It is with great sadness that the ACLA/CAAL executive acknowledges the passing of Dr. Elizabeth Gatbonton, a retired Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics at Concordia University. In addition to investigating the role of social factors in L2 acquisition and the role of formulaicity in L2 fluency development, Beth was instrumental in researching existing language teaching approaches as well as developing her own. Together with Norman Segalowitz, Dr. Gatbonton advanced ACCESS methodology designed to promote the automatization through repetition of useful utterances in genuine communicative contexts. While her method was adopted and adapted by numerous teachers, and her work engendered research into various aspects of L2 teaching and learning, it is perhaps her humanity and unconditional acceptance of others that put Beth in a class of her own. A colleague, mentor, friend to many, including ACLA/CAAL’s Member at Large, Eva Kartchava, Beth will be missed by all who have known her and whose lives (personal and academic) she touched. The best legacy for any academic might be continuation of their work – this will definitely be the case for Dr. Gatbonton’s research that has already inspired many and will continue to influence future generations of researchers.
Concordia announcement: http://www.concordia.ca/cunews/artsci/2017/12/05/concordia-mourns-the-passing-of-elizabeth-gatbonton.html
Guest book page: http://www.legacy.com/guestbooks/montrealgazette/elizabeth-gatbonton-condolences/187430700?cid=full