Richard’s passion is using drama and storytelling to teach language.  At a public middle school in Berkeley, California, he developed an innovative program, “English through Drama”, specifically designed for newcomer students to develop their English language capacity in all four domains: listening, speaking, reading and writing.  At the same school Richard also taught Academic Language Development, a class designed for long term ELL students focusing on academic literacy, both oral and written, as well as Humanities core classes specifically for ELL students. In addition, he taught drama classes to non-ELL students. Prior to that he was a science curriculum specialist and an elementary teacher. He has been an educator since 1980, with an MA in language and literacy and teaching credentials from the University of California, Berkeley. While on a sabbatical during the academic year 2015-2016, he was an English Language Fellow, with the Department of States English language programs based in Kampong Cham, Cambodia.  There he taught TESOL methodology, classroom practice, and English to pre-service Cambodian teachers.  He also created multiple workshops in English teaching for novice and experienced teachers as well as Peace Corps volunteers throughout Cambodia. He served as an English Language Specialist, providing online mentoring and support for novice teachers in Cambodia where he returned, during the summer of 2017 and 2019, to conduct multiple workshops for teachers and teacher trainees all over Cambodia with the broad topic of “Engaging Young Learners.” All of these projects were funded by the U.S. Department of State's English Language Programs https://elprograms.org.   During the summers of 2017-2019 he created a program for Chinese High School students in Nansha, China, where worked exclusively on English Language Teaching and Drama techniques. This program is part of the University of California's Bay Area Writing Project https://bayareawritingproject.org. In January of 2020 he went to Timor-Leste, as an English language Specialist, working with the Ministry of Education to revise the 7th grade (beginning level) English curriculum for that nation. In March of 2021 he completed that work which included a student textbook, a teacher’s guide and supporting materials. He returned to Timor-Leste in December of 2022 to conduct teacher trainings with both novice and experienced teachers. In 2022 he worked with Afghan teenagers, who were relocated to Albania, through a state department supported project. In 2021and 2023 he participated in a project with American Councils for International Education in Uzbekistan working with a cohort of English teachers to improve their English language and teaching methodology. https://www.americancouncils.org/news/announcements-featured-content/ministry-public-education-and-united-states-embassy-welcomes-25

He has worked and trained as an actor, theatre teacher, director and playwright with many professional theatre companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, he has done voice over work for film and radio and performed both traditional and personal stories at various storytelling events, both live and virtually.

Richard is available for workshops, consultations, presentations, and special projects on a variety of topics related to English Language Teaching and to Drama education.  Both short term and long term projects are considered.  He can customize a workshop based on your needs.  While this website is mostly dedicated to sharing his work integrating Drama and Storytelling into ELT teaching he also has a careers worth of experience in these other specialty areas:  teaching English to young learners, ELT methodology, content and language integrated learning, integrating SEL into daily practice, differentiated instruction, structured language practice strategies, strategies for working with LTELs, drama/theatre workshops, digital storytelling and other technology tools for ELT, adapting, creating and modifying materials, among other topics.

          His full CV is available by request.  Click on the email link at the bottom of the page if you wish to contact him for a project.

HERE IS A PARTIAL LIST OF WORKSHOPS/CONSULTATIONS/PROJECTS THAT HE HAS CONDUCTED (presentations in Cambodia, China, Timor-Leste, the United States, and virtually)

ENGLISH LANGUAGE FELLOWSHIP/SPECIALIST

• Developed national curriculum and supporting materials (including a student textbook and teacher’s edition) for grades 7-9 English Language course in Timor-Leste (an ongoing project begun in February 2020 and continuing through 2025!)

• Storytelling coaching and performance for English language programs at various conferences

• Opening and closing routines for multi-level classrooms (American English Webinar)

• Storytelling for Cross-Cultural Exchange

• Engaging Young Learners (Theory, classroom structure, and activities)

• Differentiating instruction for large, multi-level classrooms

•  Adapting textbooks using communicative language practices and strategies

•  Assessment strategies for the English language classroom

•  Using drama and storytelling in the English classroom

•  Organization for large, multi-level classrooms

•  Structured language practice strategies

•  Drama activities to access academic language and text

• Forum theatre to address problems for Peace Corps Volunteers in Cambodia

EPIC ARTS--KAMPOT, CAMBODIA

•  Collaborative theatre techniques

•  Mask work

•  Theatre games to enhance language learning

TEXAS EDUCATIONAL THEATRE CONFERENCE AND UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS/AUSTIN

•  Devising theatre techniques with English Language Learners

•  Using drama to access core literature for English Language Learners

•  Storytelling for English Language Learners

TESOL  (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Language) CATESOL (California) and CAMTESOL (Cambodia)

• Storytelling for building cultural exchange

• Writing a Grade 7 national textbook in Timor-Leste: lessons learned

• Building Storytelling Skills in the English Language Classroom

• Physicalizing vocabulary through drama games

•  Drama techniques for accessing academic language and text

•  Structured language practice strategies for large, multi level classrooms

•  Online mentoring for novice teachers worldwide

BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATRE, BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA

•  Theatre games and techniques for English Language Learners

•  Devising:  creating original theatrical performances with English language learners