushangshe. (in Chinese).
Yang SY (2005) Imagining the state: An ethnographic study. Ethnography 6(4): 487–516.
Yang SY (2011) Cultural performance and the reconstruction of tradition among the Bunun of Taiwan. Oceania 81(3): 316–330.
Yang SY (2015) The Indigenous Land Rights Movement and Embodied Knowledge in Taiwan, in Social Movements and the Production of Knowledge. In Body, Practice, and Society in East Asia (ed.) Hirai, KE, 25–43, Senri Ethnological Studies 91.
Yeh J (1995) The Migration History of Bunun in Kaohsiung County: the Reasons of Migration and the Change of the Concept of Settlement. Master’s thesis, National Taiwan University, Taipei. (in Chinese).

Searching & Referencing for Academic Papers

Generally, academic writing adheres to a given style guide or 'school of style'. Common examples include APA (American Psychological Association), CMS (Chicago Manual of Style) and MLA (Modern Language Association).

APA style guidelines: www.apastyle.apa.org
CMS style guidelines: www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/
MLA style guidelines: www.mla.org/style

Example: MLA Style | My 1999 freshman paper | Toponymy of Hawaii

Many publishers of books and journals suggest the Harvard Citation Style (i.e. author-date referencing) although there is actually no official guideline or institutional connection. However, the Harvard University Press does have its own code of formatting author-date citations and reference lists.

Note that publishers of international journals often have unique citation and referencing formats.

While it is important to recognize a variety of formatting styles in academic writing and publishing, our course will focus on undergraduate students gaining proficiency in APA style.

APA references | Conferences papers and presentations

Martin, S. A., & Assenov, I. (2012). Towards a surf resource sustainability index: A global model for surf site conservation and Thailand case study. Proceedings of the 18th Asia Pacific Tourism Association Annual Conference (APTA) Hospitality & Tourism Education: New Tourism & New Waves (pp. 745–760). Taipei, ROC, June 26–29. Busan, Korea: School of International Tourism, Dong-A University.

Martin, S. A., & Ritchie, R. (2018). Towards an ASEAN community: A scoping study and case for teaching the geography of Thailand in the English language. Proceedings of the PSU Phuket International Conference 50th Anniversary Celebration: Creativity and Innovations for Global Development (p. 54). Prince of Songkla University, Phuket, Thailand, March 11–12.

In-text references (or in-text citations) provide a source (author and year of publication) for each piece of information used in your academic writing. In-text citations are commonly placed either at the beginning or end of a sentence or paragraph to identify where information actually came from and are important in order to avoid plagiarism.

Plagiarism is the use of the published work of another person without acknowledgement and is easily avoidable by using an in-text citation to indicate who the original author/s is/are.

Worksheets for today's lesson

Midterm literature review guidelines | PDF

Topic selection and outline

Write a comprehensive literature review based on the topics and annotated bibliographies as developed, discussed and approved during our previous lessons.
The literature review should follow the APA style for in-text citations and references.

The literature review consists of five parts

A brief introduction.
Three to five relevant subtopics of at least two paragraphs each.
Brief discussion or conclusion highlighting key points of interest and/or knowledge gaps (if any).
Brief suggestions for future research.
A reference list with at least 15 sources representing journals, books, websites, etc.

Formatting

Spacing: 1.5.
Font: Times New Roman 12pt.
Length: 1,500 to 2,000 words.
Referencing: APA style (American Psychological Association)

TOPIC 9

How to use YouTube for searching and referencing

Video, documentary film and scholarly presentations: the case of YouTube in searching and referencing online educational films and videos

With digital transformations in education, online films and videos bring to light more than just content, we are exposed to – and adapt to – the use of technology in teaching and learning. For example, searching and referencing videos on YouTube suggest an awareness of search strategies one might employ while identifying diverse genres of videos and experts in a given field or topic area.

In the case of searching and referencing Greece and Asia Minor videos – free and available on YouTube – the following genres come to light and are explored.

Academic lectures and presentations
Mainstream documentary films and series
Diverse videos of interest
Animated video presentations
Travel videos and vlogs

Many academic journals and databases require a subscription or fee to view or download articles. For students and researchers at PSU Phuket, our university has purchased subscriptions to a variety of journals and databases.

You may need to login on campus or through the Prince of Songkla University Phuket Campus Library in order to gain access. This will allow journals and databases to automatically verify the PSU IP address.

Shortist of online databases

Systematic reviews of surf tourism research

Martin, S. A., & Assenov, I. (2012). The genesis of a new body of sport tourism literature: A systematic review of surf tourism research (1997-2011). Journal of Sport and Tourism, 17(4) 257–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775085.2013.766528

2012 PDF Download

2022 PDF Download

For the scholar who studies or works in a university, doing scholarly research and publishing the findings in the form of articles in peer-reviewed international journals are some of the most important academic activities. It is important to learn how to do it yourself so you can set-up your own career.

