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Heike WieseView profile

Professor

• Multilingualism
• Urban Contact Dialects
• Heritage Speakers
• +4 more

Prof. Dr. Heike Wiese is a Professor of German in Multilingual Contexts at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and founder of the Centre “Language in Urban Diversity”. Her research focuses on the dynamics of multilingual settings, including urban contact dialects like Kiezdeutsch and Namdeutsch, linguistic discrimination, and the intersection of grammar and information structure. She leads projects on German in multilingual environments and has authored influential works such as Kiezdeutsch: A New Dialect Emerges (2012), which challenged monolingual ideologies through its analysis of urban youth language. Her work integrates sociolinguistic and structural linguistic perspectives, emphasizing communicative situations as foundational to linguistic systems. Notable contributions include studies on heritage speakers, register differentiation in Namibian German, and the cognitive underpinnings of numerical language. Wiese collaborates with educational institutions and museums, advocating for linguistic pluralism and combating stigmatization of non-standard dialects. Her research spans theoretical linguistics, sociolinguistics, and applied linguistics, with a focus on language contact, multilingualism, and the societal impact of linguistic diversity. Awards include the Susanne K. Langer Award (2005) for Numbers, Language, and the Human Mind . She is a member of the Academia Europaea and actively contributes to policy discussions on language education and migration.

• Romance Linguistics
• Historical Linguistics
• Semantics
• +7 more

Professor of Romance Philology at the University of Tübingen , Sarah Dessì Schmid holds a W3 chair focusing on Italian and French Linguistics with Spanish and Catalan. She serves on the Faculty Council of Humanities and the University Senate , and is Dean of Studies for the Faculty of Humanities. Her affiliations include the Accademia della Crusca (Corrispondente), Deutscher Italianistikverband , and Società Internazionale di Filologia e Linguistica Italiana . She co-leads projects in the CRC 1391 "Andere Ästhetik" and CRC 883 "The Construction of Meaning" . Education : Studied at Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza" (1990-1995), earned PhD (2003) and Habilitation (2013) at Tübingen Research Interests span: Verbal Semantics : Temporal structures, aspect, Aktionsart, TMA categories, modal imperfect Functional Categories : Onomasiological approaches to aspectuality, mirativity Philosophy of Language : Cassirer and Croce's theories Historical Linguistics : Grammaticalization, standardization, linguistic purism Variational Linguistics : Algherese dialect, creole languages Recent Publications focus on aspectuality (De Gruyter monograph, 2019), grammaticalization of Romance languages, and intersections between linguistic purism and early modern aesthetics. Her projects in CRC 1391 examine connections between "pure language" discourses and early modern etiquette systems, while CRC 883 explored lexicon-grammar interactions in aspectual meanings. Scientific Organization includes: 2024 International Workshop "Constants and Innovations in Romance Verbal Periphrases" 2024 Workshop "Reine Sprache, guter Ton" (CRC 1391) 2022 Linguistic Section of Italianist meeting in Munich 2021 International Workshop on nominal/verbal aspect interfaces

• Machine Learning
• Computational Neuroscience
• Natural Language Processing
• +3 more

Michael Hahn is a Tenure-Track Professor (W2) at Saarland University's Saarland Informatics Campus, directing the Language, Computation, and Cognition Lab (LaCoCo). He holds dual affiliations with the Department of Language Science and Technology and the Department of Computer Science. Hahn earned his PhD from Stanford University in 2022, advised by Judith Degen and Dan Jurafsky. Education: PhD in Computational Linguistics, Stanford University (2022) Research Interests: His work bridges machine learning and cognitive science, focusing on information processing in machines and the brain. Key areas include understanding transformer architectures, computational cognition, and the theoretical foundations of neural networks. He investigates how models like GPT-2 simulate human cognitive limitations, explores biases in perception, and develops methods for mechanistic interpretability. Recent Achievements: Best Paper Award at ACL 2024 for 'Why are Sensitive Functions Hard for Transformers?' Outstanding Area Chair at EMNLP 2024 Recipient of the Second Prize at ICML 2024's Mechanistic Interpretability Workshop Lab & Collaborations: The LaCoCo Lab focuses on advancing theoretical and applied research in NLP and machine learning, with recent work on chain-of-thought reasoning limits, state space models, and evolutionary pressures in word order.

