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Atta Gebril

  • Position: Professor of Applied Linguistics and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research
  • Department: The Department of Applied Linguistics and Educational Studies
  • Email: agebril@aucegypt.edu
Brief Biography

Atta Gebril is a professor of applied linguistics and associate dean for graduate studies and research at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, The American University in Cairo. He obtained his PhD in foreign language and ESL education with a minor in language testing from the University of Iowa. His dissertation work focused on score generalizability of academic writing tasks. He serves on the editorial boards of Assessing Writing, Language Testing and Language Assessment Quarterly. His work has appeared in top-tier journals including Language Assessment Quarterly, Language Testing, Assessing Writing, Second Language Writing, Assessment in Education, Journal of English for Academic Purposes and Teacher Development. His book entitled Assessment Myths, coauthored with Lia Plakans, was published by the University of Michigan Press in 2015. He received several awards in recognition of his work, including the Scopus Award representing the highest-impact scholarship in the field of education in Egypt from Elsevier and the Egyptian Knowledge Bank in 2019, the Best Article Award in the field of language testing from the International Language Testing Association in 2018 and the Abdul Hameed Shoman Award for Arab Researchers for his work in the area of applied linguistics in 2023.

Research Interest

  • Language Assessment

  • Learning-oriented Assessment

  • Second Language Writing

  • Teacher Beliefs 

  • Test Validation 

  • Generalizability Theory 

  • Reading-Writing Connections

Awards
  • The most highly cited applied linguist in Egypt
  • Abdul Hameed Shoman Award for Arab Researchers for his work in the area of applied linguistics in 2023
  • Scopus Award representing the highest-impact scholarship in the field of education in Egypt from Elsevier and the Egyptian Knowledge Bank in 2019
  • George Forster Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers, Humboldt Foundation, Germany (2021 to 2024)
  • The 2017 Best Article in the Field of Language Testing Award, The International Language Testing Association
  • Founding chair of the International Perspectives on Assessing World Languages Conference
  • Founding chair of the International Language Assessment Conference in Egypt
  • Founding chair of the Testing, Assessment and Evaluation Special Interest Group at Nile TESOL
  • Finalist, The 2014 Best Article in the Field of Language Testing Award, The International Language Testing Association
  • Honorable Mention, JSLW Award for the Best Article Published in 2013, Journal of Second Language Writing, 2014
Education
  • PhD, 2006, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Consult
  • Assessment consultant, the ATHAR program — a program developed by The American University in Cairo to provide free online teacher training courses (2024 to 2026)
  • Assessment consultant, MetaMetrics Inc., Arabic language assessment tools for Grades 1 to 12 (2024)
  • Qatar Foundation, Arabic language assessment project (2023)
  • Team leader, scenario-based Arabic language assessment, Teachers College, Columbia University
  • Consultant, UNICEF and Save the Children Whole of Syria Project: Early Literacy Assessment for Syrian Refugees (2018 to 2019)
  • Member, Scientific Council for Language Testing at the National Center for Assessment in Higher Education (Qiyas), Saudi Arabia
  • Advisory board member, Standardized Arabic Proficiency Test, The American University in Cairo (2015 to 2016)
  • Consultant, the Australian Council for Educational Research (2012 to 2017)
  • Consultant, UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research: Arabic admission test for the UAE federal universities (2008 to 2010)
  • Consultant, Al Ayn Proficiency Test, University General Requirements Unit, The United Arab Emirates University (2008 to 2010)
  • Consultant, Second Language Testing International Inc. (2007 to 2012)
  • Reviewer of the Defense Language Proficiency Test 5 in 2007
  • Certified ACTFL and ILR OPI interviewer
Courses
  • Assessment in Language Learning
  • Proposal Writing
  • Research Methods in Applied Linguistics
  • Gebril, A. (2026). Technology-mediated Feedback in Writing Classes: Towards a Learning-oriented Approach. In C.  Mansour, A. Palalas, and P. Uludag (Eds.).  Online Language Assessment: A Constructivist Approach to Theory-Informed Practice (pp.27-44). Springer Nature
  • Gebril, A. & Khan, A (2026). CEFR-Based Language Instruction and Assessment. PASAA Journal, 73. (Guest editors).  
  • Khan, A., & Gebril, A. (2026). CEFR in Asian Contexts: Alignment, Assessment, andEmerging Technologies. PASAA Journal, 73, 1-8. 
  • Gebril, A. (2024). Towards a reconciliatory approach to ungrading in writing classes: A response to Crusan. Journal of Second Language Writing,  66 (4), 101151
