Research Area
The Research Area Language Development and Multilingualism investigates the development of linguistic competence in different speaker groups during their entire life spans. Our research focuses on language acquisition in pre-school and primary school aged monolingual and multilingual children. One focus is on early, uncontrolled language acquisition as it occurs in families who speak several languages at home, and controlled second language acquisition, such as that received through language support in kindergarten.
Based on empirical data, we present the general developmental processes in different languages of origin as well as in German, the language of education. We investigate the influence of individual factors such as education, social environment, etc. on language development. We investigate both lexical and grammatical language acquisition as well as the acquisition of narrative skills, which together form the basis for participation in social discourse. The researchers in this field contribute to the development of tools for multilingual language surveys.
The research area had coordinated the development of the Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives (MAIN) and leads a worldwide research network using this instrument. Linguists, psychologists, pedagogues, health professionals and computer scientists are involved in this research.
Funded by the Berlin Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family Affairs
(GSMS)
The project “Multilingual School” seal of approval (Gütesiegel „Mehrsprachige Schule“) supports schools on their way to being recognized as a “multilingual school” and promotes the development of multilingual skills and measures at schools.
DFG project
(HybriX)
This project investigates hybrid subordinate clauses that emerge when languages come in contact and blend two systems of combining clauses. By mixing properties of different systems, this mechanism produces constructions which resemble each other and compete with one another, with the winners spreading in use and leading the change in language.
Else Neumann Scholarship of the State of Berlin
(LEARN)
The project examines the oral language and reading skills of Greek-German bilingual children aged 6-8 years in a two-year study. The aims include gaining a better understanding of the role of language skills in reading comprehension in both languages and the role of the heritage language in reading comprehension in the L2.
DFG project
(CRC 1412-Register C03)
The subproject in the CRC 1412 „Register: Language-Users’ Knowledge of Situational-Functional Variation" assesses the (representational and procedural) similarities and differences in comprehenders’ processing of standard-language grammar compared with register.
BMBF project
(SPEAK)
The project aims to validate a test battery for multilingual children aged 4-8 years (TEBIK 4-8) that systematically considers the acquisition conditions of multilingual children and measures abilities in the aforementioned areas of phonology, vocabulary, morphosyntax, and narration.