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In Memoriam: Rebecca Dauer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2008

Steven J. Dauer*
Affiliation:
Mansfield-Center, [email protected]
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Abstract

Type
IPA News
Copyright
Copyright © Journal of the International Phonetic Association 2008

REBECCA DAUER, a lifetime member of the IPA, died on 29 March 2007 at the age of 60. Becky graduated at the top of her class from Mount Holyoke College with a B.A. in French. She received an M.A. in linguistics from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in linguistics from Edinburgh University. Her research on language rhythm earned her an international reputation. Throughout her career, Becky applied her sophisticated knowledge of articulatory phonetics to the practical art of teaching English pronunciation to non-native speakers. She taught ESL from 1983 to 2002 at the University of Massachusetts, where generations of students benefited from her course, Techniques of Oral Communication, and from her dedication as a teacher. She authored a highly regarded pronunciation textbook, Accurate English, as well as numerous articles on teaching pronunciation. Becky often emphasized the importance of understanding and dealing with speakers' individual problems and developing their ability to perceive discriminations, self-analyze, and self-monitor their speech. She presented frequently at TESOL conventions and at several ICPhS conferences. She served as chair of the Speech Pronunciation and Listening Interest Section (SPLIS) and contributed to its newsletter, the Supras forum, and other online discussion groups. Greatly respected for her expertise, diligence, and professionalism, she was pronunciation editor for two of Longman's American English dictionaries and consultant to the Spectrum series and the Protea interactive software. Her involvement in distance learning included live broadcast courses from UMass on oral skills improvement and graduate-level correspondence courses in English phonetics for students at Nagoya Gakuin University in Japan. Becky was admired for her sharp mind, cherished for her liveliness and enthusiasm, and appreciated for generously sharing her knowledge and experience, for readily answering questions, giving patient, thorough explanations and offering sensible, practical advice. She will be remembered by students and colleagues all over the world, whom she taught, encouraged, and inspired.