Na'ama Haklai

With over twenty years’ experience in language related fields and ten years’ experience teaching Hebrew at Queen's University, Professor Haklai learned that second language acquisition varies from student to student in as much as people themselves are different. Some students gravitate towards an almost mathematical understanding of language; while others absorb language mainly through auditory learning.  Both sides are just as important and vital when learning a new language.

With these understandings in mind, professor Haklai  discusses in every step how a single grammatical building block supports a whole.  At the same time, she embeds these elements in a variety of examples, letting students create and sound out their own sentences as we go along.  The purpose of this is to provide students with the foundation and confidence to use a new system of communication, gradually moving towards an environment where these elements serve to express ideas.

With a background in literature and an interest in new teaching technologies, Professor Haklai incorporates Hebrew literature, movies, TV shows and current social themes from Israel into my teachings. She aims to create a classroom that has an atmosphere of creativity, intellectual stimulation and fun.

Research interests: Second language acquisition, contemporary Hebrew literature and culture

Courses Taught: HEBR 190: Introduction to Modern Hebrew, HEBR 294: Intermediate Hebrew, HEBR 301: Special Topics in Hebrew, HEBR 393: Reading Modern Hebrew Literature.