Research

At the Chair of Romance Linguistics, we conduct research on language as an inherently dynamic, cognitive and social phenomenon.

Our ongoing research projects and qualification theses currently cover the following aspects, among others:

Topics

• Multilingualism, language contact, heritage and minority languages, including multi-word units (MWU) in multilingual speakers and learners
• Synchronous language variation, language comparison and diachronic language change, including linguistic expression of SPACE and MOVEMENT in the Romance languages and in Romance-based Creole languages, MIRATIVITY / Unexpectedness in Spanish, French and Italian
• Discourse linguistics and standardisation research, e.g. in the field of maritime French and creole languages, blue humanities, Francophone research

Theories

• Functional-cognitive and usage-based language modelling (including construction grammar and cognitive linguistics)
• Pedagogical construction grammar and second/third language acquisition research (interface between linguistics/didactics/educational sciences)
• Sociolinguistics, incl. historical sociolinguistics
• Discourse linguistics

Empirical methods

• Synchronous and diachronic corpus linguistics
• Experimental approaches: Stimulus-based & interactive elicitation methods, acceptability studies
• Digital discourse analysis (social media)

• Ethno- and sociolinguistic methods (e.g. interviews, questionnaires, LL, etc.)