Hussain Modaffar

Syntax, Semantics, Pragmatics, Language Acquisition and Discourse Analysis

Hussain Modaffar is affiliated with Jazan University in KSA and a current Ph.D. student at GMU specializing in Generative Syntax, with a focus on the interface of syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. His research explores the intricate relationships between these domains to better understand linguistic structure and meaning. In addition to his primary focus, Hussain has also contributed to the fields of language acquisition and discourse analysis, examining how language is learned and processed, and how it contributes to the understanding of meanings in real-life contexts.

Current Research

Negative Concord in Farasani Arabic: Evidence for a Uniform Syntactic Agreement Model (USAM) of Arabic with Cross-Linguistic Implications

Selected Publications

Modaffar, H. (2026). Acoustic Correlates of the Voicing Contrast in Farasani Arabic Stops: A Voice Onset Time Analysis. Mason Archival Repository Service (MARS), George Mason University. https://hdl.handle.net/1920/15094

Modaffar, H. (2026). The effects of skill acquisition–based practice on the acquisition of the English present progressive aspect by Saudi EFL learners. Mason Archival Repository Service (MARS), George Mason University. https://doi.org/10.13021/MARS/15335

Modaffar, H. (2025). Negative Concord in Farasani Arabic: Evidence for a Uniform Syntactic Agreement Model (USAM). Mason Archival Repository Service (MARS), George Mason University. https://doi.org/10.13021/MARS/15217

Modaffar, H. (2026). Glottal Stop Deletion in Farasani Arabic: An Acoustic-Phonetic Investigation. Mason Archival Repository Service (MARS), George Mason University. https://doi.org/10.13021/MARS/15231

Courses Taught

Jazan University (KSA):

ENG-253 Introduction to Linguistics

ENG-376 Syntax

ENG-457 Discourse Analysis

ENG-462 Sociolinguistics

ENG-461 Phonology

ENG-244 Phonetics

ENG-335 Translation 2

ENG-345 Academic Writing

ENG-122 Writing 2

Education

Earned his Bachelor's degree from Jazan University in 2012 and completed his Master's degree at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago in 2017. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. at George Mason University (GMU).