Atta Gebril : Curriculum Vitae

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Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Atta Gebril

MATEFL Program

English Language Institute

The American University in Cairo

P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt

T: +20-2-2615-1919 Email: agebril@aucegypt.edu

 

 

Current position:

 

Assistant Professor, MA TEFL program, English Language Institute, the American University in Cairo.

 

Education

 

§  Ph.D. in foreign language & ESL education with a minor in language testing, the University of Iowa (USA), 2006. Dissertation title: “Independent and Integrated Academic Writing Tasks: A study in Generalizability and Test Method.

 

§  M.A. in teaching English as A foreign language (TEFL) from Sohag University (Egypt), 2001

 

§  Diploma in Education (two years) from Sohag University (Egypt), 1997

 

§  B.A. in English education from Sohag University (Egypt), 1995

 

Previous Employment

 

Coordinator

Applied Linguistics/TESOL program

The UAE University

2008-2010

Assistant professor

Applied Linguistics/TESOL program

UAE University

2007-2010

Visiting Assistant Professor

 

Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, the College of William and Mary, Virginia

2006-2007

Research assistant

Department of Teaching and Learning, the University of Iowa

2005-2006

Research Assistant

American College Testing (ACT, Inc.)

January 2005 – May 2006

Summer Intern

American College Testing (ACT, Inc.)

June & July 2005

Teaching assistant

Dept. of Linguistics

The University of Iowa

2003-2004

Assistant Lecturer

Sohag University, Egypt

September 2001 – December 2002

Teaching Assistant

Sohag University, Egypt

March 1996- August 2001

 Language Teacher

Sohag Language school, Egypt

September1995- February 1996

 

Courses Taught

 

§  Assessment for language learning

 

§  Research methods in applied linguistics

 

§  Language Testing

 

  • Skills and Strategies for prospective TESOL teachers

 

  • L2 Methodology

 

  • Academic writing for university students

 

  • English language teaching methods

 

  • Educational technology for pre-service teachers

 

  • Foreign language education practicum

 

  • Introduction to Careers and Entrepreneurship

 

  • Arabic literature in translation

 

  • Elementary Arabic for non-native speakers

 

  • Intermediate Arabic for non-native speakers

 

  • Advanced Arabic for non-native speakers

 

  • Microteaching for pre-service language teachers

 

Curriculum Innovations

 

§  A proposal writer for a minor in Educational Linguistics to be offered at the

College of Humanities & Social Sciences, the United Arab Emirates University (2010).

 

§  Participated in developing proposals for two new courses in the Applied

Linguistics program at the United Arab Emirates University: An Introduction

to Applied Linguistics & Discourse analysis (2010).

 

Thesis Advising & Examination

 

§  Internal Advisor of Ghada Murshedi ( MA Student), Applied Linguistics Program, Pennsylvania State University (graduated in May 2010).

 

§  Internal advisor of Ghada Murshedi (PhD student), Curriculum and Instruction program, Pennsylvania State University (started in August 2010).

 

§  External examiner of Hayam William’s PhD dissertation (Title: Exploring Relationships between Continuous Assessment, Student Achievement and

Teachers' Instructional Practices in the EFL Classroom) – Cairo University,

Egypt (2010)

 

 

Publications

 

Published Books

 

  • Gebril, Atta. (2009). Score generalizability in writing assessment: The interface between applied linguistics and psychometrics research. Saarbruecken, Germany: VDM Verlag Dr. Müller.

 

Published papers and book chapters

 

§  Gebril A. & Plakans, L. (forthcoming). Towards a transparent construct of reading-to-write assessment tasks: The interface between discourse features and proficiency. A Special Issue of Language Assessment Quarterly on the Use of Integrated Writing Tasks in Language Assessment

 

§  Gebril, A. (2010). Bringing reading-to-write and writing-only assessment tasks together: A generalizability analysis. Assessing Writing Journal 15 (2), 100-117.

