Dr. Rasha ElHawari, PhD

Wide experience teaching Arabic Literature (Classic and Modern) as well as Arabic Language Courses (all levels).  My role as the coordinator for the Semitic Languages Program: Arabic and Hebrew Language courses includes both academic and administrative tasks. Over the years, I have advocated for the addition of a variety of new courses including Modern Arabic Fiction and Arabic Women Writers as well as separate Heritage Language classes. I continuously update and build up the program (plan courses, monitor needs and demands etc.) as well as ensure the academic success of the courses offered at Concordia University. 

My extensive experience brought me to Concordia University more than ten years ago. Prior to that, I worked at York University and Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario as well as at Middlebury College in Vermont. In addition to that, I have taught both Arabic and English as Foreign Languages at Alexandria University. My research interests  in the field of teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language are in the field of Arabic Culture and Identity. Mainly, heritage language education, language and identity, and second language acquisition.

Education

2005         Ph. D. in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language, Alexandria University, Egypt.
1994         MA in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language, Warwick University, United Kingdom.
1992         Graduate Diploma in Applied Linguistics, Egypt.
1990         BA in English Language and Literature, Egypt.       

Languages

I am a native bilingual speaker of both Arabic and English, and a fluent speaker of French. I also have basic communication skills in German.

Recent Courses

    2025-2026

MARA310³/ RELI 398B      Introduction to the Literature of the Arab World (cross                                               listed with the Religion Department)

MODL398³/ RELI 398A      Poetic Voices of Medieval Iberia: Arabic, Hebrew, And  Castilian Traditions

(cross listed with Religion Department & co-taught with Hebrew and Spanish Programs)                                                  

MARA240⁶                        Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic

MARA200⁶                        Introduction Modern Standard Arabic I             

2024-2025

MARA206⁶                        Introduction Modern Standard Arabic II

MARA320³                        Modern Arabic Fiction

MODL398³                        Medieval Tales in the Mediterranean: Arabic, Italian, and Spanish Traditions. (co-taught with Hebrew and Spanish Program)  

MARA240⁶                       Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic    

           

Earlier courses taught include

MARA398³/ENGL398        Arab Women Writers (cross-listed with English Department). 

MARA203³                               Modern Standard Arabic - Heritage 1

Other Teaching Experience

Department of Languages, Literatures & Linguistics, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Department of Languages and Literatures, Faculty of Arts, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Middlebury Arabic Summer School, Middlebury- Vermont, USA

Teaching Arabic as a Heritage Language; Publisher : Routledge;  2020

A resource for instructors, researchers, and students in the fields of TAFL and TASOL, as well as linguists interested in Heritage language learning and teaching.