Research

Areas of research

    Multilingualism and language policy

    Sociolinguistics and language variation

    Creolistics and language contact

    History of philology and racialism

    Phonology

    Adhortatives and imperatives

    Colonial and postcolonial linguistics

    Regional focus: Overseas France, Caribbean and Indian Ocean, Belgium and the Netherlands, Saar-Lor-Lux region, Berlin

    Linguistic focus: Romance and Germanic languages, Creole languages

Workshops and conferences

    June 2021: "Sprachpolitik und ihre Grenzen: Mehrsprachigkeit an Deutschlands Rändern" - Panel discussion in cooperation with the Center B/Orders in Motion, Europa-Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt/Oder, 30. June 2021. (With Karolin Breda, Edgar Baumgärtner, Mariia Mykhalonok).

    June 2021: "French-based Creoles: Grammar and Communication" - Panel at the Summer Conference of the Society for Pidgin and Creole Linguistics, CNRS Paris / Online, 28.-30. June 2021. (With Evelyn Wiesinger).

    June 2019 „Sprachen unter Palmen“ – Programme of IZ Europäische Sprachen at Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften, conception and coordination, Freie Universität Berlin..

    September 2018: „Language ideologies in the media - postcolonial and Сreole discourses“ – Panel at the 2nd International Conference on Sociolinguistics, Eötvös Loránd University Budapest, Hungary, 6.-8. September 2018 (with Alla Klimenkowa and Christoph Neuenschwander).

    November 2017: „Szenarien europäischer Mehrsprachigkeit“ – Symposium for the introduction of the new B.A. programme Sprache & Gesellschaft (with Horst Simon and Matthias Hüning), Freie Universität Berlin.

    September 2017: „Dominant and non-dominant languages II“ – Follow-up workshop in cooperation with the University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu/Finland (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft).

    June 2017: „Sprachen - Menschen - Gesellschaften“ – Programme of IZ Europäische Sprachen at Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften, conception and coordination (with Truus De Wilde and Matthias Hüning), Freie Universität Berlin.

    March 2017: „Dominant and non-dominant languages“ – Workshop in cooperation with the University of Eastern Finland, Freie Universität Berlin (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft).

    October 2012: „William Jones, James Cowles Prichard e l'illuminismo scozzese“ – Workshop with Roberta Pascqua Mocerino (Università La Sapienza di Roma), Universität Potsdam (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft); with M. Messling and M. Lenz.

    June – July 2012: Workshop series „Reflexe und Reflexionen der Kreolistik“ – Presentations by Joseph T. Farquharson (University of the West Indies) and Silvio Moreira de Sousa (Universidade do Porto). Universität Potsdam (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft).

    November 2011 – January 2012: Workshop series „Wissensordnungen und Philologie im 19. Jahrhundert: Geschichte und Biologie“ – Presentations by Cord Riechelmann (Biologist and publicist) and Georg Töpfer (HU Berlin). Universität Potsdam (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft); with M. Messling and M. Lenz.

    May 2011: Conference „WORT MACHT STAMM – Rassismus und Determinismus in der Philologie des 19. Jahrhunderts“, Universität Potsdam (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, pearls Potsdam Research Network, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Institut français, Literaturhaus Berlin); with M. Messling, M. Lenz, and O. Ette.

    November 2010 – February 2011: Workshop series „Determinismus – Rassismus – Philologie: Grundlagentexte des 19. Jahrhunderts“. – Presentations by Sarga Moussa (CNRS), Céline Trautmann-Waller (Université de Paris III / Sorbonne Nouvelle), Christopher M. Hutton (Hong Kong University), Jürgen Trabant (JU Bremen / FU Berlin) and Marcel Lepper (Deutsches Literaturarchiv Marbach), Universität Potsdam (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft); with M. Messling and M. Lenz.

Knowledge transfer

    January 2023: Talkshow 'SaarTalk', discussion about Franco-German relations and multilingualism in the border region, i.a. with Saarland's prime minister Anke Rehlinger, SR Fernsehen, 19. January 2023.

    January 2023: Interview about recent developments in Saarland's France strategy 'Wir im Saarland - das Magazin', SR Fernsehen, 19. January 2023.

    juli 2022: Interview over de geschiedenis van de creolistiek en taalpolitiek in creooltalige maatschappijen, podcast 'History and Philosophy of the Language Sciences', 1. July 2022.

    July 2022: Interview on the history of the study of creole languages and present-day efforts to standardise creoles around the world, Podcast 'History and Philosophy of the Language Sciences', 1. July 2022.

    January 2022: Interviews in Saarländischen Rundfunk about multilingual language policy ahead of the regional elections in Saarland, 'Bilanz am Mittag' (SR2) and 'Region am Mittag' (SR3), 19. January 2022.

    December 2021: Article about research on language ideologies towards Basque in Spain, daily newspaper Berria (online), 16. December 2021.

