He received his Ph.D. in Near Eastern Studies with a specialization in Arabic Linguistics from the University of Michigan. He has published a highly-regarded series of textbooks for learners of Arabic (increasingly perfected over the course of twenty years), two books to help guide Arabic instructors, and he has presented annually on Arabic instruction for the last ten years. While serving on the faculty of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Al-Batal also began developing web-based Arabic listening materials, which have culminated into the COERLL-sponsored website "Arabic Voices," providing videos at six different proficiency levels with pre- and post-listening questions, speed control and intensive listening options, and vocabulary assistance. Thomas Garza, Ed.D.Foreign Language Education, Harvard University