Anne SchröderView profile

Professor

• varieties of English around the world
• Cameroon Pidgin English
• Tense and Aspect
• +2 more

Prof. Dr. Anne Schröder holds the Chair for English Linguistics at the University of Bielefeld, Germany. She is affiliated with the Faculty of Linguistics and Literary Studies, specifically within the Department of English Linguistics. Her academic roles include Deputy Head of the Department of English/American Studies and membership in the SFB 1646 (Linguistic Creativity in Communication) as an Associate Member, as well as involvement with the Center for InterAmerican Studies. Education: Anne Schröder studied English and French at the Universities of Caen (France), Bristol (UK), and Freiburg i. Br. (Germany), where she earned her PhD in English Linguistics. She previously served as Assistant Professor at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and as a lecturer at Chemnitz University of Technology. Research Interests: Her work focuses on global English varieties, Cameroon Pidgin English, Tense and Aspect systems, morphological productivity, and contemporary English in Namibia. Her publications include seminal works such as Status, Functions, and Prospects of Pidgin English (2003) and Analogy, Copy and Representation (2018). Professional Activities: She contributes to interdisciplinary research through her roles in the SFB 1646 and Center for InterAmerican Studies, reflecting her engagement with linguistic creativity, cultural processes, and cross-border academic collaboration.

Ute K. BoonenView profile

Professor

• Dutch Linguistics
• Historical Language Studies
• Translation Studies
• +5 more

Prof. Dr. Ute K. Boonen is a Professor of Dutch Language and Culture at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Department of Dutch Studies within the Faculty of Humanities. She serves as Director of the Institute for Lower Rhine Cultural History and Regional Development (InKuR) and is a board member of the Lower Rhine Academy (NAAN). Her academic career includes roles as Junior Professor (2014–2023) and research assistant, focusing on Dutch linguistics and historical language studies. Her research spans contrastive linguistics (Dutch-German-Afrikaans), memory culture in German-Dutch border regions, and early modern translation practices. Key projects include DFG-funded studies on Dutch as an intermediary language in 17th/18th-century translations and the role of Ysselsteyn war cemetery in memory culture. Collaborations involve institutions like the University of Zurich and Leiden's IvdNT. Boonen’s publications cover topics like lexical innovation in Dutch/Afrikaans, national stereotypes in language education, and medieval Dutch legal language. She teaches courses on Dutch linguistics, translation theory, and cultural history. Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to language, history, and cultural exchange.

Alessandro TavanoView profile

Lecturer

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Neurophysiology
• Perception
• +4 more

Alessandro Tavano is a Lecturer in Differential Psychology at Goethe University (since 2018) and a Senior Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (since 2014). He holds a PhD in Philosophy (2003) and habilitation as an Associate Professor of Psychobiology (2014) from the University of Trieste. His career includes academic roles at the University of Leipzig, University of Udine, and University of Nova Gorica, focusing on cognitive neuroscience, neurolinguistics, and clinical psychology. Education : PhD in Philosophy, University of Trieste (2003) Habilitation as Associate Professor of Psychobiology, Italy (2014) MSc in Psychology (2010), BSc in Psychobiology (2009), both from University of Trieste EEG training at University of Barcelona (2008–2009) Research Interests : His work explores how temporal dynamics shape perception and cognition, including neural oscillations in sensory processing, speech rhythms, and clinical studies of subcortical structures. He investigates neural synchronization in naturalistic stimuli (e.g., movie-watching) and integrates EEG/MEG, eye-tracking, and behavioral data. Recent projects bridge clinical neurology with neurophysiological methods. Grants & Collaborations : Long-term collaborations include the Max Planck Institute, University of Leipzig, and Research Institute “E. Medea.” His work spans interdisciplinary domains like neuroaesthetics and language acquisition. Labs & Affiliations : Affiliated with the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics and Goethe University’s psychology department. His research lab focuses on temporal prediction mechanisms and neural tracking of speech.

