Tom Means is professor of Modern Languages at Borough of Manhattan Community College, City University of New York (CUNY). An expert in foreign language learning and teaching, he holds a Ph.D. in Italian and Second Language Acquisition from Rutgers University and he has published widely in the field of foreign language teaching. He is trilingual (English, Italian and Spanish) and also has competency in French and German. His research and practice focus on how languages are best learned and maintained, including the role of technology in language learning and teaching. He is the author of the Instant Vocabulary Builder series for learning Italian, French, Spanish, Brazilian-Portuguese, and English. Before joining CUNY, Tom taught at Rutgers, Montclair State University, New York University, and Marlboro College in Vermont. He lives in New York City and New Jersey.