Yacoub Aljaffery

Assistant Professor, English as a Second Language

CB 312
612-330-1345
aljaffer@augsburg.edu
Aljaffery, Yacoub

An Arabic proverb says “Good teachers are like candles, they are immersed in themselves to make light for others”. I have always believed in this proverb and it was one of the reasons that helped me choose to be an educator. I believe that teachers are the main key to change our society for the best by empowering and including all students with no exception. As ESL teachers in classrooms, we are not only teaching the language, but we are shaping the future of these students and we are helping them create goals in their lifetime education. 

Before starting my teaching position at Augsburg University, I have taught at different universities as well as at K-12 settings. I have taught in different countries, including Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea and I have volunteered in many other countries. Therefore, as a teacher educator at Augsburg, I try to combine the book knowledge with my own international teaching  experience and share them with my students because I strongly believe students learn from both theories and real teaching experience.  

I look at education through the lens of  social justice and inclusion. I strongly believe that every voice needs to be heard, every culture needs to be represented, and every language needs to be respected and celebrated in our schools. So, in my teaching, I tend to connect language teaching to students’ identity, native language, and culture. 

If you have any questions about the ESL program or you would like to schedule an advising meeting, please feel free to call my office number or email me and we can set up a time to talk. I look forward to hearing from you. 

 

Education and Certificates 

  • Ph.D. DePaul University- Curriculum Studies
  • M.A. St. Cloud State University- Teaching English for Speakers of other languages (TESOL)
  • B.A. St. Cloud State University- Linguistics 
  • Diploma:Instituto de Cultura y Lengua Costarricense- Spanish

Recent Publications and Conference Presentations

  • Aljaffery, Y, (2023). Refugee Students and Effective Teaching: How ESL Teachers’ Care Made a Difference. Comparative and International Education Society (CIES), February 18, 2023.
  • Aljaffery, Y. (2022. Fleeing Home, Finding Home, and Chasing Dreams: Refugee Journeys to New Spaces for Belonging. Education in Precarious Times. Edited by: Ann Frkovich, Amira Proweller & Karen Monkman
  • Aljaffery, Y. (2020). Best ESL Teaching Practice for Refugee Students. Illinois Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Language-Bilingual Education (ITBE) Conference, February 28, 2020.
  • Ritsuko, R; Aljaffery, Y. (2019). Value-Creating Dialogue to Create Empathy: Bridging Refugee Students and Their Peers in the U.S. Classrooms. American Educational Studies Association (AESA) International Conference, Baltimore. October 30, 2019. 

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