Rachel Spack Koch is the original moderator of the Grammar Exchange. She has taught English to non-native speakers for more than 30 years, heading up the grammar component in the curriculum of the Intensive English Program at the University of Miami, and teaching grammar and TOEFL preparation at Harvard University and at community colleges.

She wrote grammar and writing questions for TOEFL for several years. A participant in and developer of interactive student activities on the Internet since the early 1990s, she designs and writes content for internet materials and ESL software, as well as for workbooks in print.

Rachel has a master’s degree in adult education with a specialty in English language teaching.

Richard Firsten has taught ESOL for more than 35 years. He came to the Grammar Exchange as co-moderator in October, 2006, and with his irrepressible personality, the Grammar Exchange hasn’t been the same since.

Richard was head instructor of the Intensive English Program at Barry University for five years, Associate Director of the English Language Institute at Florida International University for over five years, and completed over 20 years of teaching ESOL, literacy, and employability skills for Miami-Dade County Public Schools before retiring.

Richard is the author of two ongoing grammar columns in professional journals (in print and online), as well as of several grammar texts for teachers and students. He has a blog about language called "Grammar Guy" on the new website, AzarGrammar.com.

Richard holds a bachelor’s degree in speech and theater and a master’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).

See more about Richard at AzarGrammar.com.