    July 2021: Article about the panel discussion 'Sprachpolitik und ihre Grenzen - Mehrsprachigkeit an Deutschlands Rändern' (Europa-Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt/Oder), Märkische Oderzeitung, 6. July 2021 (Print).

    March 2021: Interviews for web feature of Saarländischer Rundfunk about effects of border closures during the Coronavirus pandemic.

    April-June 2020: Interviews and statements on border closures and Franco-German relations in connection with the coronavirus pandemic: Saarbrücker Zeitung, SR Fernsehen, Mosaïk TV Sarreguemines, SR2 Kulturradio.

    January 2019: Interview on SR 2 Kulturradio, reports in Saarbrücker Zeitung and SR Fernsehen about language policy in Saarland.

    November 2018: Panel discussion about language policy in Saarland upon invitation by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Saarbrücken, 15. November 2018.

    December 2017: Guest lecture about multilingualism and language conflict in Belgium, Volkshochschule Monheim/Rhein, 11. December 2017.

    November 2017: Panel discussion with Prime Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer about the research project on Saarland's language policy, Permanent Representation of Saarland with the federal authorities, Berlin, 6. November 2017.

    April - October 2017: Interviews and reports about the research project on Saarland's language policy in i.a. Saarbrücker Zeitung, SR Radio and Fernsehen, Tagesspiegel, Radio Salü. (complete list)

    April 2017: Panel discussion at Europa-Union Berlin: "Rechtspopulismus und die Wahlen in Europa", 6. April 2017.

    March 2017: Interviews about the elections in the Netherlands and France in Tagesspiegel (FU-Beilage), Spreeradio, O Globo (Brazil).

    December 2016: Interview about plurilingualism for the feature Zeitfragen, Deutschlandradio Kultur, 19.12.2016.

    December 2016: Interview for the project Colonialism meets journalism at the Dekra-Hochschule für Medien in cooperation with the Deutsches Historisches Museum.

    June 2016: Co-organiation of the presentation of the department of Dutch philology at Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin, 13. Juni 2015.

    February 2016: Guest column in the daily newspapers Tagesspiegel and Potsdamer Neuesten Nachrichten: "Sprache darf kein Grenzzaun sein". Print edition from February 15th, 2016 und online: Tagesspiegel; PNN.

    June 2015: Co-organisation of the programme "Waffeleisenpolitik und Streit um Sprachen - Belgien begreifen" at Langen Nacht der Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin, 13. June 2015.

    March 2015: Radio interview about the German loanword "Pegida" in other languages. MDR Info, 16. März 2015.

    March 2015: Interview for the article "Kreolit epävarmuuden opettajina" ("What Creole insecurity teaches us") in Uljas. Itä-Suomen ylioppilaslehti 3/2015, 24-25. Online: pdf.

    since September 2014: Co-author of the blog Nederlands. Beobachtungen zur Niederländischen Sprache.

    November 2014: Guest column in the daily newspapers Tagesspiegel and Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten: "Englisch und viel mehr - für eine realistische EU-Sprachpolitik", with Matthias Hüning. Print edition from November 4th, 2014 and online: Tagesspiegel; PNN.

    April 2014: Conception and organisation of the project "Sprachlandschaften" (Adaption of Linguistic Landscape research for elemantary school classes), Nürtingen-Grundschule, Berlin-Kreuzberg.

    June 2013 - March 2014: Conception, organisation and evaluation of teacher trainings within the project "The Many Sides of German".

    January 2014: "Es darf kein Elitenprojekt werden" – Interview about the bilingualism strategy of the Saarland regional government; Saarbrücker Zeitung (print p. B1 and online), 29. January 2014.

    October 2013: "Etter valget i et lille land" – Article about the Parliamentary Electiosn in Luxemburg in the Norwegian daily newspaper Dagsavisen (online), 21. October 2013.

    June 2013 (with Heike Wiese): "Deutsch ist vielseitig / The many sides of German" – Project presentation at the 17th workshop of SFB 632, Leucorea, Lutherstadt Wittenberg. 13. - 14. June 2013.

    March 2013: "Europa er en øy i Indiahavet: Mayotte to år etter départementalisation" – Article about the political situation in Mayotte in the Norwegian daily newspaper Dagsavisen (online), 24. March 2013.

    January 2013: "Fiksjonen av renhet. Kulturdebatten føres med argumenter fra 1800-tallet" – Article about the Norwegian debate on "national culture" in the Norwegian daily newspaper Dagsavisen (online) (online), 10. January 2013.

    July 2011: "Promotion in der Kreolistik" – Project presentation in the course "Französische Kreolsprachen" (Prof. Dr. Peter Stein), Freie Universität Berlin, 15. July 2011.

    June 2011: Radio interview about current trends in French societal policies. MotorFM, 16. June 2011.

    June 2010: "Dicke Lippen und verdorbenes Französisch: Rassismus in der Forschung zu Kreolsprachen" – Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften, Universität Potsdam. 5. June 2010.

Memberships and cooperations