Dr Salwa Mohamed

Academic and professional qualifications

BA in English Education

PG Certificate in Higher Education

MA in Applied Linguistics

PhD in Applied Linguistics

Currently studying for MA in HE

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Previous employment

The University of Manchester (2010-2018)

University of Salford (2008-2010)

Other academic service (administration and management)

Stage tutor for 2nd and final year students

Languages

Arabic

English

Why study Arabic Language and Culture?

Arabic is one of the oldest languages still in widespread use today. It is the largest member of the Semitic language family, which also includes languages like Hebrew and Aramaic.It is either the official language or one of the official languages of 27 countries. It is spoken by around 300 million. There are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world for whom Arabic is important. Its graceful script, magnificent style and rich vocabulary give the language a unique character and flavour. Arabic is also one of the six UN official languages.

In the British Council 2017 report ‘Languages for the Future’, Arabic is one of the top five languages the UK will need most following Brexit based on extensive analysis of economic, geopolitical, cultural and educational factors.

Undergraduate courses

I teach and convene Arabic across all levels (Beginners-Mastery) within Uniwide

I also co-teach on the Becoming Multilingual in the Digital Age module

External examiner roles

The University of Sheffield (2018-2021)

The University of Nottingham (2017-2020)

The University of Warwick (2011-2015)

Research expertise

My areas of research include language pedagogy, particularly the role of assessment in improving students' engagement and learning; the integration of culture in the foreign language classroom; and mapping Arabic teaching and assessment onto the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Publications:

• Morley, J. and S. Mohamed (2016) “A lexical spreadsheet for learners of Arabic.” In Learning and teaching for right to left scripted languages: realities and possibilities. Proceedings of the BAAL/Cambridge University Press Applied Linguistics Seminar. Leeds Metropolitan University, June 2014, p. 81-94.
• Mohammed, S. (2020) An evaluation of culture teaching and learning in a Uniwide Language Program: Teachers and students’ perspectives. Language Learning in Higher Education, 10 (2): 357-380.
• Mohamed, S. and F. Long (2021) Assessment and feedback strategies that foster students’ engagement in the language classroom. International Journal of Education and Teaching 1 (1): 13-18.
• Mohamed, S. (2021) “The development of an Arabic curriculum framework based on a compilation of salient features from CEFR levels’ descriptors.” The Language Learning Journal Published online May 2021 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09571736.2021.1923781 
• Mohamed, S. (2021) An Analysis and levelling of Reading texts across Arabic Textbooks based on the CEFR proficiency levels. In Trends and Developments for the Future of Language Education in Higher Education, edited by Catherine Xiang. Pennsylvania: IGI Global.

Academic collaborations

Conference papers: 

• Conference on the Teaching of Arabic, Thursday 6th March 2008, British Council, 10 Spring Gardens, London, 'Introducing Arabic in primary education'.
• The BAAL/Cambridge University Press Applied Linguistics Seminar (2014) ‘Consolidation and reference of new vocabulary using a dynamic “lexical spreadsheet” in Learning and teaching for right to left scripted languages: realities and possibilities’ with John Morley. 
• 2nd Annual Arabic Language Teaching & Learning in UK Higher Education Conference (2019) 'Validating authentic samples of Arabic students’ written work based on the CEFR (A1-C2) with Aziza Zaher.
• CELT Festival of Learning and teaching-MMU (2019) 'An Evaluation of Culture Teaching and Learning in MMU Uniwide Language Programs: Teachers’ and Students’ Perspectives'
• 21st annual conference of the Association of University Language Communities in the UK & Ireland (AULC), Maynooth University, Ireland, 9th-10th January 2020 'The analysis of three main Arabic textbook series for their compatibility with the CEFR'
• 21st annual conference of the Association of University Language Communities in the UK & Ireland (AULC), Maynooth University, Ireland, 9th-10th January 2020 'Moving to assessment for learning on a university-wide language programme'
• 22nd Association of University Language Communities’ (AULC) annual conference, Leeds University, UK, 29th-31st March 2021. ‘A strategy for inclusive assessment for online block teaching’
• 3rd Annual Arabic Language Teaching & Learning in UK Higher Education Conference, University of Exeter, 8-9 April 2021. ‘Designing an Arabic curriculum framework based on a compilation of CEFR levels’ salient features’.
• UTA Learning and Teaching Festival and EuroSoTL Connect, Manchester Metropolitan University, 15th-18th June 2021. ‘Students' perception of engagement strategies in online interaction’ with Tim Leigh.
• BATA Inaugural International Conference, University of Leeds, UK 24-25 June 2021. ‘An analysis of proficiency standards of the reading content in Arabic textbooks: implications for curriculum design and teaching’.

Invited roundtable discussions

- Language Learning in Higher Education Special Issue 10.2, 2021 Webinar. Celebrating CercleS: 30 years of professional activity in the field of language learning and teaching. April 16, 2021.

Expert reviewer for journals and publishers

• I review articles for the Higher Education Studies journal.
• I have reviewed two Arabic textbooks for Routledge Taylor & Francis Group plc: Part 2 of the 'Arabiyyat Al-Naas' series and 'Arabic in Four Semesters' 

Consultancy and advisory roles

Consultant and reviser for Cambridge International Examinations

Community, charity and NGO links

• Run Arabic film study days/school activities with FILTA/Routes into Languages since 2018.
• Using short films and videos creatively in the Arabic classroom (workshop), Association for Language Learning (ALL). 17th June 2021 16h30 – 18h30 with Carmen Herrero and Isabelle Vanderschelden.

Prizes and awards

Nominated for ‘The University’s Teacher of the Year’ award in 2010/2011 and ‘Best Humanities Lecturer’ award in 2012/2013.

Editorial board membership

Member of the editorial board for the Journal of Linguistics and Education Research
Member of the editorial board for the International Journal of Education and Teaching
Member of the editorial board for the English Literature and Language Review.

Membership of professional associations

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Member of the British Association of Teachers of Arabic (BATA)

Member of the Film in Language Teaching Association (FILTA)

Member of the Film, Languages and Media in Education (FLAME) research group

Member of the Association of University Language Communities (AULC)