 

§  Atta Gebril (2010). Reading-to-Write Assessment Tasks: Fundamental Issues in Reliability, Validity, and Task Development. In Arshad Samad & Sharifah

Rahman, Readings in Professional Development in Teaching English as a Second Language, pp 89-106. Selangor, Malaysia: Universiti Putra Malaysia

Press.

 

  • Gebril, A. (2009). Score generalizability of academic writing tasks: Does one test method fit it all? Journal of Language Testing, 26, 507-531. 

 

  • Gebril, A. & Plakans, L. (2009). Investigating source use, discourse features, and process in integrated writing tests. Spaan Fellow Working Papers in Second / Foreign Language Assessment 7, 47-84. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan.

 

  • Gebril, Atta. (2009). ACTFL and ILR oral proficiency interviews: A tale of two scales. In C. Coombe, P. Davidson, & D. Lloyd. The fundamentals of language assessment: A practical guide for teachers, 2nd edition, pp. 132-146. Dubai, UAE: TESOL Arabia Publications.

 

  • Gebril, A. (2009). Assessing speaking through oral proficiency interviewing: A panacea for our testing dilemma? Proceedings of the UAE University 10th Annual Conference, Alain, UAE.

 

  • Gebril, A. (2006). English WorkKeys item writers’ handbook. Iowa City, IA:  ACT Inc.

 

  • Gebril, A, Abdellah, A. & Abd Elmonem, G. (2003). English for job search Test. Cairo: USAID.

 

  • Gebril, A & Saddallah, A. (2002). Shared reading. In SPEER: Spotlight on primary English education resources. A resource text for Egyptian educators, supervisors and teachers. Cairo: Academy for Educational Development.

 

Selected Conference Presentations

 

§  Gebril, Atta (2010). L2 writing assessment: new developments and potential challenges. An invited speech, the College of Education, Qatar University.

 

§   Gebril, A. & Ismail, A. (2010). Epistemological development of EFL prospective teachers in two Middle Eastern contexts. 2nd International

Conference on English Language Teaching: Teacher Education and Development, Maltepe University, Istanbul, Turkey.

 

  • Gebril, A. & Plakans, L. (2009). Integrated and independent writing tasks: What's the difference? The American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL) Annual Conference, Denver, Colorado.

 

  • Gebril, A. & Plakans, L. (2009). Building better writing assignments by integrating skills. TESOL Annual Convention, Denver, Colorado

 

  • Gebril, A. & Plakans, L. (2009). Towards a transparent construct of reading-to-write assessment tasks: The interface between discourse features and proficiency. The Language Testing Research Colloquium (LTRC) Conference, Denver, Colorado.

 

  • Gebril, A. (2009). Assessing speaking through oral proficiency interviewing: A panacea for our testing dilemma? The UAE University 10th Annual Conference, Alain, UAE.

 

  • Gebril, A. (2009). Business writing: discourse-proficiency interaction. The TESOL ARABIA Annual Convention, Dubai, UAE.

 

  • Gebril, A. (2008). Score generalizability of academic writing tasks: The intersection of psychometrics and applied linguistics research. The Department of Linguistics Seminar, the UAE University, Alain, UAE.

 

  • Gebril, A. (2008). The effect of tasks and raters on a writing score: A Generalizability analysis. The Current Trends in English Language Testing (CTELT) 12th Annual Conference, Dubai Men’s College, Dubai, UAE.

 

  • Gebril, A. (2008). Assessing L2 academic writing: Why integrated tasks? The 7th Malaysian International Center for English Language Teaching (MICELT) Conference, Seremban, Malaysia.

 

  • Gebril, A. (2007). Reading-to-write Assessment tasks: Possible challenges and contributions. The Current Trends in English Language Testing (CTELT) 11th Annual Conference, Dubai Men’s College, Dubai, UAE.

 

  • Gebril, A. (2007). What does generalizability research offer to writing assessment? The American University in Cairo (AUC) Annual International Language Teaching Conference, Cairo, Egypt.

 

  • Gebril, A. & Noble, Candace. (2006). Testing in an international context. Seminar on the assessment of second language students, College of Education, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA.

