Utah State University assistant professor Shireen Keyl leaves in August for a year of teaching and research at the University of Jordan in Amman, a trip made possible by a Fulbright grant she was awarded recently.
She says her research interest is in language.
“I’m really interested in what an English as Foreign Language program looks like in an institution of higher education,” says Keyl. “I’m also interested in looking at English as a Foreign Language courses that are provided in an NGO, Non Governmental Organization setting.”
Her students in Utah are teachers in training. She hopes her experience in Amman can inform their perspective about the part of the world where she will spend the next year.
“I tell my students at USU it’s only a matter of time before you may see a little girl wearing hijab in your classroom, so you need to be aware of how you interact with and understand that young person as their teacher. Because your own prejudices and the way you frame that young girl can have a lasting impact on her educational and academic trajectory.”
Shireen Keyl is a faculty member in USU’s School of Teacher and Education Leadership.