American Language Program

Dr. Frances A. Boyd, currently Associate Director of Curriculum and Program Development in the American Language Program, has been at Columbia University teaching language and mentoring teachers for over 30 years. She has developed and taught courses in all levels of academic English, English for Business Purposes, English for International Teaching Fellows, TESOL Curriculum and Pedagogy, as well as all levels of Spanish. A specialist in content-based curriculum that integrates language skills and critical thinking, she is co-editor of NorthStar, a 10-volume series of academic English books; author of Making Business Decisions, a case-based business English book; co-author of Stories from Lake Wobegon, a listening/speaking book prepared in cooperation with Garrison Keillor; and, co-author of L’italiano con l’opera, an Italian-language text based on opera. Her writings have appeared in TESOL Quarterly, English for Specific Purposes, Set the Stage!: Teaching Italian through Theatre, among other professional books and journals. She has consulted with universities in Mexico and Kyrgyzstan (Central Asia) to develop international faculty and academic English-language curriculum. Her current research interests include vocabulary acquisition and English program accreditation processes. She holds the Ed.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University; an M.A. from the University of Wisconsin; and a B.A. from Oberlin College.