 

  • Gebril, A. (2005). Errors made by native and nonnative writers on two business English tests, ACT Summer Interns Conference, ACT, Inc., Iowa City, Iowa.

 

  • Gebril, A. (2004). ACTFL OPI: A test review and research agenda, MwALT conference, Wright State University at Dayton, Ohio.

 

  • Gebril, A., Everson, M. & Schrier, L. (2004). Establishing priorities among stakeholders to insure Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTL) program success, NCOLCTL Conference, Madison, WI.

 

  • Gebril, A. & Borderia-Garcia, A.(2004) Language policy and practice on two continents, TESOL Annual Convention, Long Beach, California.

 

  • Gebril, A. & Borderia-Garcia, A. (2003).  Secondary-school evaluation policy in North Africa and Europe, MwALT conference, University of Purdue, Indiana.

 

  • Gebril, A.(2002).Using the Internet for purposes of research, Fourth Cairo Conference for Returned Participants, Cairo, Egypt.

 

  • Gebril, A. & Burch, R. (2000). Shared reading from a shared perspective, Second EgypTESOl Convention, Cairo, Egypt.

 

  • Gebril, A. (2000) Shared reading from an Egyptian perspective, the TESOL Conference, Vancouver, Canada.

 

  • Gebril, A., Hassan, A., Abu Rahma, M, Abdellah, A. & Mekheimer, M.(1999) Textbook adaptation in Egypt. CLASTATELA EFL conference, Los Angeles, CA.

 

  • Gebril, A. & Hassan, A. (1999). Making teaching humanistic. The First Cairo Conference for Returned Participants, Cairo, Egypt.

 

 

 

Editorial Experience

 

§  Editorial board member, the AUC TESOL Journal

 

§  Research section editor, the AUC TESOL Journal

 

§  Editorial board member, The Journal of Language Teaching and Learning

(JLTL).

 

  • Reviewer, The Modern Language Journal

 

  • Reviewer, Foreign Language Annals

 

  • Former book reviews editor, Perspectives

 

 

 

 

Test Development Experise

 

§  Development team member, English WorkKeys test, ACT Inc.

 

§  Development team member, CEPA Arabic test, Ministry of Higher Education Scientific Research, UAE.

 

§  Consultant, Al Ayn Proficiency test, UAE University.

 

§  Test analysis skills using classical test theory (CTT), generalizability theory, and item response theory (IRT).

 

§  ACTFL/ILR Certified proficiency interviewer

 

 

Consultancy Work

 

§  A member of the committee that developed the 2010-213 strategic plan for

Mohamed Bin Khalid Al Nahyan School (UAE).

 

  •  Consultant, UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. I am part of a committee that is currently working on developing an Arabic admission test for the UAE federal universities.

 

  • Consultant, The Ayn Proficiency Test, University General Requirements Unit (UGRU), The United Arab Emirates University. 

 

  • Reviewer of the 2LTI Arabic/English Translation Test, Second Language

Testing International Inc. in 2010.

 

  • Reviewer of the Defense Language Proficiency Test 5 (DLP5) in 2007 (Working with Dr. Charles Stansfield of the Second Language Testing Inc).

 

  • ACTFL and ILR OPI interviewer – Working with both ACTFL and the Defense Language Institute.

 

  • Member of the Educational Committee of Mohamed Bin Khalid Al Nahyan School, (UAE).

 

  • Worked with IELP-II group as a member of the team that developed the “English- for-job-search” screening test in 2002 (Egypt).

 

  • Facilitator and coordinator of TWO workshops on communicative language methodology organized by the Integrated English Language Teaching Program (USA-ID program) in Egypt (2002).

 

  • Member of the working group that organized the Teaching Practice Seminar in Egypt in 1999 for Egyptian Colleges of Education.

 

  • Taught courses on ‘English for computers’ for university graduates in Egypt as part of a project funded by the Egyptian Ministry of Communications (2002).

