Bernd Kortmann

Bernd Kortmann is a Full Professor of English Language and Linguistics at the University of Freiburg, Germany. He has held visiting professorships at Portland State University (2000) and served as Substitute Full Professor at Free University of Berlin (1994-1995), with a long-standing career at University of Hannover and Free University of Berlin as Assistant Professor (1985-1994). Currently, he directs the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS) for Humanities and Social Sciences (since 2013) and the Language Teaching Centre (since 2004). He co-edits the book series Topics in English Linguistics and Dialects of English, as well as the journal English Language and Linguistics.

• Co-editor: Topics in English Linguistics (since 1996)
• Co-editor: Dialects of English (since 2012)
• Co-editor: English Language and Linguistics (since 2012)
• Director: FRIAS Humanities and Social Sciences (2013-present)
• Director: Language Teaching Centre (2004-present)

Research Interests focus on non-standard English varieties, World Englishes, areal typology, language complexity, grammaticalization, and semantic change. His work bridges theoretical and applied linguistics, with a strong emphasis on typological and geographical analysis of English dialects.

Publication Trends (2009-2013) highlight cross-linguistic variation, typological universals, and historical evolution. Key themes include areal syntax, morphosyntactic complexity, and the role of geography in shaping linguistic patterns.

Honours:

• Honorary doctorate from University of Eastern Finland (2014)

Administrative Roles include Dean of the Philological Faculty (2010-2014), Director of the Master programme in European Linguistics (2004-2014), and Senior Research Fellow at FRIAS (2008-2009).