Rana Sammour-Shehadeh

I received a B.A. in Psychology and English Language and Literature, a teaching Certificate in English and an M.A. in Learning Disabilities from the University of Haifa.

My study, under the supervision of Dr. Anat Prior and Dr. Janina Kahn-Horwitz, will examine the effects of phonological and orthographic characteristics in Arabic as L1 on spelling in English as FL. The study will distinguish between spelling errors that occur as a result of L1 interference and are unique to EFL learners as opposed to errors that occur as a result of the characteristics of the English orthography and are evident in L1 learners as well.

In addition, the study will examine whether individual differences in susceptibility to interference in spelling are connected to individual differences in English proficiency and executive functions abilities.

E-Mail: ranasammour@hotmail.com