Romance Linguistics

The specialisation Romance Linguistics offers students knowledge of language structures of the Romance language and introduces them into the fields of language contact and variation as well as Interactional Linguistics in Romance languages. Additionally, Research perspectives on Romance linguistics are offered as a part of this specialisation.

In the module Linguistic Structures of Romance Languages, students acquire a broad and well-founded overview of current theories explaining the structures of Romance languages. They also deal with interfaces between grammar, lexis and pragmatics. The linguistic phenomena taken into consideration are scientifically described and explained on the basis of the acquired theories.

Multilingualism and thus the contact between languages has long since become the norm worldwide. The Romania is rich in empirical scenarios in Europe, Africa and both Americas. In the module Romance Languages in Contact, students deal with language contact in the Romania. From the perspective of Romance linguistics, the manifestations and effects of contact between Romance languages and varieties, for example in the Mediterranean region, but also with English, Arabic, Quechua, Nahuatl, Mapudungun, Guaraní, the Gbe and Bantu languages, etc., can be described in at least four research fields: Code-switching, Intercultural Communication/Accommodation, Contact-Induced Change, Emergence of New Languages.

Romance Studies has the privilege of being able to observe the differentiation of ten national languages and a myriad of dialects on four continents from a common starting point, based on 2000 years of well-documented language history. In the module Variation and Change in Romance Languages, students receive a broad and well-founded overview of current theories for explaining phenomena of linguistic variation in terms of linguistic structure, areal, social and situational aspects, as well as for analysing and explaining processes of language change in the past and present. In addition, they deal with selected areas of linguistic variation in Romance languages and/or linguistic change and its spread in the language system and language communities.

In the module Language and Interaction in Romance Languages, students examine the use of Romance languages in natural oral interactions and the interaction of linguistic and physical means such as gestures and gaze in oral language use. They also deal with selected areas of linguistic and multimodal interaction in different Romance cultures.

In the module Research Perspectives in Romance Linguistics, project seminars offer students the opportunity to work independently and empirically on a topic from the research area of the seminar or from the research area of the seminar leader, thus gaining early insights into independent, scientific work. The students develop suitable research questions, the study design, the data collection/selection and analysis, and select suitable empirical research methods for this and carry out the project designed in this way on an ongoing basis.