 

Professional Certification

 

  • Leader Education Diploma, Dubai School of Government in 2010

 

  • Interagency Language roundtable (ILR) certified proficiency interviewer

 

  • ACTFL OPI certified proficiency interviewer

 

  • Level (A) teaching certification from the University of Iowa

 

  • Instructional Design certificate from the Teaching Clinic (California) in 2003

 

 

Professional Affiliation

 

  • American Council on Teaching Foreign Languages (ACTFL)

 

  • National Council on Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCLCTL)

 

  • East Coast Organization of Language Testers (ECOLT)

 

  • Midwest Association of Language Testers (MwALT) Association

 

  • TESOL

 

  • EgypTESOL

 

  • Foreign Language and ESL Education Association (FLEESA) at the University of Iowa.

 

  • TESOL ARABIA

 

 

Community & Leadership Activities

 

  • Graduate Student Representative, the Midwest Association of Language Testers (MwALT) (2005-2006)

 

  • One of the founders of the “Culture for Development” Society in Sohag, Egypt.

 

  • President of the ESANA Unit at the University of Iowa (2004-2006).

 

  • Vice president of the ESANA Unit at the University of Iowa (2003).

 

  • Coordinator of the Language Club at Sohag University from 1997 – 2001

 

  • Contributor to a recruitment CD at the University of Iowa.

 

 

Honors and Awards

 

  • Recipient of the Reeves Center International Presenter Award (College of William & Mary, Virginia, USA) in 2006.

 

  • Recipient of the Iowa Testing Program Conference Award ( The University of Iowa, USA) in 2004 and 2005.

 

  • Recipient of the University of Iowa Student Government (UISG) Conference Award in 2004

 

  • Grant from a USAID-funded project in Egypt to attend an “Instructional Design Certificate” program in Orange County, California, 2003.

 

  • Distinguished Participant Award from the International Institute of Education in 2002.

 

  • My MA Thesis, The effect of a suggested program on developing the descriptive writing skills of English majors at Sohag Faculty of Education, was selected by the University of Sohag for publication and distribution to Egyptian and Arab universities throughout the Middle East, 2001

 

  • Recipient of an International Participant Award from USAID to attend and present at the TESOL conference, 2000.

 

  • Grant from a USAID-funded project in Egypt to attend a summer institute at California State University at LA on teaching foreign languages for children, 1999.

 

  • Highest GPA in my Special Diploma class in 1997

 

  • Highest GPA in my B.A. class in 1995

 

 

 

 

Research Grants

 

§  The 2010 United Arab Emirates University Research Grant (13541 UAE Dh.): Investigation of the writing tasks required by university professors at the

UAE University.

 

§  The 2009 TOEFL Committee of Examiners (COE) Grant from Educational Testing Services (ETS) (112600$) with Dr. Lia Plakans of the university of Iowa: Discourse features, organizational structures, and source use in TOEFL iBT integrated writing tasks

 

  • The 2008 Spaan Fellowship in Foreign/Second Language Assessment  ($4,000). 2008. The University of Michigan with Dr. Lia Plakans of the University of Iowa: Investigating source use, discourse features, and process in integrated writing tests

 

§  Dissertation Grant ($1,150) from the Egyptian Cultural and Educational Bureau ( ECEB) at Washington DC.

 

 

University Service

  • Institutional Review Board (IRB) Committee member, the American University in Cairo.
  • Academic Affairs Committee, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, The American University in Cairo.
  • Member of the Task Force on setting standards for literacy and linguistic competence at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, The UAE University. 
  • Member of the organizing committee of the first Careers and Entrepreneurship Seminar organized by the UAEU College of Humanities and Social Sciences in November 2008. 
  • Textbook committee coordinator, the Dept. of Linguistics and member of the textbook committee at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (2007-2008). (The UAE University)
  • Member of the Benchmarking and Accreditation Committee at the Department of Linguistics (2007-2008). (The UAE University)
  • Member of the organizing committee of the Linguistics Day at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (2007-2008). (The UAE University)
  • Representative of the Dept. of Linguistics at the UAE University Recruitment Day in March 2008. (The UAE University)

