About Ghassan Zakaria

For over two decades, Professor Zakaria has been a dedicated member of the Linguistics and Asian/Middle Eastern Languages Department at San Diego State University (SDSU), in addition to his work with the Language Acquisition Resource Center (LARC) at SDSU, the University of Maryland, National University, Cuyamaca College, and Palomar College. He began his professional career in the United States at the United Nations in New York, working in the Arabic Translation Department.

His professional portfolio reflects extensive expertise in Arabic language instruction across all proficiency levels. His teaching portfolio includes a wide range of courses such as Elementary Arabic I & II, Intermediate Arabic I & II, Advanced Arabic I & II, and Distinguished-Level Arabic for highly proficient learners. He has also taught Conversational Arabic, Arabic Culture and Civilization, Arabic for Native Speakers, and various Levantine dialect courses.

Over the years, Professor Zakaria has delivered numerous lectures and professional development workshops for both students and instructors at LARC-SDSU. These sessions have addressed a variety of critical topics, including how to teach grammar in context, effective strategies for working with heritage language learners, Arabic diglossia, cultural globalization and its impact on Arab societies, and the role of Christianity in the Arab world. He has also served as the coordinator for the California Area International Language Network (CA-ILN), where he led initiatives within The STRAND of Less Commonly Taught Languages.

Professor Zakaria has developed a comprehensive collection of instructional materials and proficiency-based assessments in both Modern Standard Arabic and Levantine dialects, aligned with ILR levels 0+ to 3+, for use at SDSU and the University of Maryland.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions, the College of Arts and Letters (CAL) at SDSU named Professor Zakaria Faculty of the Year in 2013. In 2023, he received the Excellence in Teaching Award from CAL and was honored as the Most Influential Faculty Member by the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts at SDSU.