Slavic Linguistics

In the specialisation Slavic Linguistics students learn about the structures of Slavic language and familiarise themselves with language contact, change and variation in the Slavia. An additional module of the programme focuses on Research Perspectives in Slavic Linguistics.

In the module Structures of Slavic Languages, students acquire a broad and well-founded overview of current theories explaining the structures of Slavic 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. Slavic languages are rich in empirical scenarios in Central-Southern and Eastern Europe as well as in the Caucasus and Asia. In the module Slavic Languages in Contact, students investigate this phenomenon. From the perspective of Slavic linguistics, the manifestations and effects of the contact of the Slavic languages and varieties with each other, for example in the Balkan region, but also with the Scandinavian and Baltic languages, German, Albanian, Romanian, Greek, Georgian, Armenian, Azeri, the Central Asian languages Kazakh, Uzbek, Tajik, etc., as well as Chinese can be described in at least three research fields: Code-switching, Intercultural Communication/Accommodation, Contact-Induced Change. 

The linguistic history of Slavia, documented since the 9th century, observes the differentiation of twelve standard languages and a multitude of micro-literary languages and dialects from a common starting point. In the module Slavic Languages in Transition, students receive an overview of current theories to explain processes of language change in the past and present. The processes of change taken into consideration are described and explained in a scientifically appropriate way on the basis of the theories developed.

The module Variation in Slavic Languages provides students with an overview of current theories to explain phenomena of linguistic variation in terms of linguistic structure, areal, social and situational aspects. They also deal with selected areas of linguistic variation in Slavic languages. The variation processes dealt with are described and explained in a scientifically appropriate way on the basis of the theories developed.

In the module Research Perspectives in Slavic 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.