Barbara Schmenk

Barbara Schmenk is a Professor in the Department of Germanic & Slavic Studies at the University of Waterloo, cross-appointed with Renison University College. Her research examines language education, autonomy concepts, and power-language relationships through philosophical and cultural lenses.

She teaches courses in applied linguistics, German language, and language education philosophy. Recent publications analyze native speaker constructs, autonomy contradictions, and sloganization in academic discourse. Her research employs frameworks from Foucault and critical theory.

Schmenk has received multiple awards including the Outstanding Performance Award (2019, 2013, 2010) and University Research Chair (2018). She has held guest professorships at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Universität Mannheim.