Name: Liora Tamir
Email: lct9560@nyu.edu
Program: International Education
Research Interests: Language education in conflict-affected contexts, adult education, non-formal education, women’s education
Principal Advisor(s): Dana Burde
Research Description/Bio: Liora’s research explores the social function of language education in conflict-affected contexts and its implications for intergroup relations. Concentrating on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the case of Hebrew language education for adult Palestinian learners in Jerusalem, the study investigates the inter- and intra- group processes generated by adult language education, by virtue of creating a space for prolonged intergroup contact between Palestinians and Jews in politically disputed and segregated Jerusalem, and through the process of second language acquisition itself.
Through a mixed-methods study consisting of interviews, focus group discussions, classroom observations, surveys, and textbooks analysis, Liora investigates the correlated and potentially causal relationships between language education and intergroup interactions, perceptions, and attitudes in intractable conflicts. Concurrently the study explores how Palestinian learners and Jewish and Palestinian teachers in adult Hebrew-language courses in Jerusalem, who are predominantly women, navigate opposing dynamics of the socio-psychological conditions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the current war, the interactional and communicational opportunities enabled by intergroup contact and the negotiation of individual and group identities afforded by the process of second language acquisition and teaching.
Focusing on language education, the state of ongoing conflict, adult learners and informal education, Liora’s dissertation sheds light on understudied aspects in the field of education in conflict, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the role education plays in ameliorating, perpetuating, or exacerbating intergroup tension and inequality.
Liora joined the International Education program after a decade-long experience as a Hebrew-language teacher in formal and non-formal frameworks in Israel and the US, as an instructor in language teacher-training programs, and as a pedagogical consultant in the field of Hebrew language education for Palestinian women learners in Jerusalem. In this capacity, she has worked with a local grassroots organization and a labor union building Hebrew language programs and writing curricula focused on the exercise of social and labor rights. Liora holds an MA in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies and a BA in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies and Linguistics, both from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Presentations
“The Social Role of Adult Language Education During Times of War: The Case of Vocational Hebrew-
Language Education for Adult Palestinians in Jerusalem.” Israeli Association for the Study of Language and Society Annual Conference. June 24, 2024.
“Vocational language education in times of war: The social role of Hebrew-language programs for adult Palestinians in Jerusalem.” Comparative and International Education Society Annual Conference. Remote. March 6, 2024.
Awards
Global Research Initiative, New York University, Spring 2024.
ASH Professional Development and Research Support Fund, New York University, Summer 2023.
Shearwater Research Grant, New York University, 2023; 2022.