Robert Burton

Position:

Lecturer in English
College:

College of Liberal Arts
Office:

GEH C303A
您的邮箱:

roburton@kean.edu

Educational Background

BSc Sociology 1988 – University of Plymouth

PhD – University of Exeter – 2002: ‘A Passion to Exist: Cultural Entrepreneurship and the search for authenticity in Cornwall’.

Biography

Dr Rob Burton graduated from the University of Plymouth in 1988 with a BSc(Hons) in Sociology. His first job was as a researcher in the Centre for European Legal Studies at the University of Exeter. He was working on a EEC funded project called “The 1992 Challenge at National Level” concerning new European legislation looking at the so-called “Freedom of the Skies” legislation. He published chapters in the EU report findings. While at the University of Exeter he also started tutoring in the Sociology Department and working as an Associate Lecturer for the Open University. He was also tutoring and teaching at the University of Plymouth. At the end of that project he moved to the Department of Adult and Continuing Education at Exeter University as a researcher. The project was concerned with issues around mathematics being a barrier to adults who want to enter higher education. Various papers were published and conferences attended. He then moved to the Institute for Employment Studies at Sussex University to be the research manager on a large countrywide survey of prospective university students. 50,000 students were surveyed for the project called “Making the Right Choice”. Once this project was finished he was employed back at the University of Plymouth. During this period he also continued teaching Social Science for the Open University. Dr Burton achieved his PhD in 2002. In 2011 he arrived in Nanjing China, where he worked for six years at the Dongshan Foreign Language School mainly teaching IELTS English, before moving to Hangzhou to teach at the Communication University of Zhejiang in 2019 on their Bilingual Broadcasting Degree.

Research interests

Recently proofread a book (to be published in Chinese and English) containing the oral histories of 40 eminent Chinese Sociologists remembering their part in the reconstruction of Chinese Sociology. (Zhejiang GongShang University)

Recently proofread a book comparing Mandarin grammar with that of the Chinese spoken in Singapore. (for an academic at Zhejiang University of Technology)

Proofreading all of the Hangzhou Asian Games Official Magazine from issue 1 to the final publication.

I also proofread (on an ad hoc basis) books, articles and so on for the translation department of Nanjing University.

Publications/scholarly and creative work

Chapters/papers in books

Burton, R & Sam Dashu (2015). A Taste of English - IELTS speaking test primer. Beijing.

Burton, R. (1991). UK Report on Air Transport in Schwarze J, Ulrich Becker and Christiana Pollack (Eds) (1991). The 1992 Challenge at National Level. Baden- Baden. Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft. pp.435-463.

Burton, R. (1993). UK Report on Air Transport in Schwarze J, Ulrich Becker and Christiana Pollack (Eds) (1993). The 1992 Challenge at National Level. Baden- Baden. Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft. pp.445-482.

Benn, R & Burton, R. (1993). Social classification of women’s work: a research problem. in Miller, N. and Jones, D.J. (eds) (1993). Research: Reflecting Practice. Boston: Scutrea. pp.12-16.

Burton, R and Sheaff, M. (1993). Sociology Course Booklet for Project 2000 Nursing Course. Tor Faculty. Tor and Southwest College of Health.

Benn, R & Burton, R. (1995). Women’s Experience of Mathematics and Access to Higher Education in Britain: Just another brick in the wall? in Lee, M.F., Mendick, H. and Woodrow, M. (1995) Crossing the Frontiers: Access to Higher Education in Eastern and Western Europe. London: European Access Network and the Council of Europe. pp49-55

Benn, R & Burton, R. (1995) A Peek into the Mind of God. in P. Ernest (ed.) Mathematics. University of Exeter Perspectives Series.

Journals

Burton, R. (1991). ‘Air Transport within the European Community: The legal triangle of EC legislation, the Chicago Convention and Gatt.’ European Research. 2:3. May 1991.

Burton, R. (1991). ‘The Development of Air Transport Law in the European Community’ The Liverpool Law Review. XIII (2) pp.139-149.

Benn, R & Burton, R. (1993). ‘Access Mathematics: A bridge over troubled waters. Journal of Access Studies.8:2. pp.180-190

Benn, R & Burton, R. (1994). ‘Participation and the Mathematics Deterrent’. Studies in the Education of Adults. Vol. 26. No 2. October (1994). pp.239-249.

Benn, R & Burton, R. (1995) ‘Access to Higher Education: A Class or Gender issue?’ Adults Learning. Vol. 6. No 3. pp.94-96,

Benn, R & Burton, R. (1995). ‘Targeting: is Access hitting the bull’s-eye?’ Journal of Access Studies. Spring. 10:1 pp.-19.

Benn, R & Burton, R. (1995). ‘Mathematics: A Masculine Image’. European Access News. No.2 March. p.3. Burton, R. (1995) ‘Access and Targeting: an Exploration of a Contradiction’. International Journal of Lifelong Education. vol. 14 no 6.

Benn, R & Burton, R. (1996) ‘Absolutism and Eurocentrism in Mathematics and the Access alternative’. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology.

Burton, R. (1998) A Passion to Exist: Cultural Hegemony and the Roots of Cornish Identity. Cornish Studies 5.

Reports

Conner, H., Burton, R., Pollard, E., Regan, J., and Pearson, R. (1999) Making the Right Choice. National Report. London: CVCP.

Conner, H., Burton, R., Pollard, E., Regan, J., and Pearson, R. (1999) Making the Right Choice. The survey of applicants (Appendix 1). London: CVCP

Conner, H., Burton, R and Regan, J. (1999) Making the Right Choice. The year 11/S4 survey. London: CVCP.

Conference papers.

Burton, R. Air Transport Within The European Community: The Legal Triangle of EC Legislation, The Chicago Convention and GATT. European Research Conference, The University of Nottingham, April 8-9, 1991.

Burton, R. Worker Participation in the EEC: John Major, The Social Charter and the Illusion of Maastricht. British Sociological Association Annual Conference. University of Canterbury. 1992.

Benn, R & Burton, R. Access Mathematics: A Bridge over troubled waters. Forum For Access Studies (FAST) Annual Conference. University of York. 1993.

Benn, R & Burton, R. Women, Social Class and Access to Higher Education: The social classification of women’s work: a perspective transformation. British Sociological Association Annual Conference. University of Essex 1993.

Benn, R & Burton, R. Social Classification of Women’s Work: a research problem. SCUTREA Annual Conference. University of Manchester. 1993.

Benn, R & Burton, R. Women’s Experience of Mathematics and Access to Higher Education in Britain. Access to Higher Education: The Economic and Social Implications: An East West Convention. The Technical University. Berlin. 1994.

Burton, R. Remembering and Forgetting: The Managed Identities of the former Yugoslavia and the Cornish. Worlds of the Future: ethnicity, nationalism & globalisation. The British Sociological Association Annual Conference. The University of Reading. April 1-4. 1996.

Burton, R. Castles in the Air, Identities and Individualism. The Cornish and their ‘Dimensions of Difference’ The British Sociological Association Annual Conference. The University of York. April 1997.

Relevant Other Publications:

2022 Cornish Identity: A Passion to Exist

2021 A Stitch in Time (Aiming for Nine): Teaching last minute IELTS writing and speaking online

2018 Unlocks the SECRETS of the IELTS WRITING TEST: A band 7+ can be yours

2017 Unlocks the SECRETS of the IELTS SPEAKING TEST: A band 7+ can be yours

Novels

Mediations on Murder

The Castle of the Red-Haired Maidens (novella)

The Twelfth Rune

Plus Poetry and Short Stories