Language Blog

Why does language actually work the way it does? What role does linguistic creativity play in this? Are we fundamentally creative when we speak, or do we follow certain predetermined linguistic rules? And who sets these rules anyway? Here in the Sprachblog (literally: language blog), we take a playful look at the various interfaces between linguistics and language as a tool for communication, in a way that is relevant to everyday life and accessible to all. We also explore what all this has to do with citizen science!

You can find more information about the blog and the editorial team here!

Newest blog entries

Bildcollage der Arbeitsgruppe Sprachforschung und Citizen Science
Linguistics meets citizen science – How citizens can contribute to scientific research
von Tim Rittig

It’s Citizen Science Month! Citizen what? Citizen science! It is defined as 'the active involvement of individuals in scientific processes who are not part of an institution in that field of science'. This concept is particularly appealing for linguistic research, since language surrounds us constantly, meaning we are all experts in our own language(s) and how we use it (or them). Therefore, Citizen science enables the knowledge of volunteer researchers to be incorporated into current research in linguistics.

Clipart Citizen Science
“Ich habe fertig” – How we engage our linguistic creativity in a foreign language
von Florian Kankowski

Linguistic "creativity" sounds like a big word—you would probably think of literature, poetry, or the pointed speeches of politicians. But sometimes it shows up in completely unexpected places. Giovanni Trapattoni provided a famous example as coach of FC Bayern Munich during a memorable press conference in 1998.

Griechisch: Aussage oder Frage?
What's linguistics actually? From speech to meaning
von Oliver Bott

"So you're a linguist - how many languages do you speak?" this is a typical reaction one may get when they tell someone that they're a linguist. However, describing as many languages as possible is only a tiny part of what linguistics as a scientific discipline deals with.