Thanks for visiting! I am an applied linguist and I conduct research in the interdisciplinary field of second language acquisition, with a particular interest in the intersection between sociolinguistics and second language acquisition. The crux of my scholarship focuses on underscoring the relationship and inconsistency between language ideologies and everyday actual sociolinguistic practices in societal and individual language use contexts. To this end, my primary research interests include second language pragmatics and translanguaging (e.g., multilingual and multidialectal practices). Some of my recent publications in this domain have appeared in peer-reviewed venues such as Applied Linguistics, The Modern Language Journal, Foreign Language Annals, System, etc. And my efforts to share the work I do go beyond publishing venues, and have included lecturing, giving paper presentations, and serving on PhD dissertation committees in the US, Australia, Canada, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Spain, France, UAE, and the UK. 

At Carnegie Mellon University, I mentor graduate students in second language acquisition, and teach a variety of courses in Arabic Studies, Second Language Acquisition, and Applied Multilingual Studies. Prior to joining Carnegie Mellon University, I taught at The University of Arizona, and directed and codirected study abroad programs around the Arab region, including Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco.

Education

Ph.D. & M.A., The University of Arizona, Second Language Acquisition and Teaching.   

Publications

Books

Al Masaeed, K. (Under contract). Interactive and multilingual practices of L2 Arabic users: Insights from conversations-for-learning. New York: Routledge. 

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. (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— CMU Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition (Multilingualism and study abroad)—Fall 2021-present.

Seth McCombie— CMU Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition (L2 pragmatic development in study abroad)—Fall 2022-present.

Joseph Garcia— CMU Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition (L2 development in study abroad)—Fall 2023-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”

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

Additional Links

Google Scholar Profile 

ORCID Profile