Illan Gonen

Illan Gonen is a Lecturer in Modern Hebrew language at Columbia University's Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies (MESAAS). He specializes in grammar acquisition and has taught Hebrew courses (Elementary, Intermediate, Heritage) since 2016. His research focuses on Hebrew grammar pedagogy, Semitic languages, and endangered Jewish Modern Aramaic phonology and morphology.

Education:

• B.A. in Linguistics and East Asian Studies (summa cum laude), Tel-Aviv University
• M.A. in Semitic Linguistics (summa cum laude), Tel-Aviv University
• Ph.D. in Semitic Linguistics (in progress), University of Cambridge

Research Interests: Illan investigates Hebrew grammar teaching methodologies, Semitic language structures, and the preservation of endangered Aramaic dialects. His work bridges theoretical linguistics with pedagogical applications, particularly in heritage language education. Recent focus includes documenting phonological and morphological features of Jewish Modern Aramaic, an endangered language.

Publications: Co-authored Hebrew Online (2011), analyzing Hebrew's evolution in digital communication and its spoken-written tensions. His doctoral research contributes to endangered language preservation efforts.

Teaching Experience: Prior to Columbia, Illan taught at a Hebrew immersion school (Ulpan) for immigrants in Israel (2014–16). He also maintains language programs at MESAAS and advises on language pedagogy initiatives.

Labs/Teams: Active in MESAAS's Language Programs unit, focusing on resource development for Semitic language instruction and heritage language maintenance strategies.