Alumnus of the Month- September 2017
Alaa Jubran
Foreign Language Teaching Assistant Program (FLTA), 2010-2011
Iowa State University
Photo Credit: Rayek Kazmouz
"For me, the FLTA program was an opportunity to introduce a change into my life, to get out of my comfort zone, to explore different aspects of my personality, and to meet exceptional people who have had a positive impact on my life as a person and as a professional."
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A native of Nazareth, Alaa Jubran began his professional training at the University of Haifa where he earned his Certificate in Teaching in 2006. He then began teaching both junior high and high school students. Continuing at the University of Haifa, he went on to get his BA, double majoring in Teaching and English Language and Literature. In 2009, he completed his MA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language.
A year later, Alaa was accepted into the Fulbright Foreign Language (Arabic) Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program. He was placed at Iowa State University where he served as the principle Arabic Instructor in the Department of World Languages and Cultures. In addition to his teaching, Alaa also took a variety of university courses including Religion in America and Teaching Non-Native Speakers Listening and Speaking. In describing the impact his Fulbright- FLTA experience has had on his life, Alaa reflects: "For me, the FLTA program was an opportunity to introduce a change into my life, to get out of my comfort zone, to explore different aspects of my personality, and to meet exceptional people who have had a positive impact on my life as a person and as a professional."
Upon his return to Israel in 2011, Alaa continued teaching at the university level. He started at the University of Haifa, teaching English for academic purposes in the Department of Foreign Languages. The next year he moved to Kinneret College on the Sea of Galilee where he taught in the English Department. In recent years, Alaa continues to teach English for academic purposes at the Open University of Israel in Nazareth and the Max Stern Yezreel Valley College. As a Fulbright FLTA alumnus, Alaa has also been active in serving as a member on the Fulbright FLTA Selection Committee.
Alaa can be contacted at: [email protected].