Intissar Yahia

November 15, 2012

Statement of purpose

I have been interested in applying for the PhD in Second Language Acquisition and Instructional
Technology for a long time, and feel more excited now to express my interest in this program at
your respected University “University of South Florida”. As a successful faculty member at
Zawia University- one of the best universities in Libya- I have the background and qualifications
required for this field, and joining your program would help me bridge the gap between TEFL in
Libya in partial isolation from its authentic environment and the creative, critical and advanced
opportunities offered by your program.

A considerable portion of my studies at the BA and MA levels in Libya has involved studying
English and about English as a foreign Language. As a non native ESL instructor, I have been
doubling the effort to learn English well enough to be a proficient user of English and later to be
a confident instructor to teach a language I learned rather than acquired. Nice journey, though!

My academic studies included a variety of courses that fulfilled my interest in the language such
as a second language acquisition, applied and theoretical linguistics, phonetics and phonology,
and teaching and testing English as a second language. Moreover, my educational journey
provided me a practical foundation for gaining both Grammar learning and teaching skills
through comparing my fist language grammar with all the new grammar points of English that I
was learning. Contrastive analysis of Arabic and English grammar was an important element
that contributed to my engagement with the critically learning and later creatively teaching
grammar. I acquired a perfect skill in simplifying grammar points and topics to understand them
and I stretched this knowledge and interest in my MA thesis in which I conducted a full
literature search, researched and analyzed some grammatical challenges Arabic students face
when learn English as a second language. Therefore, my academic and career records show that I
have been a successful student and teacher alike when it comes to teaching grammar, and for that
I received tens of Thank you letters from my students and colleagues with whom I collaborated. I
was also been nominated twice for an outstanding professional and faculty instructor, and was I
was granted scholarship, from the Ministry of Education in Tripoli, that covered a training
session for English language teachers at Surrey University in England. It was an award that is
1
Intissar Yahia
November 15, 2012
only given to instructors showing leadership characteristics and was meant to prepare them to
train the pre-service teachers in Tripoli and to my joy I was one of those.

After obtaining an MA, I applied to the University of Zawiya, and I was accepted as a
faculty member. I taught there for three years, from 2005 until 2008. My good performance at
teaching English to my undergraduate students did not discourage me from doing community
and volunteering activities. I was an elite coordinator of professional development opportunities
in the department. I also organized free tutoring sessions to the struggling students and pushed
some weak students forward to make them among the best students. I started to realize that part
of my role as a teacher is to influence & motivate my students. I could achieve that by helping
my students to realize the amusement of learning English. It was a very active and interactive
period in my life. I spent so much time on the academic and professional development of the
instructors, students and myself in the department, simply because I had the passion to share my
knowledge of the English language and my perceptions of the field with others. I like to work
within teams and I appreciate the study and work groups and that made teaching English an
enjoyable career to me.

In 2006, my university nominated me for an on-line course in integrating technology in

the classroom, offered by Lewis and Clark College in Oregon, and sponsored by the cultural
department in the American embassy of Tripoli. I was a coincidence that I was awarded an
outstanding result in this course, since my interest in using technology in learning and teaching
English started as early as 2000, when internet was launched to the public in Libya. There were
no courses in integrating technology in TESOL in Libya, but my good background in English
and my enthusiasm, and dedication helped me a lot in utilizing the internet and technology in
enhancing my teaching strategies and in my professional development.

Because my academic and career records show that I have been a creative student and teacher
alike when it comes to ESL, I believe that my skills and experience present an excellent fit for a
candidate in the research and courses offered by your program. I promise that I will be a good
achiever in my study and a good contribute to your program, by participating in the research,
publications and conferences the program tends to hold. I could be challenged to do my PhD in

2
Intissar Yahia
November 15, 2012
the US, after a long time of studying in a country with a different educational and societal
background, but I will definitely be creative and encouraged in your program, because I am
interested in all the courses you are offering. I am also looking forward to expand my knowledge
in instructional technology, and qualitative and quantitative research methods. I could prove to
myself I am able to be successful in the doing my PhD in the US, when I maintained my GPA
4.0 in two semesters at OSU and before I faced all the social, and physical issues, along with the
break out of war in Libya, that ended with my divorce and withdrawal from the program there.

My research interests are focused on the best of the net and Web 2.0 in TESOL, and on the
linguistic and grammatical challenges of Libyan students in learning ESL. I am impressed by the
courses offered in the your program, and I am certain that by joining this program, I will receive
superior, in-depth academic knowledge about teaching English & incorporating efficient
instructional technology in the ESl classroom. The courses will provide me with the practical and
theoretical training required to teach the language I have grown to love. Therefore, I am
confident that I can incorporate this knowledge with my long practical experience of teaching
English in order to conduct research results and implications that can facilitate my main goal to
fill the gap that exists in teaching English language skills in Libya and to make a change in
teaching English from the traditional method to the communicative advanced way American
schools and education are famous for. I believe the program will help me to achieve my
professional and academic goals. I hope to make a difference in education in Libya by utilizing
and sharing the knowledge I will gain in your program. Back to your question about my goal of
joining your PhD program is the following:
 To take the courses work required for your program which is directly related to my interest
and my previous studies and by which I can receive superior, in-depth academic knowledge
about teaching English & incorporating efficient educational technology in the ESL
classroom.
 To get theoretical and practical background in qualitative & quantitative research in my
career in order to share and conduct research with your program as a novice researcher and
before I finish with my PhD and come back home.

3
Intissar Yahia
November 15, 2012
 To contribute with and participate with the conferences, publications and any work I can do
with the program with the focus on the best of the net and Web 2.0 in TESOL, and on the
linguistic and grammatical challenges of Arabic students in learning ESL.
 After I am done with my PhD, I aim to fill the gap that exists in teaching English language
skills in Libya By making a change in teaching English from the traditional method to the
communicative advanced way American schools and education are famous for. I hope to
make a difference in education in Libya by utilizing and sharing the knowledge I will gain in
your program.
 My personal goal as a feminist is to be one of the feminine pioneers who change the stagnant
approach of teaching English in Libya and help connecting future education in Libya with the
American education with all the chances I can get by doing back home with a PhD the US. I
can be a minister in educations in Libya or I can even start an American school or college in
Libya. “Nothing is impossible with the real dedication and determination”.

Given my motivation, dedication, and willingness to work very hard, I am confident I

will be able to make a meaningful contribution to your graduate program and to the coursework
and the research atmosphere in the program. I believe that pursuing and completing the Ed.D. in
TESOL at Alliant International University will be my best opportunity to contribute to the
educational system of Libya, to broaden the students’ English language understanding, and to
ultimately change the status of the English language in Libya from a foreign language to a
second language. I would count it at a great privilege to study at Alliant International University;
I would regard my acceptance as a great honor, as well as a responsibility to my country.