Modern Languages Welcomes Khaled Al Masaeed

Modern Languages would like to introduce its newest faculty member, Khaled Al Masaeed, who joined the department this month as an assistant professor of Arabic Studies.

Al Masaeed earned a B.A. in English Language and Literature in his home country of Jordan before moving to the U.S. to work toward an M.A. in English Education at the University of North Carolina—Pembroke, and then an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching at the University of Arizona. He earned his doctoral degree in 2013.

His research focuses on language use, language pedagogy (particularly the teaching of Arabic as a second language), and language program administration. During his studies, he worked in various capacities for the U.S. Department of State’s Critical Languages Scholarship Program, first in Egypt and later in Morocco. Most recently, Al Masaeed directed the Arizona in Jordan study abroad program, which is held in Amman, Jordan.

Al Masaeed carries his knowledge and life experience into the classroom, where he aims to help students take on an active role in the learning process.

“My primary goal when I teach is to empower my students to become agents in the learning process while providing a classroom environment conducive to authentic communication,” he said.

He also aims to inspire students to continue learning well after a class has ended.

“I encourage my students to become curious, independent life-long learners; develop critical thinking skills; and gain a deeper understanding of the world around us.”