Na'ama Haklai

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

Education

M.A. in English Literature, University of Toronto, 2004
B.A. English literature and Japanese studies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1998

About

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 they 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 her teachings. She aims to create a classroom that has an atmosphere of creativity, intellectual stimulation and fun.

Teaching

Professor Haklai teaches the following courses:

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