Research Bio

Richard Kern is a scholar of French whose research explores language pedagogy, literacy, and digital media. He is best known for his work on literacy in second-language acquisition, analyzing how reading, writing, and digital technologies transform language learning. Kern's scholarship integrates applied linguistics, language pedagogy, and media studies to examine how communication practices evolve in multilingual and digital contexts. His research informs the development of innovative methods for teaching French and other languages.

He is Professor of French and formerly Director of the Berkeley Language Center at UC Berkeley. His books include Literacy and language teaching, Language, literacy, and technology, and Screens and scenes: Online multimodal communication and intercultural encounters. Kern has received recognition from the French government (Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques) for his contributions to applied linguistics and the dissemination of French language and culture. At Berkeley, he teaches French language, literacy, and pedagogy, mentoring students and instructors in applied linguistics and language education.

Research Expertise and Interest

literacy, second language acquisition, writing, psycholinguistics, reading, French language, French linguistics, technology and education