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Lars HinrichsView profile

Associate Professor

• Sociolinguistics
• Corpus Linguistics
• Contact Linguistics
• +8 more

Lars Hinrichs is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at the University of Texas at Austin's College of Liberal Arts. He received his Ph.D. in English Linguistics from the University of Freiburg in 2006 and has been with the UT English department since 2007. His research focuses on sociolinguistics, particularly Texas English, urban contact dialects, and computer-mediated communication. His work spans corpus linguistics, contact linguistics, Pidgins and Creoles, and standardization/prescriptivism. Notably, he directs the Texas English Project, which researches the different kinds of English spoken across Texas. Hinrichs' recent publications show a strong trend toward digital text analysis methods applied to both contemporary language use and historical texts. His work bridges traditional sociolinguistic fieldwork with computational approaches, particularly using R programming for textual analysis. He has applied these methods to Shakespeare studies, presidential inaugural speeches, and tracking linguistic changes like the decline of 'whom' in American English. Hinrichs actively teaches undergraduate courses including Multilingual Texas, Intro to Digital Studies, African American Language, American English, and Introduction to the English Language. His course listings extend through Fall 2025, demonstrating his ongoing active faculty role. He has directed the Digital Studies Graduate Portfolio program and frequently engages with public audiences through media appearances, particularly on KUT's Texas Standard where he analyzes linguistic styles of well-known Texans. His recent keynote address in Pakistan and podcast appearances demonstrate his international scholarly engagement.

Malte ZimmermannView profile

Professor

• Semantics
• Grammar Theory
• African Languages
• +9 more

Prof. Dr. Malte Zimmermann is a Full Professor of Semantics and Theory of Grammar at the Department of Linguistics, University of Potsdam. He is also a faculty and board member of the African Linguistics School (ALS), which biannually convenes in West African countries to advance formal linguistics knowledge among African scholars. His editorial roles include Associate Editor for Natural Language and Linguistic Theory and former Associate Editor for Linguistics and Philosophy . His educational background includes: Ph.D. in General Linguistics, Universiteit van Amsterdam (2002) M.A. in German Language and Linguistics/English/Anglistic/Philosophy, Universität zu Köln (1998) Abitur, Gymnasium Athenaeum, Stade/Niedersachsen (1989) Zimmermann's research centers on the interface between linguistic form and meaning, with specialization in formal semantics and grammar theory. His work spans quantification, tense, question semantics, discourse particles, and information structure, with particular emphasis on semantically under-researched West African languages (Chadic, Kwa, Grassfield Bantu). His research combines theoretical analysis with experimental methods, notably through projects like 'ExQ' examining embedded question interpretation across European and Non-European languages. He has led field research in Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria, challenging assumptions about language universals through empirical investigation of linguistic diversity. His publication trajectory reveals consistent focus on cross-linguistic semantic variation, particularly in focus interpretation, quantifier scope, and information structure phenomena. Recent work demonstrates growing integration of experimental methodologies with traditional formal approaches, with frequent comparisons between German, English, and diverse African languages. His investigations into serial verb constructions have been especially influential, uncovering hidden syntactic variability beneath surface similarities across languages like Akan and Igbo. As a supervisor, Zimmermann has guided numerous doctoral students to completion, with recent graduates including Giuliano Armenante (2024), Eva Shipova (2024), and Mareike Philipp (2023). His research has been supported by substantial funding including: SFB1287 Limits of Variability in Language, 'Limits of variability in interpretation' (2017-2021) SPP 1727 XPRAG.de, 'Exhaustiveness in embedded questions across languages' (2017-2020) SPP 1727 XPRAG.de, 'Exhaustivity in it-clefts' (2014-2017) DFG-Network 'Questions in Discourse' (2012-2016) SFB632 Information Structure projects (2007-2015) He leads the Potsdam semantics group (including Peter Sutton, Giuliano Armenante, Jeanne Lecavelier, Anna Struck, and Carla Bombi) which conducts fieldwork in West Africa. Currently, he co-directs the SFB-project on the 'Limits of Variability in Interpretation,' examining scope ambiguities, reconstruction, and bare NP interpretation across German, English, Akan, Igbo, and Medumba. His collaborative work with Edgar Onea (Graz) and Tatjana Scheffler exemplifies his commitment to bridging theoretical linguistics with empirical fieldwork and experimental validation.

• Heritage Languages
• Danish as a Heritage Language
• Phonetic Reduction
• +6 more

Jan Heegård Petersen serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen. His research focuses on Danish language evolution in diaspora communities, phonetic reduction phenomena, and documentation of the endangered Kalasha language of Pakistan. His academic credentials include: PhD in Linguistics (2006), University of Copenhagen MA in General Linguistics (1998), University of Copenhagen BA in General Linguistics (1993), University of Copenhagen Petersen's scholarly work spans heritage language dynamics, examining phonetic, morphological, and syntactic changes in Danish spoken by immigrant communities across the Americas. His investigations into phonetic reduction explore the spectrum between maximally expanded and extremely compressed speech forms, linking sound reduction to grammatical and pragmatic functions. The Kalasha language documentation project represents decades of fieldwork on this Indo-Aryan language's phonology, grammar, and cultural context. Recent publications (2024-2025) reveal concentrated research on heritage Danish varieties, with significant attention to grammatical gender systems, code-switching patterns, and phonetic innovations among diaspora speakers. These studies frequently employ corpus-based statistical methods and reflect international collaboration, particularly with Karoline Kühl of Hamburg. As an educator, Petersen supervises BA/MA projects across Danish linguistics domains. His research has received funding from the Carlsberg Foundation, A.P. Møller Foundation, and University of Copenhagen. Professional service includes editorial roles for NyS journal and treasurer position for the Linguistic Circle of Copenhagen.