In Memoriam: Boris Shekhtman

 


We regret to announce that on March 18, 2017, Boris Shekhtman passed into eternal rest after a long battle with cancer.

His colleague and friend, Natalia Lord, wrote the following commentary on his obituary page:

I have known Boris since 1982 as a colleague and friend. He was a genuine trailblazer in foreign language teaching, caring not only about what bits of language his students had acquired, but also focusing on how to help them effectively use their language in face t o face communication with native speakers. His belief that an instructor is responsible a student's proficiency, spurred him to come up with his Rules of Communication and eventually his own method of teaching. He continued to learn from his student's challenges and pass along the findings to the broader foreign language teaching community through his writings.


The full significance of his contribution to the field probably won't be understood for quite some time because he was so far ahead of most of us.


It was an honor to work with him on and off since 1982, most recently, just last year as he pushed himself mercilessly to complete what he must have believed would be his last written work.

It was also a joy to be his friend because Boris had the marvelous capacity of holding on to old friendships while constantly acquiring new friends.

I sincerely hope that Inna, Eugene and Dimitry [Boris's family members] will be comforted by the knowledge that along with them there are many who will never forget Boris' immense talents, capacity for work, zest for life and greatness of heart.


Here are memorial articles from some of his students:


Jennifer Krauss, New York Times Journalist: "Learning Russian from 'Boris Badenov'."


Here are some articles about his teaching methods from his former students:


Francis Cline, New York Times: "An Archipelago Called Russian" - 

If a guy wants to be able to talk in bed with his new Russian wife, this guy needs one vocabulary; but if he wants to deal in the Moscow oil business, the guy needs another,'' explains Boris Shekhtman, a merry-eyed despot of a language teacher who is ready for either American urge these days.

Read the rest of the article HERE.


Harold Goodman, Learnetarium, 

Part 1: Shekhtman

Part 2: "Boris Shekhtman. The Method." 


For more posts about Boris and his several books, click HERE.



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