Dr. Ibraam Abdelsayed | Language Policy | Best Researcher Award

Research Focus

Dr. Abdelsayed’s research bridges Arabic linguistics, sociolinguistics, language policy, and plurilingual education. His primary research focuses on the maintenance and transmission of Arabic as a heritage language among immigrant communities in Italy, particularly through the AHLI (Arabic as Heritage Language in Italy) project. He also explores plurilingual teaching strategies in multicultural classrooms under the PluM project, which involves over 1,200 educators across Italy. His earlier work includes corpus development for spoken Arabic and the study of lexical frequencies in Egyptian Arabic. He is also active in research related to language assessment, having contributed to test development for the CILS exam. His sociolinguistic inquiries extend to language contact phenomena between Arabic and Italian, especially in Tuscany, and how these dynamics influence language learning and identity. Dr. Abdelsayed’s scholarship is both empirically rich and socially relevant, with the goal of fostering linguistic diversity, inclusive education, and intercultural dialogue in European contexts.

🏅 Awards and Honors

Dr. Ibraam Abdelsayed has received academic distinction throughout his studies, including cum laude honors for his Master’s degree and an “Excellent” grade for his PhD dissertation. His educational journey has been supported by international scholarships and Erasmus placements, reflecting his academic merit and global engagement. He has been entrusted with leading national-level research projects such as AHLI (Arabic as Heritage Language in Italy) and PluM (Plurilingual and Multicultural Classrooms), highlighting his leadership and scholarly impact. His appointment as Coordinator of the Arabic Network at ANILS and Subject Expert in Arabic, Anthropology, and Language Education at the University for Foreigners of Siena further affirms his academic stature. He is also a certified CILS Exam Trainer and Test Developer, roles that showcase his excellence in language assessment. Dr. Abdelsayed’s numerous invitations to speak, train, and collaborate at institutional and national levels are strong indicators of the recognition he has earned in his field.

🛠️ Skills

Dr. Abdelsayed’s core competencies include Arabic language pedagogy (MSA and Egyptian Colloquial), translation studies, sociolinguistics, and curriculum design. He is skilled in academic writing, lexical analysis, language policy, and heritage language education. Technologically adept, he utilizes Microsoft Office, Google Suite (Docs, Meet, Forms, Classroom), Moodle, and educational platforms like Wordwall and LearningApps. He is proficient in remote teaching tools such as Zoom, Teams, and Skype. His multilingual fluency—Arabic (native), Italian (C2), English (B2), and German (B1)—enhances his cross-cultural effectiveness in both research and instruction. As a test developer and trainer for the CILS certification, he brings a nuanced understanding of language assessment. His collaborative and leadership skills are evident from his coordination roles at ANILS and national projects. With a pedagogical style rooted in inclusivity and interculturalism, Dr. Abdelsayed is also experienced in teacher training and student supervision, making him a well-rounded academic and educational leader.

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