Sunny-Boy Ahmar MahboobView profile
Associate Professor
Associate Professor Sunny-Boy Ahmar Mahboob is a distinguished linguist at the University of Sydney, where he serves as Degree Coordinator for the Master of Crosscultural and Applied Linguistics program within the Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. With extensive experience in applied linguistics and language education, Dr. Mahboob has established himself as a leading expert in World Englishes, TESOL, and language variation research, both nationally and internationally. Dr. Mahboob's educational background includes: BA from Karachi MA from Karachi MA from Indiana University MEd from Sydney PhD from Indiana University (2003) Dr. Mahboob's primary research focuses on language variation in global contexts, with particular attention to World Englishes, the NNEST (Non-Native English Speaking Teachers) movement, language policy, and decolonial approaches to linguistics. His work critically examines how language policies and practices affect educational outcomes and social justice, especially in postcolonial contexts like Pakistan and the Middle East. He pioneered 'appliable linguistics' - an approach that bridges theoretical linguistics with practical applications in education and policy, emphasizing the need for linguistic theories to address real-world problems. His recent publications reveal a strong trajectory toward decolonial linguistics, with increasing focus on subaltern perspectives, environmental connections to language diversity, and critical examinations of colonial legacies in language education. Dr. Mahboob's work consistently addresses power dynamics in language teaching and the need for more inclusive approaches that value linguistic diversity across educational contexts from primary schools to universities. Dr. Mahboob has received numerous prestigious awards: 2019: Australia's Research Field Leader in English Language and Literature (The Australian's Research magazine) 2012: Fellow of the National Talent Pool; President's Programme for Highly Qualified Overseas Pakistanis 2006: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Teaching Award, University of Sydney 2005: Teaching Initiative Award and Fellow of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities 2004: ECU Research and Creativity Award 2002: 'Distinguished President Award' from INTESOL, Indianapolis As an academic mentor, Dr. Mahboob supervises research students including Ruohong CAO (Developing Mandarin Learning Materials for Young Learners in Australia through Positive Discourse Analysis) and Tracy GAO (Evaluating Chinese Language Textbooks: A Sociosemiotic Perspective). His editorial work includes serving as Editor of TESOL Quarterly (2014-2017) and Associate Editor for multiple linguistics journals. Dr. Mahboob has secured significant research funding for projects including the SLATE (Scaffolding Literacy in Academic and Tertiary Environments) project and indigenous language funding initiatives in Australia. Dr. Mahboob founded and leads the International Free Linguistics Conference series, which has become an important platform for critical and alternative approaches to linguistics. His 'SLATE project' focuses on genre-based pedagogy for academic writing, and he actively collaborates with researchers across multiple continents through the World Englishes research network. His recent work increasingly explores the connections between language diversity and environmental sustainability, positioning linguistic ecology as a critical component of broader ecological concerns.









