Dr. Frances Boyd

Dr. Frances Boyd, Senior Lecturer at Columbia University’s American Language Program, has wide-ranging experience designing innovative, content-based, academic English Language courses for diverse student populations. She is deeply committed to active and engaged learning that transforms attitudes, awareness, and skills. An expert in curriculum design, she managed the standards-based curriculum overhaul at Columbia’s American Language Program, which earned the highest rating from the US-based Commission on English Language Program Accreditation. Boyd also has a history of creating research-based, active-learning professional development workshops and webinars for language instructors in the US, China, Colombia, Kyrgyzstan, and Mexico. Co-creator of the standard-setting 8-volume academic book series NorthStar, now in its 5^th edition, Boyd has also written Solving Business Problems: Real Cases from Real Companies and NorthStar: Building Skills for the TOEFL (all published by Pearson). Her articles have appeared in such publications as TESOL Quarterly, TESOL Matters, TESOL Connections, and New Ways in Teaching Speaking (2^nd ed.). Boyd is a frequent featured speaker at international conferences. Her research interests include English for Specific Purposes, error correction, extensive reading, and vocabulary development. She holds a BA from Oberlin College, an MA from the University of Wisconsin, and an Ed.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University.