صورة المتقدم

Dr. Zainab Khalid Al-Najafi

Senior Lecturer · Applied Linguistics
z.alnajafi@uobasrah.edu.iq +964 780 442 1196 Basra, Iraq ORCID 0000-0003-7741-2208

Research Interests

Bilingual education in Iraqi public schools, second-language acquisition in conflict-affected contexts, and the integration of mother-tongue Arabic with English-medium instruction at the primary level. Current work focuses on the lasting cognitive effects of disrupted early-childhood schooling on adult literacy and the design of recovery curricula at the basic-education stage.

Education

Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics
2014 — 2018
University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Thesis: Mother-Tongue Maintenance and English-Medium Instruction in Post-2003 Iraqi Schools
M.A. in TESOL
2012 — 2013
University of Manchester · Distinction
B.A. in English Language and Literature
2007 — 2011
University of Basra · First Class Honors

Selected Publications

  • Al-Najafi, Z., & Roberts, M. (2024). Mother-tongue maintenance under English-medium policy: Evidence from Iraqi primary schools. Applied Linguistics Review, 15(2), 311–334.
  • Al-Najafi, Z. (2023). Disrupted schooling and adult literacy outcomes in post-conflict contexts. International Journal of Educational Development, 102, 102873.
  • Al-Najafi, Z., & Smith, K. (2022). Code-switching as a pedagogical resource in Iraqi primary classrooms. Linguistics and Education, 67, 101012.
  • Al-Najafi, Z. (2021). Teacher beliefs about bilingual instruction: A mixed-methods study from southern Iraq. TESOL Quarterly, 55(4), 1124–1148.

Academic Service

  • Reviewer — Applied Linguistics, Linguistics and Education, TESOL Quarterly (since 2020)
  • Co-organizer — Iraqi Forum on Applied Linguistics (2023, 2024)
  • Curriculum Committee Member — University of Basra, Department of English (since 2022)
  • External Examiner — master's theses, University of Mosul and University of Kufa (2023–2024)
  • Mentor — British Council "Researcher Connect" programme, MENA cohort (2022–present)