Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics, Second Language Acquisition, and Arabic Studies
Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics
Email: masaeed [at] cmu [dot] edu
Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Thanks for visiting! I am an applied linguist in the Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics at Carnegie Mellon University, where I teach and mentor both graduate and undergraduate students in applied linguistics, second language acquisition, and Arabic studies.
My work is situated at the intersection of sociolinguistics and second language acquisition, with a particular focus on the relationship between language ideologies and everyday sociolinguistic practices. My research focuses on advancing our understanding of second language pragmatics, particularly how learners develop pragmatic competence across multilingual and multidialectal contexts. Publications in these areas have appeared in leading peer-reviewed journals (e.g., Applied Linguistics, The Modern Language Journal, Foreign Language Annals, System, Journal of Pragmatics, etc.) and edited volumes (e.g., The Routledge Handbook Second Language Acquisition and Sociolinguistics, The Routledge Handbook of Arabic Second Language Acquisition, etc.). I regularly contribute to the field through research presentations, invited talks and service on Ph.D. dissertation committees across a range of international contexts, including Australia, Canada, France, Egypt, Greece, Jordan, Malta, Morocco, Qatar, Spain, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Prior to joining Carnegie Mellon University, I taught at the University of Arizona and directed and coordinated study abroad programs across the Arab region, including Egypt, Jordan and Morocco.
Education
Ph.D. & M.A., The University of Arizona, Second Language Acquisition and Teaching.
Publications
Books
Trentman, E., Azaz, M., & Al Masaeed, K. (Under contract). The acquisition of Arabic as a second language: A research overview. New York: Routledge. This is based on an invitation from Routledge.
Refereed articles and chapters
Al Masaeed, K. (2026). Multidialectal practices in L2 Arabic pragmatics research: Methodological implications. L2 Journal, 18(2), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.5070/L2.53189
Renfroe, D., & Al Masaeed, K. (2026). Style Shifts into an Informal Speech Style in L1-L2 Korean Interactions. Journal of Pragmatics, 253, 27-41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2025.12.008
Garcia, J., & Al Masaeed, K. (2025). Challenging misconceptions about studying Moroccan Arabic: Beliefs of L2 multidialectal learners beginning a year-long study abroad in Morocco. Languages. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages11010000
McCombie, S. & Al Masaeed, K. (2025).L2 Arabic pragmatics in the classroom: Insights from language instructors’ beliefs and practices. System. Available here
Al Masaeed, K. (2024). Topical talk and repair practices through embodied and multilingual resources in L2 Arabic conversation-for-learning. Critical Multilingualism Studies, 11(1), 326-350. Available here
Al Masaeed, K. (2023a). Tracking learnables and teachables in L2 Arabic dyadic conversations-for-learning. Modern Language Journal, 107, 782–801. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12869
Al Masaeed, K. (2023b). Translanguaging in pragmatics. In C. Chapelle (Ed.), N. Taguchi (Area Ed.), Encyclopedia of applied linguistics (2nd ed.). Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal1458.pub2
Kawafha, H., & Al Masaeed, K. (2023). Bilingual and multidialectal practices in L2 Arabic classrooms: Teachers’ beliefs vs. actual practices. Frontiers in Education.
Al Masaeed, K. (2022a). Researching and measuring L2 pragmatic development in study abroad: Insights from Arabic. In J. McGregor & J. Plews (Eds.), Designing second language study abroad research: Critical reflections on methods and data (pp. 155-170). Palgrave Macmillan.
Al Masaeed, K. (2022b). Sociolinguistic research vs. language ideology in L2 Arabic. In K. Geeslin (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of sociolinguistics and second language acquisition (pp. 359-370). New York, NY: Routledge.
Al Masaeed, K. (2022c). Bidialectal practices and L2 Arabic pragmatic development in short-term study abroad. Applied Linguistics, 43(1), 88-114. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amab013
Nassif, L., & Al Masaeed, K. (2022). Supporting the sociolinguistic repertoire of emergent diglossic speakers: Multidialectal practices of
advanced L2 Arabic learners. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 43(8), 759-773.
https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2020.1774595
Ulysse, G., & Al Masaeed, K. (2021). The influence of socio-economic status and socio-economic status-related factors on language
attitudes: The case of Haitian Gonâviens. Journal of Pidgin and Creole Languages, 36(2), 228-264.
https://doi.org/10.1075/jpcl.00075.uly
Al Masaeed, K. (2020). Translanguaging practices in L2 Arabic study abroad: Beyond monolingual ideologies in institutional talk. The
Modern Language Journal, 104(1), 250-266. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12623
Al Masaeed, K, Taguchi, N., & Tamimi, M. (2020). Proficiency effects on L2 Arabic refusals: Appropriateness, linguistic strategies, and
multidialectal practices. Applied Pragmatics, 2(1), 26-53. https://doi.org/10.1075/ap.19007.mas
Al Masaeed, K., Waugh, L., & Burns, K. (2018). The development of interlanguage pragmatics in L2 Arabic: The production of apology
strategies. System,74, 98-108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2018.03.001
Al Masaeed, K. (2018). Code-switching in L2 Arabic collaborative dyadic interactions. In M. Alhawary (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of Arabic second language acquisition (pp. 289-302). UK: Routledge.
