Frank Smith
B.A University of Wisconsin, Madison (Sociology)
MLS Simmons College
7233 Dwinelle Hall #2540
(office: 2125 Dwinelle)
Office Hours 3-4 pm Monday and Wednesday, or by appointment
Frank Smith received his B.A. in Sociology (honors) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his MLS from Simmons College. He has been speaking, reading and writing Khmer for 30 years. Frank taught (and coordinated) Khmer at the Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute (SEASSI) numerous times (1990, 1993, 1996-97, 2000-2016).
He has written textbooks and other teaching materials for Beginning and Intermediate/Advanced Khmer as well as Beginning and Intermediate/Advanced Lao language. In addition to Central (standard) Khmer, Frank speaks Lao, Thai and Northern (Surin) Khmer and reads and writes Lao and Thai. In addition to his experience teaching Khmer language, Frank has taught English as a Second Language, trained teachers of Khmer and other Southeast Asian languages, and conducted ethnographic research on topics such as Khmer peasant interpretations of the Khmer Rouge and the in-group culture of Thai sex workers.
Frank also produced a monthly video podcast in Khmer from 2006-2011, Extreme Khmer. Frank teaches Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Khmer at UC-Berkeley, since 2008. Frank was President of the Council of Teachers of Southeast Asian Languages (COTSEAL) from 2014-2017.
