For more than two decades, Ikram Estefan Easton has been an educational leader in foreign language instruction or Arabic language instruction in different capacities (lecturer, department chair, instructional leader, curriculum director, Qatar Foundation International debate judge, and American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages mentor. A native of Syria, Ikram earned a B.A degree from Tishreen University in Arabic Translation and English Literature. She later received her B.S and M.Ed. degrees from Indiana University in Second Language Acquisition, English, and World Civilizations. Ikram holds a Professional Educator’s Teaching License in Arabic, English as a Second Language, and English in three different states (North Carolina, Indiana and Iowa). She is also a board-certified online Arabic instructor who received her national Arabic certification from (ACTFL).
Professor Easton’s research interests include competency- based learning environment, Artificial Intelligence (AI) engagement in World language classroom to boost language skills, curriculum diversification, second language acquisition, and teacher training. Professor Easton also serves as the curriculum director and instructional coach for the Center for Arabic Culture in Boston. Through the University of North Carolina and Learn- NC, she designed the first Arabic online course for high school students. Ikram also started the first public school Arabic program in the state of Iowa in 2005 with four levels of Arabic courses including Middle East culture. As a result, she received the 2006 Belin- Blank Excellence in Teaching Award from The University of Iowa.
During her career, she received a national STARTALK grant to write and implement K-12 Arabic curricula at Georgetown University and the National Capital Language Resource Center. She is also an executive board member of the American Association of Teachers of Arabic (AATA) where she facilitates cooperation among teachers of Arabic, and promotes study, criticism, research and instruction in Arabic language pedagogy, linguistics, and literature. Ikram has chaired the Nomination Committee, Constitution Committee, and panel on Teaching Arabic through Literature at AATA and Middle East Studies Association (MESA). Through the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE), Ikram received a grant to build online innovative modules to enhance language instructions in traditional and online classes.
