This paper investigates the lived experiences of three Kuwaiti women as they construct and negotiate their professional identities as Muslim English language teachers in Kuwait. Building on the paucity of research surrounding religious identity and English language teaching contexts, positioning analysis and tactics of intersubjectivity were used…

This article uses an Islamic lens to explore the question, "What are the identities, aspirations, and motivations for Pakistani and Muslim women learning English?" As Muslim women, the research participants had a strong allegiance to motherhood, with children being a motivating factor in learning English. This study explores how…

Bilingualism has become the norm--not the exception--in today's globalized world. The development of bilingual proficiency in English and other languages is increasing worldwide. Saudi Arabia is one of many countries within the expanding circle of nations in which English (although with no official status) enjoys a special position as the sole…

Muslims may not experience integration or assimilation in European countries, as they have certain values regarding hijab, eating restrictions, and lifestyle. They may therefore face more challenges than other migrants. With the insight that religiosity may have an impact on migrants' national and/or ethnic identities, we look at the role of…

This investigation aimed to explore the correlation between undergraduate English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' academic self-concept and their formal English vocabulary knowledge. The quantitative method with a correlational analysis design was applied. The participants completed a written vocabulary test in English and filled in an…

This study inquires how students of Arab heritage in an urban setting in Denmark interpret Islamic literacy artefacts available in their homes, and how these interpretations reflect broader faith literacy practices in the students' diaspora community. Through a linguistic ethnographic study design students have been invited to photograph literacy…

In this chapter, we report on the experiences of learning English and identity negotiation of 14 Syrian adult Muslim refugees, both male and female and a variety of ages, recently arrived in the UK and enrolled at an ESOL college. Drawing on a range of data sources, we explore how the Syrian informants' religious identities acted both as a…

This research explores the implementation of Arabic language learning at the Maitreechit Withayattan School in Bangkok, Thailand. With a population dominated by a Muslim minority, this research aims to understand the challenges and potential for developing Arabic language education in this context. The research background reflects Thailand's…

This dissertation builds on existing heritage language research (e.g., Albirini 2014, 2018; Benmamoun & Albirini 2018) and examines the complex and challenging practices of an understudied, marginalized, and stigmatized group of Muslim Arabic heritage-speaking children (MAHSC) and their immigrant families in the US. It argues that the…

This article examines the potential of pedagogical translanguaging in a community/heritage language context. With focus on Arabic as a multidialectal and multiglossic language, the paper primarily examines the function of translanguaging practices in teacher-learner and learner-learner interaction to construct and negotiate linguistic knowledge in…

This paper adopts a transglossic approach to explore the ordinariness of English amongst Muslim communities in South and Central Asia. It thereby maintains that studying English as an ordinary part of these communities' repertoires is contingent upon an approach to religion as situated, discursive, and interactive. This approach to religion is key…

Bilingualism and biculturalism have a very immediate impact on the make-up of literary works of bilingual and bicultural authors with immediate linguistic traces of bilingual and bicultural mosaic of textual creation. Code-switching is a linguistic and cultural practice used by bilinguals in writing and speaking. This article examines the…

The "Muqaddimah," a massive 14th century text by Arab historian Ibn Khaldun, while primarily a history, in the later chapters deals with linguistics and pedagogy. Multiple publications on what his work contributes to the field of education exist. But surprisingly, only two papers have appeared specific to teaching English to speakers of…

Although there are a significant number of Saudi females pursuing graduate degrees in Saudi Arabia and abroad, few studies have examined their educational experiences. This qualitative multi-case study examines the educational experiences of ten Saudi females who graduated with a master's degree in an English language related field in two…

This grounded theory study explored the conceptualization of authenticity in language education. The participants were 30 Iranian English language educators, who were studied as adult learners. The findings revealed that authenticity was conceptualized by language educators as a social and reflective practice under the influence of the…