Diana ForkerView profile

Professor

• Caucasus Studies
• Language Documentation
• Sociolinguistics
• +5 more

Prof. Diana Forker is a full professor of Caucasus Studies and Languages of the Caucasus at Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, holding a Heisenberg Chair. She leads research in East and West Caucasian languages, focusing on language documentation, sociolinguistics, and typology. Her work emphasizes endangered languages, contact phenomena, and areal linguistics. Education : MA in Linguistics (Leipzig), PhD in Linguistics (Leipzig, 2011), Habilitation (Bamberg, 2016). Positions : Full Professor at Jena (2019–present), Substitute Professor at Jena (2016–2019), Lecturer at Bamberg (2011–2016), Feodor Lynen Fellow at James Cook University (2013–2014). Research Interests : Language documentation of minority Caucasian languages, sociolinguistic dynamics in the Caucasus, grammatical typology, and language contact. She directs projects like LexCauc and has contributed to corpora and dictionaries for minority languages. Awards : Georg von der Gabelentz Award, Otto Hahn Medal, Wilhelm von Humboldt Prize, and Habilitationspreis (Best Habilitation). Grants & Projects : Major funding from Volkswagen Foundation, DFG (Heisenberg Program), and BMBF, focusing on Caucasus resilience, language contact, and digital lexicons. Teaching : Courses on Caucasus cultures, linguistic anthropology, and Caucasian languages. Supervises PhD and MA students in ethnolinguistics and sociolinguistics.

Pierre MalgoubriView profile

Professor

• Descriptive linguistics
• Dialectology
• Dialectometry
• +3 more

Pierre Malgoubri is a Full Professor of Linguistics at the University Joseph Ki-Zerbo of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. He holds academic leadership roles including former Director of the School of Letters, Arts and Communication (2015-2019), Director of Professional Education (2012-2015), and Head of the Linguistics Department (2008-2010). His academic journey includes a Master's in Linguistics from the University of Nice (1985) and dual PhDs from the University of Nice (1988) and Leiden University (2011). Research interests focus on descriptive linguistics, dialectology, and sociolinguistics with emphasis on African languages. His work explores dialectometric analysis, language variation in Burkina Faso, and language planning initiatives. Notable contributions include studies on Bwamu, Bisa, Saan, and Nuni dialects. Prof. Malgoubri has served on editorial boards including Rss-PASRES since 2015 and contributed to trilingual Moore-French-English dictionary projects. His administrative roles reflect strong commitment to university professionalization and community engagement.

Aine ItoView profile

Assistant Professor

• Psycholinguistics
• Language Prediction
• Non-native Language Processing
• +7 more

Prof. Aine Ito is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies at the National University of Singapore (NUS), within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Her research focuses on language prediction mechanisms, non-native language processing, bilingualism, and the role of orthographic information in comprehension. She uses eye-tracking, EEG, and behavioral experiments to investigate these areas. Education: PhD in Psychology (2016), University of Edinburgh MA in Linguistic Studies (2012), University of Essex BA in Chinese (2011), East China Normal University Research Interests: Her work explores real-time language comprehension challenges faced by non-native speakers, particularly in predicting linguistic input. She examines how orthographic cues influence listening comprehension and develops methods to enhance L2 processing through predictive mechanisms. Grants & Funding: MOE Tier 1 Grant (2025–2028): Prediction adaptation in bilinguals NUS Humanities Seed Fund (2023–2024): Bilingual spoken language corpus Academic Research Fund (2022–2025): Enhancing prediction for L2 comprehension Lab & Collaborations: Leads the Bilingualism and Language Processing Lab at NUS, focusing on bilingual comprehension and L2 learning. Collaborates internationally on projects involving register variation, cognitive models, and prediction mechanisms.

