Summary of Qualifications Hajer Zarrouk (Ph.D.):

In addition to a Ph.D. in linguistics, English language didactics (Le Havre University, France), I have taught courses in English for General and Specific Purposes in different domains in Tunisia and in KSA for more than 20 years. I am a writer of short stories for young second language learners, an international certified trainer IBCT and OXFAM in addition to holding the position of an internal auditor in Higher Education and Academic Development (UOH). Throughout my career I have spoken at both national and international conferences in TESOL. In the framework of action research, I conducted workshops for teachers mainly non-Arabic speakers on cognitive learning with multimedia, memory techniques and memory-enhancing techniques, learning domains, the constructivist approach in teaching the writing skill and methodologies in teaching ESP. I have also worked on course design and development; a skill which has been harnessed through authoring course materials, working on different scientific projects as well as quality assurance in Higher Education. I have headed and participated in different committees in relation to scientific research, language assessment, curriculum development and teacher professional development. Since the outbreak of Covid19 pandemic, I have accompanied my students online and ensured lessons and pedagogical continuity using the UVT platform in Tunisia, Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet. Using Miro for online groupwork was real fun for my students. I have recently received a two-month intensive training to become a certified referent of students’ entrepreneurs in the University of Carthage. This was a new challenge, but a wonderful learning experience which has had its direct impact on my students’ motivation and involvement in new life projects.

My area of expertise includes coaching, innovative teaching methodologies and action research. Among my scientific works is a book entitled Problem Based Learning in ESP Teaching from Theory to Practice that is available for sale worldwide. In my current institution, I have joined the scientific committee and I been working on scientific projects and articles related to marine sciences and had several publications with them. This extended my knowledge in different subjects and their writing conventions to include Medical English, Business English, English for Science and English for marine sciences and the seafood industry.