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Harold Goodman, the author of the Michel Thomas Spoken Mandarin Chinese courses (3 parts), is the only person to whom Michel Thomas taught his approach to teaching and methodology of course creation. As part of this training, Michel Thomas taught him two languages, one on one. In addition, over their 10 years together, Dr. Goodman recorded over 100 hours of discussions about Michel Thomas’ life and approach to teaching, the only time this was done. He is currently working on a Michel Thomas course for Modern spoken Hebrew. For updates about the Hebrew course, please click here.
Dr. Goodman also is the only person who ever learned Boris Shekhtman’s unique method of teaching foreign languages. Over many years Shekhtman taught Russian to most of the Moscow-based staff of The New York Times, CNN, and other major media outlets. They spent three years intensively together working on this project. The Shekhtman approach catapults beginner and intermediate speakers into very high levels of communication in record time.
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Dear Harold,
This is very inspiring. As one who is struggling with elementary Mandarin, I welcome the ideas you have developed and am eager to try them. This could help revolutionize the teaching of Mandarin in the U.S. at a time when many people are extremely interested in learning this language. I am highly educated in other ways, but I seriously need help with Mandarin. Thank you for your work and creative ideas. I can’t wait to try them out.
Rebecca L. Oxford, Ph.D.
Dear Rebecca,
Thanks for your support.
I have been so excited with the feedback I have been getting from our students. Truly, I, too, find it amazing. I know of no other method of teaching spoken Chinese that produces such immediate, long-lasting and satisfactory results.
I am now working on improving the course as well as to create other courses using a similar teaching approach.
Please keep in touch.
Harold
I enjoy your Mandarin course, but I am having a problem understanding your explanation of the two-syllable meter rule.
Can you point me to any reference online that explains it succinctly?
Just as soon as I think I understand it, along comes another phrase or sentence that you give as an example that violates what I thought the "rule" was.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Garry
Hi, Rita
Thanks so much for taking a moment to write and share your thoughts.
I love it when this happens!
I have a graduate degree in Library Science ( University of Chicago, 1977) and worked for several years in research, public and academic libraries.
I am a bibliophile and cannot live without books. My home is filled with books and I get great joy from reading them. For me, it is a very personal and enjoyable experience with the author. It can get very intimate, you know, when you are deeply involved with an author in this way.
I,too, lament the decline of the printed book and the libraries and local and specialized bookshops with which I grew up.
There used to be so many wonderful, little bookstores in NYC, where I would hang out and, as I could afford them, acquire books. Every time I went into the city I would visit them.
All of them are now gone.
When I look at the books in my library I recall the stories behind them; where and when they became part of my life.
My books are my friends and I cherish them.
In the Jewish tradition books are considered holy.
There are even cemeteries where books are buried when they no longer are readable. These are called sheymos ( shemot) which means names. This refers to the Name of God which may be printed in them and is not allowed to be destroyed. These cemeteries are for religious books, largely.
May the coming year bring all of us joy, health, peace and continued learning and discoveries.
Much love.
Indeed, joy, health, learning and peace to all, Harold. Thanks for your part in that.