Richard Robison, PhD
Professor Emeritus, Department of Sociology, TESOL, and Modern Languages
Richard Robison, PhD, chaired a diverse department that embraces three separate graduate programs (Field-Based, Online, and On-Campus TESOL), one undergraduate major (Sociology), and four undergraduate minors (TESOL, Sociology, Ethnic Studies, and Environmental Studies). But with graduate degrees in linguistics and applied linguistics, he teaches courses only in the graduate programs in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Robison’s passion and calling is to support and encourage both his faculty and his students. He has been engaged in ESL for over 30 years and in teacher preparation at APU since 1991. His research interests have included second language acquisition of verb tense and aspect, self-directed language learning, professional preparation of non-native English speaking teachers, and the ethics of teaching English as a vehicle for Christian mission.
Education
- PhD, University of California, Los Angeles
- MA, University of California, Los Angeles
- MDiv, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
- S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Academic Area
- School of Humanities and Sciences
Expertise
- Phonetics, Phonology, and Teaching Pronunciation
- Teaching Grammar
- Second Language Assessment
- Second Language Acquisition
- Professional Ethics in Language Teaching and Christian Mission
- Professional Development of Non-Native English Speaking Teachers
Courses Taught
- TESL 505 – Second-language Acquisition
- TESL 515 – Teaching English Grammar
- TESL 525 – Teaching English Pronunciation
- TESL 570 – Second-language Assessment
- TESL 589 – Research Methods in TESOL