https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.4324/9781315674261-15
Al Masaeed, K. (2017). Interlanguage pragmatic development: Internal and external modification in L2 Arabic requests. Foreign
Language Annals, 50(4), 808–820. https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12293
Waugh, L., Catalano, T., Al Masaeed, K., Do, T., & Renigar, P. (2016). Critical discourse analysis: Definition, approaches, relation to
pragmatics, critique, and trends. In A. Capone & J.L. Mey (Eds.), Interdisciplinary studies in pragmatics, culture and society
(pp. 71-135). NY: Springer. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-12616-6_4
Al Masaeed, K. (2016). Judicious use of L1 in L2 Arabic speaking practice sessions. Foreign Language Annals, 49(4), 716-728.
https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12223
Al Masaeed, K. (2014). Conversational Arabic-English code-switching. Academic Exchange Quarterly, 18 (2), 47-56.
Al Masaeed, K. (2013). The Egyptian revolution of 2011 and the power of its slogans: A critical discourse analysis. Cross-Cultural
Communication, 9(6), 1-6.
Areas of Expertise
Sociolinguistics & Second Language Acquisition
Multilingual and Multidialectal Translanguaging Practices
Second Language Pragmatics
Societal & Individual Multilingualism
Discourse & Conversation Analysis
Language Learning and Teaching
Study Abroad
Graduate Student Advising
Gerdine Ulysse, “The relationship between language attitudes and literacy: The case of Haitian Gonâviens high school students” (Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition-- Dissertation successfully defended on April 28, 2020).
Joseph Schaefer, "Language Planning & Policy and Variety Integration Approaches for L2 Arabic Programs in US Undergraduate Programs" (Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition-- Dissertation successfully defended on July 29, 2022).
Bianca Brown--Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition-- Dissertation Supervisor and Director for “Looking beyond the native-speaker interlocutor in study abroad: The role of l1 peers, service encounters, and LX communities in target language interaction.” Successfully defended on February 28, 2025.
Seth McCombie—Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition (L2 Arabic study abroad). Successfully defended his dissertation in May, 2025.
Joseph Garcia—Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition (Multilingual and multidialectal practices in L2 Arabic). Fall 2023-present
Esha Mukherjee--Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition (Narrative analysis--multilingual and multidialectal practices in L2 Arabic). Fall 2025-present
Susanna Stranger--Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition (Critical discourse analysis in L2 Arabic contexts). Fall 2026-present.
Frank Dolce, “Expanding discourse options in the foreign language classroom: Teaching turn-taking norms to enhance interactional competence in an advanced Mandarin class” (Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition—Dissertation successfully defended in Spring 2019). Dissertation director: Rémi A van Compernolle.
Nour Kweider, “The relationship between oral language and reading comprehension among heritage language learners” (Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition, in progress). Dissertation codirectors: Seth Wiener & Brian MacWhinny.
Myriam Antoun Abdel-Malek, “A genre-based approach to teaching writing in Arabic: A mixed methods investigation” (Ph.D. in Language, Literacy, and Culture, University of Pittsburgh—Dissertation successfully defended Spring 2017). Dissertation director/advisor: Rick Donato.
Hazem Kawafha, “The impact of teacher cognition on code-switching in Arabic classrooms” (Ph.D. in Linguistics, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia). Thesis director/supervisor: Jill Murray.
External Faculty Mentor: Yassine Rfissa, Ph.D. in Educational Studies, University of Nebraska–Lincoln (Fall 2019).
Courses Taught
82-888 Topics in Second Language Acquisition (Graduate):
(1) Second Language Pragmatics
(2) Sociolinguistics and Second Language Acquisition
82-893 Teaching Apprenticeship: L2 Teaching Methods
82-789 Guided Research: Multilingualism
82-512 Arabic Language and Identity: A Social Perspective
82-412 Topics in Arabic Studies:
(1) Spoken & Written Professional Genres (Developed)
(2) Language and Society in the Arab World (Developed)
82-411 Topics in Arabic Media (Developed)
82-311 & 312 Advanced Arabic (Developed)
82-217 Multilingualism & Multiculturalism in the Arab World (Developed)
82-211 & 212 Intermediate Arabic
82-117 & 118 Arabic Conversation and Dialect (Developed)
82-114 Arabic for Global Exchange
82-111 & 112 Elementary Arabic
82-109 Introduction to Arabic (Developed)
Community, University, and Professional Service
Board Member (and elected Head for the Arabic section), American Association of University Supervisors, Coordinators, and Directors for Language Programs
General Editor for Routledge’s Book Series “Topics in Arabic Applied Linguistics”
Academic Editor and Board Member for Languages
Coordinator & Minor Advisor, Arabic Studies
Arabic Advisory Board Member, AMIDEAST (Washington D.C.).
Fulbright Committee Member--Undergraduate Research Office/Fellowships and Scholarships Office at CMU
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