Editor’s Note: Via our “Grantee Corner” column, we update our supporters on the activities of our various grantees. News about their publications and presentations, the completion of their final reports/deliverables to TIRF, awards/recognition they may receive, and so on will be highlighted from time to time in Grantee Corner. We encourage our awardees to get in touch with us to share their accomplishments, so that we may let our supporters and donors know what they have achieved. Click here and use the menu options to learn more about our awardees.

Recently Finished Doctoral Dissertation Grant (DDG) Recipients

Several DDG awardees completed their doctoral programs and recently had their final reports to TIRF approved. These grantees include the following individuals:

• Emma Chen (2022 DDG Awardee)
  • Doctoral Institution: University of Saskatchewan
  • Study Title: Transnational Parent Knowledge in Heritage Language Education: A Narrative Inquiry with Three Chinese Immigrant Mothers
  • TIRF Research Topic Investigated: Plurilingualism in Business, Industry, the Professions, and Educational Contexts

• Inoussa Malgoubri (2024 DDG Awardee)
  • Doctoral Institution: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • Study Title: Empowering Multilingual Learners through Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy and Arts-Based Learning in Burkina Faso
  • TIRF Research Topics Investigated: (1) Language Planning & Policy; (2) Research on Revitalization of Endangered Indigenous Languages

• Yan Zhao (2021 DDG Awardee)
  • Doctoral Institution: University of Melbourne
  • Study Title: Investigating the Impact of the National Matriculation English Test (NMET) in China: A Mixed-Methods Approach
  • TIRF Research Topic Investigated: Language Assessment

Publications Activities

A number of our grantees have been contributing to the knowledge base of our field with their publication activities. Their family names and first initials are in boldface below in the APA citations of some of their latest published works. To learn more information about our Doctoral Dissertation Grant recipients, click here (and then select the “Recipients” tab); to learn more about our Sheikh Nahayan Fellows, click here.

Abdel-hamid Ibrahim, N., & Abdel Latif, M. M. M. (2024). Matches and mismatches between Egyptian high school EFL teachers’ grammar instruction practices and beliefs. In K. M. Bailey & D. Nunan (Eds.), Research on teaching and learning English in the Middle East and North Africa (pp. 76-88). Routledge & TIRF.

Al-Surmi, M., Uludag, P., & Manasreh, M. (2024). Introducing a curriculum-based tutoring model in the Foundation English Program at Qatar University. In K. M. Bailey & D. Nunan (Eds.), Research on teaching and learning English in the Middle East and North Africa (pp. 144-157). Routledge & TIRF.

Aridi, R., Kozma, E., Kassab, S., McBride, K., Merhi, M., & Shrestha, R. (2024). English reading in primary school students in Lebanon. In K. M. Bailey & D. Nunan (Eds.), Research on teaching and learning English in the Middle East and North Africa (pp. 23-35). Routledge & TIRF.

Bernstein, K., Bhattacharya, U., & Johnson, J. (2024). Transcription as ethics:(Re) Presenting young children’s complex communicative repertoires in Applied Linguistics research. In P. I. De Costa, A. Rabie-Ahmed, & C. Cinaglia (Eds.), Ethical issues in applied linguistics scholarship (pp. 87-109). John Benjamins. doi.org/10.1075/rmal.7.06ber

Bernstein, K. A., Henderson, K. I., Chaparro, S., & Alvarez, A. (2024). Creating DLBE programs that center equity in the face of school choice policies. In M. G. Delavan, J. A. Freire, & K. Menken (Eds.), The gentrification of dual language, bilingual and immersion education: Solution-oriented research and stakeholder resources for real integration (pp. 271-284). Multilingual Matters. https://zenodo.org/records/10519390

Bryfonski, L., & Mackey, A. (2024). The art and science of language teaching. Cambridge University Press.

Davis, L. (2025). The TOEFL Test of Spoken English and the genesis of an ETS approach to speaking assessment. In L. Davis & J. M. Norris (Eds.), Challenges and innovations in speaking assessment (pp. 40-57). Routledge.

