Ahmed Almakrob

Dr. Ahmed Almakrob is an accomplished Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics and entrepreneurial innovator with more than 12 years of undergraduate and graduate teaching experience. A recognized scholar and competitive grant recipient (including the 2019 Imam University Research Excellence Award for his PhD dissertation), Dr. Almakrob has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals. He remains passionately committed to advancing cutting-edge educational solutions, exemplified by LifeHandshake: an AI-driven platform that empowers high-school students to choose the right college majors and guides recent graduates toward careers that align with their skills and aspirations.

• MISA (Ministry of investment in Saudi Arabia) Entrepreneurship License
• Misk Launchpad 7.0 Graduation Certificate.
• Smart Healthcare Solutions 1 place winner certificate.

• Achieving the first place in King Saud University’s Digital Health Innovation Hackathon (Smart Healthcare Solutions track, 15–17 May 2025).
• Successfully completed the Misk Entrepreneurship Program(Launchpad 7.0, October 7- December, 12, 20244). This was a 10-week virtual program involving participation in sessions and workshops, developing a pitch deck, company profile, and a minimum viable product for the Startup "LifeHandshake".

• Research Excellence Award for My PhD Thesis (2019), Imam University.
• Imam University, a PhD scholarship in Applied Linguistics (2014-2018)
• King Saud University, a research assistantship for MA in Applied Linguistics (2009- 2013).
• Ministry of Higher Education in Yemen, a financial scholarship for the M.A degree (2009- 2013).
• Ministry of Education in Yemen, a B.A scholarship to King Saud University, Riyadh Teachers' College (2003-2007).
• Ministry of Planning and Development in Yemen, a one-year- financial scholarship to the American Institute in Sana'a (Yale) (2002-2003).
• Spelling Contest Award, Riyadh Teachers' college (2004).
• Fluency and Presentation Awards, the English week in Al-Madina Teachers' College (2004).
• The Dean’s list Award, Riyadh Teachers' College (of all students in the College, I got the highest GPA).

1. Alduais, A., Almakrob, A. Allegretta, V. (2025). Second Language Acquisition: A Scientometric Review. Psycholinguistics, 37 (1).

2. Almakrob, Y. (2024). L2 Comprehension of the Arabic Perfective: Semantically - or Morphologically-driven? Psycholinguistics, 36 (2), 6-37. https://doi.org/10.31470/2309-1797-2024-36-2-6-37

3. Almakrob, A. Y. (2023). How do Arab writers interact with their writers? An analysis of the use of meta-discourse markers. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 13 (6), 1591-1600. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1306.29

4. Almakrob, A. Y, Alduais A, Be, B. and Mhone A.S.M. (2024). Neurodiversity in Saudi Arabia: A Conceptual Model for Inclusive Practices. European Journal of Education, 59 (4).  https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12809

5. Almakrob, A.Y, Alduais A, Mhone A.S.M and Be B. (2024). Neurodiversity in Saudi Arabia: Towards quality education and reduced inequalities. F1000Research, 13:1062. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.155002.2

6. Almakrob, A. Y., Altamimi, W. A & Reema, A. (2023). A pragmatic and semantic analysis of EFL learners’ use of modals: A perception study. World Journal of English Language, 13 (5), 365-374. https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v13n5p365

7. Naji, M.H.S. & Almakrob, A. Y. (2023). How are British English vowels perceived? Evidence from Yemeni EFL learners. World Journal of English Language, 13, 77-89. https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v13n3p77

8. Almakrob, A.Y. (2022). Saudi EFL Learners’ use of Alternative Forms to the English Past Tense: An Aspectual Analysis. World Journal of English Language, 12, 157-165. https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v12n7p157

9. Naji, M.H.S. & Almakrob, A. Y. (2023). Arabic-Speaking EFL Learners’ Pronunciation of British  English Vowels: A Production-Based Study. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 14 (3), 730-739 https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1403.21

10.  Almakrob, A.Y. & Alotiabi, N.S. (2020). Lexical aspect and the L2 acquisition of English past tense morphology by Saudi EFL learners. TESOL International Journal, 15 (3), 58-82

11. Almakrob, A.Y. (2020). Native versus nonnative English writers’ use of hedging in linguistics  dissertations. The Asian EFL journal, 27 (4.2), 360-381.

12. Almakrob, A. Y. and Al-Ahdal, A.A.M.H. (2020). An Investigation of the near-synonyms in the Quran: A collocational analysis. The Asian ESP Journal, 16(5.1), 327-341

13. Almakrob, A. Y. & Al-Ahdal, A.A.M.H. (2020). Culture-Specific Aspects of Turn-taking: An Analysis of Conversations in a Saudi Context. The Asian ESP journal, 16 (2.1), 50-69

1. Ghawaidi, Thabah (2024). An investigation of the Use of interactive metadiscourse markers in Arabic research articles written by native and non-native Authors. Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University.

2. Alotaibi, Azhar (2024). Interactional metadiscourse markers in Arabic research articles: Regional and discipline variations. Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University

1. AlRashidi, Ghada (2023). Analyzing Online Arabic Negative Reviews of Restaurants on Google. Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University.

2. Al Radan, Nada (2023). Students' perspectives on the Role of The EFL Teachers in The Saudi EFL University Classroom. Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University.

3. Al-Haqbani, Musab (2022). Implementing Minecraft as a Tool to Teach Vocabulary in Saudi Intermediate School: An Experimental Study. Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University.

4. Saud, Alenizi (2022). Effectiveness of E-learning Techniques in Teaching and Learning English during COVID-19 Pandemic among Primary School Children in Saudi Arabia. Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University.

• PSAU Deanship of Scientific Research. November 2023, (Grant No. 2023/SDG/46). Advancing Quality Education and Reducing Inequalities in Saudi Arabia through Technology.
• PSAU Deanship of Scientific Research. September 2023, (Grant No. 2023/02/24996). L2 Comprehension of the Arabic Perfective: Semantically - or Morphologically-driven?
• PSAU Deanship of Scientific Research. November 2022 (Grant No. 2022/02/21593). How do Arab writers interact with their writers? An analysis of the use of meta-discourse markers.
• PSAU Deanship of Scientific Research, December 2021(Grant No. 2021/02/17494). Saudi EFL Learners’ use of Alternative Forms to the English Past Tense: An Aspectual Analysis.
• PSAU Deanship of Scientific Research, March 2020 (Grant No. 2020/02/11903). Native versus nonnative English writers’ use of hedging in linguistics dissertations.

Member, English Department Council (PSAU), 2019- Now

Head, Community Service Committee, the Department of English (PSAU), 2020-Now

Head, Exit Exam (Jaheziya) Committee, the Department of English (PSAU), 2022- Now

Coordinator, Research Projects, the Department of English (PSAU), 2019 –2021& 2022- Now

Member, Exams Content Review Committee, the Department of English (PSAU), 2020 – Now

Member, Recruitment Committee, the Department of English (PSAU), 2019 –Now

Member, Study Plan committee (PSAU), 2019 – 2021