Scholars

Assistant Professor

Positions:

Assistant Professor, Liberal Arts (Qatar), Texas A&M University at Qatar

Research Areas:

Identity (Psychology), Women in engineering, Second language acquisition, Arabian Peninsula, Language and languages--Variation, Heritage language speakers, Sociolinguistics, Multilingualism, Arabic language, Applied linguistics, Qatar, Intercultural communication--Social aspects, Discourse analysis, English language--Foreign countries, Translanguaging (Linguistics)

Single Page Bio

sara.hillman@qatar.tamu.edu

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overview

I am an applied linguist with specialization in the interdisciplinary fields of second language studies and sociolinguistics. Broadly, I seek solutions to language-related problems with the goal of empowering individuals and communities. My research takes a qualitative, sociological, and anthropological approach to understand how people learn, teach, and use languages, as well as people's ideologies about languages and the intersection of their language ideologies, language use, and social identities. I am also interested in how these intersections both shape and are shaped by pedagogies and broader language planning and policy. I have primarily conducted research with underexplored populations of Arabic-speaking university students and teachers, both within the context of Arabic heritage language classrooms in the United States and English-medium instruction (EMI), American branch campuses in Qatar.

education and training

Ph.D. in Second Language Studies (SLS), Michigan State University - (East Lansing, Michigan, United States) 2011
M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Language, Michigan State University - (East Lansing, Michigan, United States) 2006
Cert. in TESOL, American University - (Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States) 2002
B.A. in International Relations, American University - (Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States) 2002

selected publications

Academic Articles9

Graham, K. M., Eslami, Z. R., & Hillman, S. (2021). From English as the Medium to English as a Medium: Perspectives of EMI Students in Qatar. System. 102508-102508.
Hillman, S., Selvi, A. F., & Yazan, B. (2020). A scoping review of world Englishes in the Middle East and North Africa. World Englishes.
Ahmad, R., & Hillman, S. (2020). Laboring to communicate: Use of migrant languages in COVID-19 awareness campaign in Qatar. Multilingua. 0(0),
Hillman, S. (2019). ‘It will be funny [to speak Hindi]’: Travelling Englishes and perceptions about learning migrant languages in Qatar. Transitions Journal of Transient Migration. 3(2), 177-200.
Hillman, S. (2019). “I’m a Heritage Speaker of the Damascene Dialect of Arabic”: Negotiating the Identity Label of Arabic Heritage Language Learner. Heritage Language Journal. 16(3), 296-317.

Chapters1

Hillman, S. K. (2015). Basic Arabic for health care professionals. Trace, J., Hudson, T., & Brown, J. D. (Eds.), Developing Courses in Languages for Specific Purposes. (pp. 35-47). University of Hawai'i.