Durán, L., & Bernstein, K. A. (2024). Names y nombres: Names as gateways to biliteracy in multilingual early childhood classrooms. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 24(3), 523-550. https://doi.org/10.1177/14687984241276304

Esseili, F. (2024). Language preferences in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: An exploratory study. In K. M. Bailey & D. Nunan (Eds.), Research on teaching and learning English in the Middle East and North Africa (pp. 197-208). Routledge & TIRF.

Galante, A. (2025). Plurilingual and pluricultural competence: Origins, current trends, and future directions. In C. Fäcke, X. Gao, & P. Garrett-Rucks (Eds.), The handbook of plurilingual and intercultural language learning (pp. 333-347). John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394165957.ch24

Gardiner-Hyland, F. (2025). EAL teacher leaders’ knowledge, voice, and leadership identity in Irish schools. Second Language Teacher Education, 3(2), 48-170. https://doi.org/10.3138/slte-29978-Gardiner

Hammad, E. A. R. (2024). Factors contributing to Gaza pre-service teachers’ poor proficiency in English language. In K. M. Bailey & D. Nunan (Eds.), Research on teaching and learning English in the Middle East and North Africa (pp. 209-220). Routledge & TIRF.

Iftikhar, H., Azim, M. U., & Ali, I. (2024). Bane or boon: ChatGPT in learning English language in Pakistan. Jahan-e-Tahqeeq, 7(1), 370-383.

Selvi, A. F. (2025). “Native” or “non‐native”: Who’s worth more? Where do we stand on Medgyes’ “worthiness” question after 30 years?. TESOL Journal, 16(1), e70006.

Uştuk, Ö., & Yazan, B. (2024). An English language teacher candidate’s tensions in the context of Turkey: What does an identity-oriented practicum course offer? In K. M. Bailey & D. Nunan (Eds.), Research on teaching and learning English in the Middle East and North Africa (pp. 114-127). TIRF & Routledge.

Uştuk, Ö., & Yazan, B. (2024). Tensions in an identity‐oriented language teaching practicum: A dialogic approach. TESOL Quarterly, 58(1), 363-393.

Üzüm, B., Akayoglu, S., Turnbull, J., & Yazan, B. (2025). Using telecollaboration to prepare teacher candidates for plurilingual students. In C. Fäcke, X. Gao, & P. Garrett-Rucks (Eds.), The handbook of plurilingual and intercultural language learning (pp. 379-397). John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394165957.ch27

Yahia, E., & Elsheikh, A. (2024). The impact of culture on Sudanese EFL learners’ self-efficacy. In K. M. Bailey & D. Nunan (Eds.), Research on teaching and learning English in the Middle East and North Africa (pp. 103-113). Routledge & TIRF.

Updates

Nicholas Limerick

Nicholas Limerick (TIRF’s 2020 Alatis Prize recipient), Associate Professor of Anthropology and Education at Teacher College Columbia University, was recognized by AAAL (American Association for Applied Linguistics) as the organization’s First Book Award Winner for 2025. The book, Recognizing Indigenous Languages: Double Binds of State Policy and Teaching Kichwa in Ecuador, is published by Oxford University Press.

Newly Elected AAAL Officers & Committee Members

Several TIRF awardees have been elected to leadership positions at AAAL. Each TIRF awardee highlighted below will take office in March 2026.

• Secretary: Virak Chan (2015 DDG Awardee & 2023 Alatis Prize Co-Recipient)
• Nominating Committee Member: Bedrettin Yazan (2013 DDG Awardee)
• Nominating Committee Member: Nelson Flores (2019 Alatis Prize Co-Recipient)
• Dissertation Award Committee Member: Katie Bernstein (2013 DDG Awardee)

To read the full announcement about the newly elected AAAL officers and committee members, including bios of the TIRF awardees mentioned above, click here.