• Syntax
• Information Structure
• Intonation Analysis
• +8 more

Prof. Dr. Susanne Winkler is a Senior Professor (since October 2024) and Chair of English Linguistics at the Faculty of Humanities of Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen. Her research focuses on syntactic theory, information structure, and the syntax-prosody and syntax-pragmatics interface. She leads projects within the Collaborative Research Center (SFB 833) and the Research Training Group (GRK 1808), investigating topics like focus and extraction in complex constructions, ambiguity in discourse, and the syntax-discourse interface. Research Projects: SFB 833 Project A7: Focus and Extraction in Complex Constructions GRK 1808: Ambiguity in Production and Reception Experimental Syntax and Neurolinguistics Her work bridges formal syntax, psycholinguistics, and discourse analysis, with contributions to understanding how syntactic structure interacts with processing and discourse coherence. She has co-edited volumes on topics like information structure and freezing effects, and her research often emphasizes empirical methods. Prof. Winkler oversees a team including Dr. Paula Menéndez Benito, Dr. Andreas Kehl, and PhD students like Lorenz Geiger and Maren Ebert-Rohleder. She collaborates with institutions like the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics and hosts interdisciplinary workshops (e.g., ISA 2019 on Information Structure and Ambiguity).

• Gǝʿǝz Philology
• Ethiopian manuscript culture
• Hagiography
• +4 more

Dr Hagos Abrha Abay is an Assistant Professor of Gǝʿǝz Philology at the University of Hamburg and founder of the St. Yared Center for Ethiopian Philology and Manuscript Studies. Holding a PhD from Addis Ababa University (2014), he specialises in the critical edition, cataloguing, and cultural analysis of Ethiopian Christian manuscripts, particularly hagiographic and non-codex forms that mediate between oral and written traditions. Research Interests: His work bridges philology, anthropology, and heritage science, focusing on non-codex Gǝʿǝz manuscripts, healing practices embedded in manuscript culture, and the global networks of Ethiopian Christianity. He explores how unconventional manuscript formats—scrolls, amulets, and ritual objects—function within community life and archival memory. Publications & Trends: Across his eight recent articles he combines meticulous textual criticism with ethnographic attention to manuscript use, revealing how Ethiopian communities produce, conserve, and repurpose written artefacts for devotion, therapy, and identity negotiation. Awards & Grants: He held the prestigious Petra Kappert Fellowship at CSMC (2019–2022) and leads digitisation campaigns in Tǝgray monasteries. Outreach & Leadership: Beyond academia he chairs the Wejjerat Development Association and curates the “Mahilete Gumaye” cultural preservation initiative, demonstrating commitment to safeguarding endangered heritage through poetry and community engagement.

• Prosody
• Intonation
• Phonetics
• +5 more

Prof. Bettina Braun is a faculty member at the University of Konstanz, specializing in prosody and intonation. Her research explores intonational contrasts, listener processing, and second language acquisition. She teaches phonetics, phonology, and experimental methods, and was honored with the students' teaching prize. She holds regular office hours and is supported by a secretary, Barbara Werner. Research focuses on how prosody interacts with lexical meaning, particularly in questions and sarcasm. Cross-linguistic studies feature prominently, including work on German, Persian, Chinese, and Swiss dialects. She emphasizes experimental methods, including Active Learning systems for perception experiments. Her work also examines infant-directed speech and L2 acquisition challenges. Key contributions include analyses of rhetorical vs. information-seeking questions, the role of pitch accents, and the impact of native language on prosodic perception. Ongoing projects are detailed on her dedicated page. Scientific awards include the University of Konstanz student-recognized teaching prize. Her lab's work is supported by collaborations in corpus development, such as the Konstanz prosodically annotated infant-directed speech corpus (KIDS corpus). She actively publishes on intonation’s role in disambiguation and cross-cultural communication.

