Hello, I’m Rima! I earned my undergraduate degree in Applied English Linguistics from the University of Jordan (Amman, Jordan). In order to gain a more scientific understanding of language acquisition, I decided to pursue my Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), and obtained it from Kent State University.
During my MA, I conducted a research project to gain a deeper insight into teacher psychology in language teaching. I wanted to learn more about how native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) may experience impostor syndrome in the language classroom as there are few studies that research NESTs’ challenges with impostorhood as English teachers. In my study, I focused on the construct of teacher self-efficacy and how it can be affected by impostor syndrome, and through a mixed-methods study, I was able to learn about their varying experiences with impostorhood.
My research interests include teacher psychology, as well as translanguaging and how it is used by speakers all over the world to communicate with one another. I am eager to learn more about how language learners use their linguistic repertoire and both internal and external resources to interact with others and acquire a new language. I am also interested in research that aims to integrate translanguaging programs in schools and other institutions to facilitate the use of every language the user knows to help them feel equipped to learn and validated no matter what their linguistic background is.