Dima Zaid-Kilani

My research interest stems from my experience as an English as a second language (ESL) teacher and my status as a non-native English speaker. I have taught English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and Communication at different post-secondary institutions in Ottawa since 2017. Additionally, I taught Language Instruction for New Comers (LINC) at the Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB), and ESL at the Carleton District School Board (OCDSB). This diverse experience and my passion for teaching and learning gave me an insightful perspective on the challenges that face novice ESL teachers, in particular, novice non-native teachers. My research seeks to investigate the high incidence of attrition of novice ESL teachers in the Canadian context. I will look closely into the factors that affect novice teachers’ identity construction and confidence in their teaching ability. Ultimately, my findings will provide unique insight into current ESL issues in Canada, and more notably, suggest how any differences between native and non-native teachers’ experiences may impact non-native ESL teachers’ plans and conceptualizations of belonging within Canada.

I am a second-year doctoral full-time student in Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies (ALDS) under the supervision of Dr. Guillaume Gentil and Dr. Jaffer Sheyholislami. I hold a Master’s in Education with a concentration in Second Language Education, and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. I have a Graduate Certificate in Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language (TESFL).

Areas of Interest:

• Non-native ESL teachers
• Novice teacher attrition
• Self-efficacy
• Professional identity construction