In fact, for the last 30 years I have been actively involved in English language skills development at tertiarylevel through EST, and professionally concerned with EST, ELT and ESL teaching problems, techniques,achievements and future possibilities.
In collaboration with the British Council Division, Calcutta, I have organised three workshops (1981, 1984,. 1986), conducted language needs analysis, framed EST syllabuses, and developed suitable teaching materials for various groups of undergraduate and postgraduate students of earth and mineral sciences.
Building upon students' EST experiences, I have also taught a course in fiction with an ESP approach just as I have been active in research areas of written communication skills, and Indian English literary practices for about three decades. I have also been associated with English language teaching projects at other institutions from time to time besides evaluation of MPhil and PhD theses in areas of ELT, ESP, Indian English fiction and poetry and American poetry and drama.
Apart from a BA earned in 1970, I gained my MA in English Literature from Banaras Hindu University in 1972 and PhD from Kashi Vidyapith ,Varanasi in 1981. I also obtained a Diploma in Russian language in 1972.
I started my career in journalism as a Compilation 0fficer in the Distrtict Gazetteers Dept, Lucknow, 1973, a Journalist with the Press Trust of India, New Delhi, 1973-74. Changing to teaching I became a Lecturer at the Royal Bhutan Polytechnic, Deothang, Bhutan, 1974-76. Joining the Indian School of Mines in Dhanbad as a Lecturer from 1976-83, I then rose to Assistant Professor in 1983. I have now been Professor English and Head of the institute's Humanities and Social Sciences department.
A reviewer,critic and contemporary poet writing in Indian English, I have published more than 140 research articles and 150 book reviews in various journals in India and abroad. I have authored NINE books of Criticism, which include SAVITRI: A SPIRITUAL EPIC (1984), INDIAN ENGLISH WRITING:1981-1985 (1987), RECENT INDIAN ENGLISH POETS:EXPRESSIONS AND BELIEFS (1992), ANGER IN ACTION:EXPLORATIONS OF ANGER IN INDIAN WRITING IN ENGLISH (1997), PSYCHIC KNOT: SEARCH FOR TOLERANCE IN INDIAN ENGLISHS FICTION (1998), NEW ZEALAND LITERATURE: SOME RECENT TRENDS (1998), and SRI AUROBINDO'S SAVITRI: ESSAYS ON LOVE, LIFE, AND DEATH (2005); ELEVEN poetry collections which include MY SILENCE AND OTHER SELECTED POEMS:1974-1984 (1996), ABOVE THE EARTH'S GREEN(1997),EVERY STONE DROP PEBBLE (1999, jointly with Catherine Mair and Patricia Prime), THE FACE IN ALL SEASONS (2001,Iin COVER TO COVER, jointly with US Bahri), and PEDDLING DREAM (2003, in a trilogy collection, PACEM IN TERRIS); and NINE English language skills books which include USING CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH IDIOMS (1985), USING ENGLISH IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (1988, rept and rev. 2000), GENERAL ENGLISH PRACTICE (1995), WRITING YOUR THESIS AND RESEARCH PAPERS (1996), MULTIPLE CHOICE GENERAL ENGLISH(2001), and COMMUNICATION IN ENGLISH: GRAMMAR AND COMPOSITION (2003). My latest book on English teaching is entitled TEACHING ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES:AN EVOLVING EXPERIENCE (2005).
My creative and critical works have been anthologised in about 140 books while my poems in English have appeared in over 175 journals and ezines. My editorial activities extend to guest-editing of LANGUAGE FORUM 1986, 1995, 1998 and CREATIVE FORUM 1991,1997, 1998 besides being coeditor of the latter publication from 1987-90, General editor of Creative Forum New Poets Series and service on the editorial boards of Canopy, Indian Book Chronicle, Indian Journal of Applied Linguistics, International Journal of Translation, Journal of Communication Practices, Poetcrit, Reflections, SlugFest,Ltd., Titiksha, etc .
My poems have been translated into French, Spanish, Romanian, Chinese, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, German, Italian, Portuguese, Greek, Esperanto, Kannada, Tamil and Bangla. About 40 full-length articles on my poetry have been published from 1988-2005. A book, NEW INDIAN ENGLISH WRITING:AN ALTERNATIVE VOICE: R.K.SINGH (edited by I K Sharma, 2004) is a comprehensive presentation of my creativity since the 1970s. My works have also been explored in one M Phil and five Ph D theses of various universities in India.
In recognition of my achievements I have received several awards and honours, among them an Honorary Litt. D. from the World Academy of Arts and culture, Taiwan, 1984, Fellowship of the International Poets Academy, Madras, 1987, Fellowship of the International Writers and Artists Association, USA, the Michael Madhusudan Award, Calcutta, 1994, Poet of the Year Award 1995 from the Canadian Alumni of the World University, Ontario, Canada, Ritsumeikan University Peace Museum Award, Kyoto, 1999 and Certificate of Honour and Prize in Kumamoto International Kusamamoto Haiku Competition, Japan, 2000.
I have been a member of the following orgabisations: Unesco ALSED LSP Network, All India PEN, English Language Teachers Association of India, International Writers and Artists Association, World Poetry Intercontinental, Society for International Development etc.I have also been honorary Secretary of Dhanbad Development Forum from 1992-2004. I was its Honorary Treasurer from 1983 to 1992.I also served as Secretary of ISM Teachers Association, Dhanbad , 1977-79. From April 1990 to March 1991 I served as an elected representative of teachers on the General Council and Executive Board of ISM. My biobibliography appears in some 30 publications in the UK, USA, India and elsewhere.
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