Workshops

  • Organized two workshops on teaching skills for pedagogically non-qualified teaching assistants at Egyptian Universities in 2002 – in collaborations with Drs David Eskey and Eleanor Black.
  • Organized two workshops on test-taking strategies for The UAE University students in the 2007 - 2008 academic year and two workshops on the same topic in the 2008 Fall semester - in collaboration with Dr. Ali Shehadeh.
  • Organized two workshops on test-taking strategies for The UAE University students in the 2008 - 2009 academic year and two workshops on the same topic in the 2009 Fall semester - in collaboration with Dr. Ali Shehadeh.

US-based Academy for Educational Development ( AED) Training

 

  •  Six-week summer institute on “Teaching English for Children” at California

State University, Los Angeles, 1999 (Funded by Academy for Educational

Development)

 

  • 3- Week training on Instructional Design, The Training Clinic, San Deigo,

California, 2002 ( Funded by Academy for Educational Development)

 

Egypt-based Academy for Educational Development ( AED) Training

 

§  5-Day Workshop on Best Teaching Practices Videos ( October 2002)

 

§  5- Day Workshop on Primary Methodology Resources ( September 2002)

 

§  5-Day workshop on Developing Screening Tests ( October 2001)

 

§  5-Day Workshop on ESP course Design and Materials Development ( August

2001)

 

§  2-Day RFA ( Request for applications) Workshop ( May 2000)

 

§  5-Day Workshop on Internet Skills for English Language Teaching

Professionals ( April 1999) .

 

§  5-Day Workshop on Creative Use of Audio-Visual Materials IN Language

Classes ( November 1998)

 

§  5-day Workshop on Primary Education Resources ( July 1998)

 

 

 

Proficiency Interviewing Training

 

  • 4-Day Workshop: ACTFL/OPI Tester Renorming in May 2007 (White Plains,

NY by ACTFL)

 

  • 4-Day Certification Workshop: Speaking Assessment Using both ACTL/ILR

Sacles in August 2005 (White Plains, NY by ACTFL)

  • 4-day Workshop: ILR Oral Proficiency Interview ( OPI) Tester Training in

May 2005 (White Plains, NY by ACTFL)

 

  •  4-Day Workshop: ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview ( OPI) Tester Training in

May 2005 ( Madison, WI by ACTFL)

References (in alphabetical order)

 

Dr. Annie Brown

Assistant Director,

Assessment & Professional

Development Unit

Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research, UAE

P.O.Box 45372, Abu Dhabi, UAE

T: 97126951399

Email: abrown@hct.ac.ae

 

Dr. Mary Lou McCloskey

Director of Teacher Education and Curriculum Design, Educo.

1958 Starfire Drive, NE

Atlanta, Georgia 30345

Tel: 404-636-9711

 Fax: 404-636-1595

Email:mlmcc@mindspring.com

 

Dr. Micheline Chalhoub-Deville

Dept. of Educational Research Methodology

University of North Carolina, Greensboro

217 Curry Building

PO Box 26170

Greensboro, NC 27402

Phone: 336-334-3472

E-mail: chalhoub-deville@uncg.edu

 

Dr. Lia Plakans

Department of Learning and Teaching

College of Education

The University of Iowa

N274 Lindquist Center

Iowa City, IA 52242

Phone: 319 335 5565

Email: lia-plakans@uiowa.edu

 

 

Dr. John Eisele

Dept of Modern Languages

College of William and Mary

Williamsburg VA 23185

Phone: 757-221-3145

fax: 757-221-3637

Email: jceise@wm.edu

 

 

Dr. Charles Stansfield

Second Language Testing, Inc.

6135 Executive Blvd., Rockville MD 20852

Phone: 301-231-6046

Fax: 301-231-9536

Email: CStansfield@2LTI.com

 

Dr. Michael E. Everson

Dept. of Teaching and Learning

The University of Iowa

N240 Lindquist Center

Iowa City, IA 52242

Phone: 319- 335-6175

Email: michael-everson@uiowa.edu