This workshop includes a number of advanced topics regarding how to publish a paper in international journals. It is very good opportunity for learning from the experience and techniques of an experienced publisher of papers. Emphasis is on practical information on how to do it, and what Dr. Ritchie has leant from experience, that is, what works and what does not.

Dr Steven A Martin and University Filmworks discover “What Makes a University Great?” at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Dr Steven Martin wrote and hosted this short film under the direction of Edward E. Vaughan. The video explores the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) and focuses on the story of leadership and the Dean of School, Prof. Kaye Chon. The video was produced by University Filmworks.

At SHTM, Steven discovers a little universe where students, teachers and industry professionals come together with outstanding synergy, uncovering a story of outstanding educators and leadership.

Cultural Continuum among the Bunun of Laipunuk (Nei Ben Lu), Southern Taiwan (Book Chapter)

20th anniversary of Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines

In 2014, Dr. Martin, was invited to Taiwan to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines in cooperation with Academia Sinica, the foremost research institute in Taipei, ROC. The Museum offered Steven a place in their upcoming publication, a book to commemorate their 20th anniversary: Religion, Law and State: Cultural Re-invigoration in the New Age.

After three years of communication and collaboration, the Museum’s book has been published and is now available to English and Chinese readers.

About the research

Steven’s research was focused on the remote, high-mountain jungle valley of Laipunuk (內本鹿), in the inaccessible mountains of southern Taiwan, home of the Bunun tribe, the last Taiwanese headhunters.

Having lived with the Bunun tribespeople for five years, he recorded their ways of life, their songs, their traditions and their histories, as part of an oral ethnography project.

According to Steven, “Taiwan is the source of the centuries-long process of the peopling of the Pacific, the so-called ‘Pacific Rainbow’ that maps the migration of peoples, materials and languages across the islands of the Pacific, from Taiwan all the way across to Hawaii.”

Speaking for the Faculty of International Studies (FIS), Steven shared his experience:

“Their stories are the last of their kind, and it was an immense privilege to have the opportunity to document their lives.”

Martin, S. A., & Blundell, D. (2017). Cultural continuum among the Bunun of Laipunuk (Nei Ben Lu), southern Taiwan (Ch. 8) (pp. 215–246). In H. Chang and A. Mona [C. Tsai] (Eds.), Religion, law and state: Cultural re-invigoration in the new age. Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines and SMC: Taipei.

Abstract

Over the past century, the Bunun people, an Austronesian-speaking indigenous culture of Taiwan, have withstood acute marginalization resulting from outside incursion, particularly from the Japanese (1895–1945) and the Nationalist Government (since 1945). However, in recent years democratic reforms ushered in opportunities for cultural conservation and new sustainability through cultural resource management. This research is focused on a particular group of Is-bukun Bunun speakers from the high-mountain villages of Laipunuk, Yen-Ping Township, Taitung County, Southern Taiwan. It seeks to identify aspects of intersystem cultural continuum amidst acute social change induced by external pressures. The research employed the translation of rare Chinese documents and interpretation by scholars in the discipline, the recordation of oral history through video and audio devices, by in-depth interview, and through participant observation. The study found that the Bunun have demonstrated profound cultural resilience in the contexts of ritual dance, marriage, hunting, religion, and the identification of place. Cultural traditions and behaviors were often modified and adapted to fit within the cultural norms and expectations of dominant cultures, yet deep intrinsic meanings were carried forward, crossing spiritual and generational gaps. The research offers a window to Bunun epistemology and cultural systematics, exploring how indigenous peoples perpetuate their beliefs and values through internal cultural transformation; it serves to document the home-grown cultural resource management of a Taiwanese human treasure for English readers.

Keywords: Southern Taiwan, Bunun, Laipunuk, Formosan indigenous, Bunun Cultural and Educational Foundation, historical cultural continuum

“Surf Doctor” Steven Andrew Martin

Professor of Area Studies in Sociology and Anthropology

English Language Tutor and Life Coach for International Students and Teachers of All Ages and Backgrounds

Hello! I’m Steven, a recently retired Professor of Asian Studies in Sociology and Anthropology.

My online English tutor name is “Surf Doctor” because I developed of the “Surf Resource Sustainability Index” (SRSI), a global model for surfing break conservation, which earned me a PhD in Environmental Management.

English Tutor and Academic Advisor Intro Video for Professor “Surf Doctor” Steven Andrew Martin

Special topics of interest among my international students

In recent years, I have helped learners from around the world. Popular topics currently include:

Subjects which I taught as a university professor and continue to share and discuss online with students of all ages and backgrounds

Learning though Content English

Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Continuing Education in English Language Learning and (TEFL)