• Formal Semantics
• Syntax-Semantics Interface
• Semantics-Pragmatics Interface
• +7 more

Maribel Romero is a Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Konstanz since 2007. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (1998), with a dissertation on focus and reconstruction effects in wh-phrases. Previously, she taught at the University of Pennsylvania (1998–2007), progressing from Assistant to Associate Professor. Her research focuses on formal semantics, syntax-semantics interfaces, and semantics-pragmatics interactions. Key areas include negation, questions, epistemic bias, copular sentences, and superlatives. She has pioneered work on counterfactual conditionals, polar question bias, and clausal embedding restrictions across languages. Romero has led major projects funded by DFG, ERC, and the Nuance Foundation. Notable initiatives include the Questions at the Interfaces research unit and the Meaning-Driven Combinatorial Restrictions AHRC-DFG project. She has also held editorial roles for Journal of Semantics and Language and Linguistics Compass , and serves on advisory boards for the DFG and Leibniz-ZAS. Teaching responsibilities span introductory linguistics to specialized courses in semantics/pragmatics (e.g., Intensional Semantics , Computational Semantics ). She has also contributed to summer schools at Stanford and Humboldt University Berlin.

Mark-Matthias ZymlaView profile

Research Fellow

• Computational Semantics
• Syntax/Semantics Interface
• Formal Pragmatics
• +5 more

Mark-Matthias Zymla is a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Konstanz's Department of Linguistics specializing in computational linguistics. His work bridges theoretical linguistic frameworks with practical computational implementations, focusing on semantic representation and processing. His primary research interests include computational semantics, the syntax/semantics interface, formal and computational pragmatics, with particular expertise in tense and aspect systems, argumentation theory, discourse particles, and rhetorical questions. He develops computational tools like LiGER (Linguistic Graph Expansion and Rewriting) that integrate syntactic analyses from LFG and Universal Dependencies with semantic annotations using Glue Semantics. Zymla has taught numerous courses at the University of Konstanz including Computational Semantics, Lexical Functional Grammar, Large Language Models, and Grammar Development across multiple semesters since 2015. His research is supported by projects like CUEPAQ (Visual Analytics for Argument Quality), VALIDA, and tense/aspect research funded by the Nuance Foundation. He actively participates in the ParGram community, co-organizing meetings in Rochester (2023) and Groningen (2022), and co-founded the 'SuP' reading group on semantics and pragmatics at Konstanz. His publications demonstrate strong interdisciplinary work connecting computational linguistics with visual analytics, argumentation studies, and cross-linguistic semantic annotation.

Annie ZaenenView profile

Researcher

• Formal Linguistics
• Computational Linguistics
• Natural Language Processing
• +3 more

Annie Zaenen is a renowned researcher in linguistics and computational linguistics. She holds a PhD from Harvard University (1980) with a thesis on Extraction Rules in Icelandic, contributing to early work in Generative Grammar. She played a pioneering role in developing Lexical-Functional Grammar (LFG) alongside Joan Bresnan and Ronald Kaplan, establishing foundational principles like functional uncertainty and long-distance dependencies. For over 25 years, she led application-oriented initiatives at the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), bridging linguistics and computer science. She received an honorary doctorate from the University of Konstanz in 2024 for her contributions to formal linguistics and natural language processing technologies. Education: PhD in Linguistics, Harvard University, 1980 (Thesis: Extraction Rules in Icelandic) Research Focus: Zaenen's work integrates theoretical linguistics with computational applications, emphasizing syntax theory and practical systems for language processing. Her contributions to LFG and cross-disciplinary teamwork have influenced both academic and industrial advancements. Awards: 2024 Honorary Doctorate from University of Konstanz Professional Impact: Zaenen’s career exemplifies the synergy between academic research and industry innovation. She successfully led large teams in Europe and the U.S., contributing to male-dominated fields, and transitioned from Romance philology in Ghent to computational linguistics in California.