Tracy Dale Terrell (June 23, 1943 – December 2, 1991)[1] was an American education theorist who, along with Stephen Krashen, wrote The Natural Approach.

Terrell was a professor at the University of California, San Diego.

Tracy D. Terrell graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Ph.D. in linguistics and in a comparatively short career of twenty-two years became one of the most important American Hispanists and theoretical linguists.

In addition, he is widely respected for his work in Hispanic linguistics.

Dr. Terrell was fluent in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Dutch—for which he had a special affection.