Stefan Sudhoff

Dr. Stefan Sudhoff is an Assistant Professor in German Linguistics at Utrecht University's Faculty of Humanities, Department of Languages, Literature and Communication. He is affiliated with the Institute for Language Sciences and specializes in Language Structure: Variation and Change.

His research focuses on information structure, specifically how the function of sentences within coherent discourse is reflected in grammatical form. His expertise spans multiple areas including syntax-semantics-pragmatics interfaces, language acquisition, multilingualism, corpus linguistics, morphosyntax, semantics, prosody, and pragmatics. His work examines how sentences vary in word order and intonation depending on linguistic and non-linguistic context, using both theoretical work and empirical methods including corpus studies and speech production/perception experiments.

His publication record shows a significant evolution from early work on focus particles in German (culminating in his 2008 dissertation) to broader research on multilingualism, language education, and linguistic structure. Recent publications (2022-2024) demonstrate a strong focus on multilingualism in academic settings, particularly through the Lingua Receptiva approach, alongside continued contributions to language teaching materials for Dutch as a foreign language.

Dr. Sudhoff has been actively involved in the Dynamics of Youth (DoY) research theme and Institutions for Open Societies (IOS) at Utrecht University, with research that bridges theoretical linguistics and practical applications in language education and multilingual university environments.

His work combines theoretical linguistic research with practical applications in language education, as evidenced by his numerous language teaching materials alongside academic publications. He has made significant contributions to understanding how information structure operates across languages and in multilingual contexts, with implications for both linguistic theory and language education practice.