Academic Roster Scholars in Residence & Pedagogy

World-Class Native University Faculty.

Meet our distinguished roster of PhD linguists, unvocalized manuscript specialists, and certified ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interviewers. Dedicated to rigorous academic immersion and tailored mentorship.

Faculty Excellence
1x PhD

100% Native Scholars & University Chairs

Every language seminar is directed by career linguists holding doctorates and master's degrees from institutions like Mohammed V University, Al-Qarawiyyin, and American University of Beirut.

24+ Scholars Full-Time Resident Faculty
100% Native Moroccan & Levantine Linguists
14+ Years Average Teaching Experience
8:1 Cap Max Student-to-Faculty Pods
Scholars in Residence

Meet Our Academic Chairs & Lecturers

Our professors combine classical linguistic mastery with modern second-language acquisition theory, preparing students for diplomatic service, academic research, and professional fluency.

YE

Dr. Youssef Elbakiki

Chair of Arabic Linguistics & Syntax
PhD in Classical Grammar, Mohammed V University

With over 16 years of teaching experience across European and North American university cohorts, Dr. Elbakiki specializes in making classical Arabic morphology (Sarf) and complex syntactic derivations (Nahw) intuitive and highly practical for adult learners.

Primary Courses
ARB-101 ARB-204
AB

Prof. Amina Benjelloun

Senior Lecturer in Arab Media & Geopolitics
MA in Journalism & Discourse, AUB Beirut

Former broadcast news analyst at Middle Eastern television bureaus. Prof. Benjelloun leads our high-level communicative fluency tracks, guiding students through unscripted political interviews, debate argumentation, and contemporary Levantine/Maghrebi media.

Primary Courses
ARB-308 Media Lab
TM

Dr. Tariq Al-Mansoor

Director of Classical Exegesis & Manuscripts
PhD in Islamic Paleography, Al-Qarawiyyin Fes

An international authority on unvocalized Arabic paleography and classical rhetoric (Balagha). Dr. Al-Mansoor mentors superior-level scholars and university doctoral candidates in translating centuries-old legal, historical, and philosophical treatises.

Primary Courses
ARB-412 Balagha
FC

Dr. Fatima-Zahra Chraibi

Head of ACTFL OPI Testing & Placement
EdD in Applied Linguistics • Certified ACTFL Tester

Dr. Chraibi oversees our rigorous oral proficiency assessment benchmarks. She trains all Al Andalus instructors in ACTFL and CEFR diagnostic standards, ensuring that every student receives weekly quantitative feedback and targeted pronunciation clinics.

Primary Courses
OPI Lab Phonology
OI

Prof. Omar Idrissi

Lecturer in Dialectology & Immersion
MA in Sociolinguistics, Mohammed V University

Prof. Idrissi directs our flagship 'Shabab al-Mubadala' Moroccan university language partner program. He teaches systematic bridging methodologies between Modern Standard Arabic (Fusha) and Maghrebi Darija for authentic street and marketplace navigation.

Primary Courses
Darija-101 Immersion
LF

Dr. Laila Al-Fassi

Visiting Scholar in Diplomatic Translation
Former Chief Conference Interpreter (UN protocols)

Bringing two decades of experience interpreting for international ministerial summits, Dr. Al-Fassi leads specialized seminars in diplomatic drafting, bilateral treaty translation, and high-stakes negotiation terminology for career diplomats.

Primary Courses
Diplomacy Treaties
Instructional Philosophy

The Three Pillars of Al Andalus Pedagogy

We reject passive memorization in favor of communicative scaffolding, direct target-language immersion, and individualized diagnostic feedback.

Total Communicative Scaffolding

"100% Target-Language Classroom Environment from Day 1"

Our instructors utilize Total Physical Response (TPR), visual cues, and structured discourse routines so that English mediation is eliminated without overwhelming beginning students. You think and speak directly in Arabic.

  • Zero-translation vocabulary acquisition
  • Contextual grammar pattern induction
  • Daily spontaneous conversation drills

Rigorous Syntactic Grounding

"Unifying Classical Nahw with Modern Functional Syntax"

We believe fluency without accuracy is incomplete. Students systematically study triliteral root patterns (Sarf) and case endings (I'rab), allowing them to deduce unfamiliar vocabulary and read unvocalized newspapers with precision.

  • 10 Triliteral verb derivation mastery
  • Unvocalized text reading strategies
  • Functional syntactic accuracy drills

Diagnostic OPI Mentorship

"Weekly Oral Proficiency Assessment & Individualized Clinics"

To ensure every student reaches their target milestone within one semester, faculty members conduct proctored bi-weekly 1-on-1 oral interviews, providing tailored pronunciation and vocabulary prescriptions to overcome plateaus.

  • Bi-weekly 1-on-1 OPI diagnostics
  • Personalized phonology & diction clinics
  • University study-abroad credit portfolios
Faculty Research

Linguistic Contributions & Journals

Our resident faculty actively publish breakthroughs in Arabic second-language acquisition, dialectology bridging, and paleographical manuscript preservation.

Linguistic Pedagogy Journal • 2025

Morphological Scaffolding for Non-Native Speakers

Authored by Dr. Youssef Elbakiki. A peer-reviewed analysis demonstrating how early introduction of the 10 triliteral verbal measures accelerates reading comprehension by 42% among adult beginners.

Arab Geopolitics Review • 2025

The Rabat Lexicon of Modern Diplomatic Discourse

Authored by Prof. Amina Benjelloun & Dr. Laila Al-Fassi. A comprehensive 400-page glossary of high-stakes bilateral treaty terminology, UN conference idioms, and ministerial rhetoric.

Maghrebi Studies Bulletin • 2024

Bridging Standard Arabic & Maghrebi Darija

Authored by Prof. Omar Idrissi. Investigating syntactic cognates and phonological transitions to help foreign university students navigate both classical university lectures and daily Moroccan society seamlessly.

Study Directly Under Master Linguists.

Whether you are joining our flagship campus in Rabat or enrolling in our live interactive online semesters, our professors are ready to mentor your path to total fluency.