  • Gebril, A., & Bali, M. (2024). A Global South perspective on Open science in language assessment: A response to Paula Winke. Journal of Language Testing, 41 (4), 886-89.  https://doi.org/10.1177/02655322241260121
  • Baker, B., & Gebril, A. (2024). The assessment of writing in languages other than English (LOTE). Assessing Writing, 60, 1-2.  
  • Baker, B., & Gebril, A. (2024). The assessment of writing in languages other than English (LOTE). Assessing Writing, 60 (Guest editors).  
  • Gebril, Attta. (2021). Learning-oriented language assessment: Putting theory into practice. New York: Routledge. 
  • Gebril, A., & G. Brown. (2020). Quality of feedback in TESOL: A learning-oriented assessment perspective. In J. Agudo (Ed.), Quality in TESOL and teacher education: From results culture to quality culture. New York: Routledge.
  • Gebril, A. (2020). The interface between teaching, research, and service: An interview with Jim Purpura. Language Assessment Quarterly, 17(3), 316-326. https://doi.org/10.1080/15434303.2020.1771342
  • Plakans, L., Gebril, A., & Bilki, Z. (2019). Shaping a score: The impact of fluency, accuracy, and complexity on integrated skills performances. Journal of Language Testing, 36 (2), 161–179. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532216669537
  • Ohta, R., Plakans, L., & Gebril, A. (2018). Integrated writing scores based on holistic and multi-trait scales: A generalizability analysis. Assessing Writing, 18, 21-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2018.08.001
  • Brown, G., Gebril, A., Michaelides, M., &, Remesal, A.  (2018). Assessment as an emotional practice: emotional challenges faced by L2 teachers within assessment. In J. Agudo (Ed.), Emotions in second language teaching: Professional challenges and teacher education (pp. 205-222). London: Springer. 
  • Gebril, A.  (2018). Arabic language teachers’ conceptions of assessment. In A. Benmamoun and R. Bassiouney (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of Arabic linguistics (pp. 560-574). New York: Routledge. 
  • Gebril, Atta. (2017). Applied linguistics in the Middle East and North Africa: Current practices and future directions. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Gebril, A., & Eid, Michael. (2017). Test preparation beliefs and practices: A teacher’s perspective. Language Assessment Quarterly, 14 (4), 360-379.
  • Plakans, L. & Gebril, A. (2017). Exploring the relationship of organization and connection with scores in integrated writing assessment. Assessing Writing, 31, 98-112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2016.08.005
  • Gebril, A. (2017). Language teachers’ conceptions of assessment: An Egyptian perspective. Teacher Development, 21(1), 81-100. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13664530.2016.1218364
  • Gebril, A. & Plakans, L. (2016). Source-based tasks in L2 writing assessment: Lexical diversity, textual borrowing and proficiency. Journal of English for Academic Purposes (JEAP), 24, 78-88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2016.10.001
  • Crusan, D., Plakans, L., & Gebril, A. (2016). Writing assessment literacy: Teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and practices. Assessing Writing Journal, 28, 43-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2016.03.001
  • Gebril, A. (2016). Educational assessment in Muslim countries: Values, polices, and practices. In G. T. L. Brown & L. R. Harris (Eds.), Handbook of Human and Social Conditions in Assessment (pp. 420-435). New York: Routledge.
  • Plakans, Lia, & Gebril, Atta. (2015). Assessment myths: Applying second language research to classroom teaching. Ann Arbor, Michigan: The University of Michigan Press.
  • Member, TOEFL Committee of Examiner (COE) (2021-2025), Educational Testing Service (ETS)
  • Chair, TOEFL Committee of Examiner (COE) Research Sub-Committee (2023-2024)
  • Member, Nomination Committee for the Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTA) Program at Fulbright (September 2019)
  • Chair, the 2nd International Perspectives on Assessing World Languages (IPAWL), The American University in Cairo, Egypt. (January 2020)
  • Founding Chair, The First International Perspectives on Assessing World Languages (IPAWL), The American University in Cairo, Egypt. (January 2019)
  • International Language Testing Association (ILTA) Best Article Award Selection Committee Chair (2019)
  • International Language Testing Association (ILTA) P-CLASS  Committee member (2020)
  • International Language Testing Association (ILTA) Nominating Committee member (2017-2018)
  • International Language Testing Association (ILTA) Membership Committee member (2018- until now)
  • Member, Selection committee, the Fulbright Egyptian Student Program (September, 2016)
  • Founding Chair, The First International Language Assessment Conference in Egypt (ILACE), The American University in Cairo, Egypt. (Sep. 2- Sep.3 , 2015)