Hello. I’m an author, editor, and consultant in the field of English language teaching. Much of my career has been spent in intensive English language programs. All together I’ve got over twenty-five years of experience with second language speakers from more than 45 countries. I’ve worked as a consultant and trainer for organizations as large as General Electric and as small as local non-profits.I’ve done all kinds of things such as designing curricula, training trainers, teaching courses and administering intensive English language programs at the University of Southern California, California State University at Los Angeles, the California Institute of Technology and Middlebury College. I’ve lived and worked overseas in China, India, Hungary, Chile, Saudi Arabia, and the UK.
I’ve conducted program reviews or done accreditation consulting for intensive English programs in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Kansas, Massachusetts, and Saudi Arabia. I’m a co-author and presenter of the NAFSA professional development workshop on Strategic Planning and Teambuilding for IEPs and I’ve served as facilitator of the strategic planning process of the board of the American Association of Intensive English Programs on multiple occasions. I’ve also served on the Board of Directors of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. and been chair of TESOL’s Intensive English Programs Interest Section.
My co-authored books include Tips for Teaching Culture: Practical Approaches to Intercultural Communication from Pearson and two books in the Q: Skills for Success series from Oxford University Press. I’ve also edited books for both McGraw-Hill and Cambridge University Press and served as academic content advisor to the world’s largest online English language provider, GlobalEnglish.com.
I’m based in the lovely college town of Middlebury, Vermont, but I get out a lot and speak at national and international conferences on topics including: methods and techniques for teaching reading, speaking, and listening comprehension; pronunciation & accent reduction; intercultural communication and diversity; testing, assessment, & evaluation; language training program administration; technology in language teaching; active learning activities; achieving student satisfaction; selecting effective language training materials; self-access learning centers; strategic planning and team-building for language programs; language training for call centers; effective language teacher hiring practices; and spirituality and reflection in language teacher training programs. I also have experience in teacher training and love to hear from former students who have taught in the U.S., China, Hungary, India, Austria, Ecuador, and Chile.
I’ve got an A.B. in English and American Literature from Brown University in Providence, RI and an M.A. in TESOL from Biola University in La Mirada, CA.
If you really want to know more, you can download download a full curriculum vitae.
Want to get in touch? Send me a message from the contact page.
You can also follow me on Twitter and read my occasional postings on the TESOL Blog.