Zahraa Alnajjar is a distinguished Arabic professor with over 18 years of teaching experience in Modern Standard Arabic and Levantine dialects, as well as Middle Eastern culture, history, geography, and media. She holds a Ph.D. in Literary Studies (with honors) from Aleppo University and has taught at prestigious institutions including Johns Hopkins University, American University, and the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute.

Alnajjar specializes in integrating cultural insights from her lived experience in the Middle East into her teaching, helping students grasp the nuances between formal Arabic and the dialects used in media and daily life. She has extensive experience working with professionals and diplomats, providing intensive language instruction and cultural training.

An accomplished scholar, Alnajjar has published over 30 literary reviews and articles and has presented at academic conferences in the U.S. and Syria. She is an active member of several professional associations, including the American Association of Teachers of Arabic and the DC Arabic Teachers’ Council. Her teaching is characterized by interactive methods, multimedia use, and a deep commitment to student development.