Mourad Abdennebi

Mourad Abdennebi is a doctoral candidate in the Second Language Acquisition and Teaching (SLAT) Graduate Interdisciplinary Program at The University of Arizona, working under the supervision of Dr. Janet Nicol in the Second Language Lab. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Mohammed V University in Morocco and a master’s degree in Applied Linguistics from Texas Tech University. Mourad’s research centers on cognitive and neural mechanisms that support adult second language learning — especially vocabulary acquisition through multisensory input, embodied learning, gestures, and visual stimulation. His interests include the neuroscience of second language acquisition, psycholinguistics, working memory, bilingualism, visual learning, and the use of large language models and machine learning in computer-assisted language learning (CALL). He also explores the impact of textual thinking and digital social reading on language development. Deeply committed to service learning and community engagement, Mourad has worked with organizations such as the American Language Center, World Leadership School, and CorpsAfrica, and serves as the President of the University of Arizona’s Graduate and Professional Student Council (GPSC) in 2025-2026.