Dr Mark Richards is a researcher within the Speech and Language program in MARCS. He has many years' experience as a language teacher (French, Latin and TESOL) in the primary, secondary and adult education sectors. His MPhil research focused on the development of a learners' grammar and language teaching resources for within a communicative framework in a remote Aboriginal community context, the Jilkminggan community in the Roper river region of the Northern Territory. In his PhD research, Mark again collaborated with the Jilkminggan community to investigate the use of archival audio recordings to support revitalisation of Mangarrayi, the traditional language of the community. In 2020 together with Professor Caroline Jones, he received funding from the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language (CoEDL) to work together with the Jilkminggan community and app developer eLearn Australia to develop a phrase-based digital learning resource to support independent adult learning of Mangarrayi (Warrma Mangarrayi ‘Listen to Mangarrayi’). In collaboration with eLearn Australia and researchers from the University of Queensland, the digital shell underlying Warrma Mangarrayi has been developed into a tool (Listen N Talk) to facilitate independent community development of a phrase-based learning resource for other revitalisation contexts. In collaboration with Professor Jones, Mark has explored the translation of Listen and Talk to the aged care sector, as a means of promoting cognitive and social engagement for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) seniors. Mark is currently part of Gumbaynggirr led multidisciplinary team investigating the First Nations education model currently in place on Gumbaynggirr Country for children, families, staff and the Community. The sudy involves a case study (completetd 2024) and a longitudinal study (2025-2026).

Mark's research centres on language revitalisation and language learning. He is interested in the role of technology in scaffolding and supporting language learning. He is consulting as widely as possible with Aboriginal communities and other language learners to explore the use of the Listen N Talk digital shell to promote independent language learning in Indigenous language revitalisation contexts. He is interested in how this the Listen N Talk resource might be used in other non-Indigenous contexts, such as community language schools to promote