I am a Professor of German Applied Linguistics in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies. I have been teaching at the University of Alberta since 1997.
I was educated in the United States, receiving bachelor's degrees in German and Linguistics at Michigan State University in East Lansing and a master's degree and a Ph.D. in Germanic Linguistics from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. I taught German for six years at the University of Michigan during my graduate education before coming to the U of A.
I am a sociolinguist with a research focus on everyday language in use, but always with an eye toward how this use relates to broader social phenomena such as identity, ideology, and globalization.
My past research has included projects on the perception of language variation in post-unification Germany, language use among migrants from western to eastern Germany, code-switching in the advanced foreign-language classroom, language, identity and space among German-Canadians, and the use of transnational English in social media interaction by Dutch and German youth.
My current research includes a project on language ideologies in and regarding the linguistic landscape, and another on multimodal approaches to interactive intercultural communication.
I teach courses on German linguistics and applied linguistics, though in the past I have also taught German language courses. I also teach a introductory undergraduate course in English called Language and Power. I teach at all levels, from beginning undergraduate to advanced graduate, and I have supervised both honours undergraduate and graduate students working on all sorts of languages.
If you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree (MA or PhD) under my supervision, please see this page about graduate supervision.
Prerequisite: GERM 111 or consent of Department. Note: not to be taken by students with native or near native proficiency, or with German 30 or its equivalents in Canada and other countries. Sections may be offered at an increased rate of fee assessment; refer to the Tuition and Fees page in the University Regulations sections of the Calendar.
Winter Term 2023Broad introduction to the main fields of German applied linguistics; multilingualism, second language acquisition, sociolinguistics, and discourse analysis. Co-requisite: GERM 303 or consent of Department.
Winter Term 2022This course introduces students to the study of the relationship between the German language and the societies of the German- speaking countries. Co-requisite: GERM 303 or consent of Department.
Fall Term 2022The course deals with the principles and processes in structured and unstructured language learning and with the different hypotheses and theories concerning language learning, in particular German. Prerequisite: One of GERM 306, 316, 317, or consent of Department.
Winter Term 2023Analysis of selected approaches to the study of discourse including conversational analysis, narrative structure, text analysis. Prerequisite: LING 101. Not offered every year.
Winter Term 2022A study of recent developments in particular areas of linguistic research. Prerequisite: consent of Department. Formerly LING 443.
Winter Term 2022How language, both spoken and written, creates and sustains economic, social, and political power.
Fall Term 2022