Digital translation tools and dictionaries have become an indispensable part of language use. DeepL, Leo and Co. are used extensively and for various purposes, however, their benefits for foreign language teaching and learning remain contested. Some consider these tools to be of educational value, while others express their doubts on the sustainability of their contribution to language learning. This project examines the advantages and limitations of digital translation aids with regards...

Vocabulary is the basis for receptive and productive language use. Influential theories on second language acquisition and learning consider vocabulary and grammar to be complementary, rather than opposing elements of language. Vocabulary is viewed as an integral component of learner grammars that is worth promoting and consolidating in the foreign language classroom. In recent years, digitialisation has seen the development of many learning apps and platforms that provide new opportunities...

This doctoral thesis used qualitative research methods and adopted an exploratory-interpretative approach. Although conducted as an independent study, it forms part of the RCM project “Innovative forms of assessment (IFB)”, a quantitative study that aimed to better understand the validity of new, scenario-based task and item types.

When asked about their goals, students learning a foreign language generally say they want to speak the language. Despite the value placed on speaking, however, various studies on the foreign language competence of Swiss school students reveal that many learners have difficulty in meeting the learning outcomes set for spoken language (Peyer et al. 2016, Wiedenkeller/Lenz 2019).

This exploratory project addresses the question of the origins of individual differences in language aptitude, at different levels of language processing including but not limited to native language phonological, lexical and syntactic processing. This question will be addressed across different levels of multilingual language experience (i.e. in monolinguals, bilinguals and polyglots), in line with the idea that extreme giftedness, healthy  variability and at least some disorders...

The learner's native language(s) have an impact on second language acquisition. All speakers ‘ languages share the processes that enable their functioning and also their knowledge repertoires, such as the phonological repertoire (Flege, Bohn & Jang, 1997; Kartushina & Frauenfelder, 2014). The functioning of languages and their common repertoires can generate cross-linguistic interferences and transfers, which either hinder or facilitate second language acquisition.

This project aims to investigate how listeners grow accustomed to non-native varieties of their native language. While most extant research on adaptation to regional and non-native varieties focuses on pronunciation, our focus is on listeners’ adaptation to non-native morphosyntax. Specifically, we will investigate if and how listeners pick up on the fact that a morphosyntactic cue for interpreting sentences as Subject-Verb-Object or Object-Verb-Subject (viz., German case-marking) is...

The overarching goal of this project is to investigate how knowledge of a substandard variety of the first language (e.g., a local dialect) affects the learning of another language.

Swiss National Science Foundation, project funding, project no. 176338 The aim of the project is to examine the different ways in which French, German and Italian speakers achieve cohesion in narrative spoken discourse. Our approach is derived from theories and methods developed in research on information structure.

In collaboration with the University of Teacher Education St. Gallen (PHSG) and the Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera Italiana (SUPSI)