Rita Vallentin

Dr. Rita Vallentin is an Academic Staff Member at the Faculty of Cultural Studies (Kuwi) at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder), Germany. Though currently listed as being on leave, she maintains active teaching responsibilities for the Summer Semester 2024 and continues her research projects. Her institutional affiliations include collaborations with Brazilian universities (Universidade Federal Fluminense and Universidade Federal da Bahia) and participation in the European COST action 'Language in the Human-Machine Era' (LITHME).

Dr. Vallentin's research interests span sociolinguistics, pragmatics, and the study of language as social practice. She examines how language constructs belonging, mediates human-machine relationships, and operates in multimodal contexts. Her work bridges theoretical linguistic frameworks with empirical social analysis, focusing on how meaning is dynamically produced and negotiated in interaction. Key areas include linguistic practices in medical technology contexts, pandemic linguistic landscapes, and narratives of identity in marginalized communities.

Analysis of Dr. Vallentin's recent publications reveals consistent engagement with questions of language, identity, and social practice across diverse contexts. Her work shows increasing attention to human-machine interaction, particularly in healthcare settings, while maintaining strong connections to research on community belonging and linguistic diversity. The publications demonstrate methodological diversity combining discourse analysis, ethnographic approaches, and multimodal analysis to examine language in context.

Dr. Vallentin actively engages in knowledge transfer through public speaking, science slams, and media appearances. Her work connects academic linguistic research with public understanding of language in everyday life, particularly regarding technology use, pandemic communication, and community identity. She supervises students in linguistics and cultural studies, guiding research that examines language as a social practice across various contexts.

Her current research team includes collaborators from multiple institutions working on projects related to human-machine interaction, linguistic landscapes, and community narratives. While no dedicated laboratory is mentioned, her research is conducted through collaborative projects that bring together scholars from different disciplinary backgrounds to examine language in social context.