Dr. Etaf Alkhlaifat is an accomplished linguist, educator, and researcher with extensive experience in linguistics, higher education, TESOL, and applied linguistics. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the School of Language Studies at Arab Open University, Bahrain, where she also leads the Translation Unit. She has previously held academic appointments at Western Sydney University, TAFE NSW, Australia, and Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia.
Education
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PhD in Linguistics, Western Sydney University, Australia, 2021
Doctoral Thesis: “A Sociolinguistic Study of Doctor-Patient Interaction in Healthcare Settings: A Jordanian Perspective”
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Master of Educational Sciences (English Language Curriculum and Methodology), Mut’ah University, Jordan, 2007
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Bachelor of Arts in English and German Language & Literature, University of Jordan, Jordan, 2002
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Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40116), ACG Global College, Australia, 2022
Dr. Alkhlaifat’s teaching spans linguistics, TESOL, intercultural communication, and English language skills, delivered at undergraduate, postgraduate, and vocational levels. Her experience includes:
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Linguistics and Applied Linguistics: English Linguistics, Phonetics, Morphology and Syntax, Functional Grammar
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Language Skills & Communication: Listening, Reading, Writing, Conversation, Advanced Writing, English Communication Skills
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TESOL & Teaching Methodologies: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Lesson Planning, Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL), Second Language Acquisition
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Intercultural Communication: Multicultural Nonverbal Communication, Intercultural Pragmatics
She has also supervised graduate students, assessed classroom performance, and contributed to curriculum development in English language teaching.
Dr. Etaf Alkhlaifat’s professional career spans over two decades in education, linguistics, and TESOL, with leadership roles in academic administration and program coordination.
Current Positions:
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Assistant Professor, School of Language Studies, Arab Open University, Bahrain (2025–present)
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Head of Translation Unit, Arab Open University, Bahrain (2025–present)
Previous Positions:
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Faculty Member, School of Humanities and Communication Arts, Western Sydney University, Australia (2021–2025)
- ESOL/TESOL/ESL Lecturer, TAFE Australia, Sydney (Dec 2023–2025)
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Lecturer & Tutor, School of Humanities and Communication Arts, Western Sydney University, Australia (2017–2020)
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Deputy for Vice Dean for Academic Purposes, College of Arts and Education, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia (2012–2015)
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Lecturer, Department of English, College of Arts and Education, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia (2008–2015)
