S. (Steffi) Winkler, MA
- Position:PhD researcher
Affiliation
Department of Language and Communication
Chair of Applied Linguistics
Short CV
Curriculum Vitae
Research interest
First and second language acquisition, Instructed L2 acquisition, Grammar teaching in the foreign language classroom (with focus on German), Psychilinguistics, Historical Linguistics & Language change, Syntax
Teaching
2008 (Goethe Institute Bangkok, Thailand)
Course instructor for German as a foreign language (different Levels)
2009 (Università di Pavia, Italy)
Course instructor for German as a foreign language (Level A1)
2009/2010 (VU Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
Historical linguistics of German
2009/2010 (VU Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
Phenomena of language change in contemporary German language
Research
In first instance, my current research focuses on the application of findings in the field of theoretically oriented language acquisition research to the praxis of language teaching in classroom contexts. In particular, I am concerned with the acquisition and teaching of German word order rules, addressing the following questions:
1. What role does the learner’s L1 play in the instructed acquisition of German word
order and clause structure?
2. Does L1 structural knowledge interact with properties of the L2 input and if so, how
can we use this mechanism in the context of instructed language learning?
3. Can acquisition strategies and triggers found in naturalistic acquisition be helpful in
contexts of instructed language learning?
Broadly speaking: Can provision of structurally controlled positively affect the classroom
acquisition process? If so, what does this mean for a theory of language learning, in
particular for the developmental problem of (instructed) language acquisition?
Moreover, I’m dealing with general issues in the broader fields of language acquisition, language learning, and language teaching, as well as with the (distant) relation between these – as one might think – neighbouring disciplines.
Given my own scientific background in theoretical linguistics and language acquisition research, I’m still interested in theoretical questions in the L1 and L2 acquisition of morpho-syntactic phenomena, e.g. the acquisition of finiteness and negation, or the development of German clause structure in general.
Publications and Presentations
Publications and Presentations
Please don’t hesitate to contact me via e-mail if you’re interested in a pdf version of one or another presentation!
1 Publications
Submitted
Winkler, S. (submitted): Sprachstandsermittlung und Lernfortschrittstest mal anders. Die „Elicited
Imitation Task“ als ein Fenster zur lernersprachlichen Grammatik.
Winkler, S. (submitted): Learner Varieties and Language Teaching Curricula. Insights from an
intervention study on German (S)OV word order.
In press
Winkler, S. (to appear summer 2011): Progressionsfolgen im DaF-Unterricht. Eine
Interventionsstudie zur Vermittlung der deutschen (S)OV-Wortstellung. In: N. Hahn & T.
Roelcke (eds.): Grenzen überwinden mit Deutsch. Göttingen: Universitätsverlag.
2009
Winkler, S. (2009a): Early finiteness in German and Dutch child language. The status of modal
expressions, the scope particle auch / ook ‘also’, and the auxiliary haben /hebben ‚to have’.
In: Toegepaste Taalwetenschap in Artikelen (TTWiA) 81. 75-85.
Winkler, S. (2009b): The acquisition of syntactic finiteness in L1 German. A structure-building
approach. In: C. Dimroth & P. Jordens (eds.): Functional Categories in Learner Language.
97-134. Berlin / NewYork: de Gryuter.
2005
Winkler, S. (2005): Die Negation als Trigger für die Finitheit im L1- und L2-Erwerb des Deutschen.
Eine quantitative Analyse. Master Thesis. Humboldt University Berlin. Berlin, Germany.
2 Presentations
upcoming
Jacob, P. & Winkler, S.: L2 German clause structure and the concept of Projective Economy. A syntactic reconsideration. Conference talk.
44th Annual Meeting of the Societas Linguistica Europaea. Logrono, Spain. September 8-10, 2011.
Winkler, S.: German (S)OV word order in natural and in instructed acquisition. Insights from a classroom intervention study. Conference talk.
44th Annual Meeting of the Societas Linguistica Europaea. Logrono, Spain. September 8-10, 2011.
Jacob, P. & Winkler, S.: L2 German clause structure and the concept of Projective Economy. A syntactic reconsideration. Conference talk.
21st Annual EUROSLA conference. Stockholm, Sweden. September 7-10, 2011.
Winkler, S.: Learner varieties and language teaching curricula. The test case of German (S)OV word order. Conference talk.
21st Annual EUROSLA conference. Stockholm, Sweden. September 7-10, 2011.
2011
Winkler, S.: Language is teachable. Evidence from the acquisition of German (S)OV word order. Conference talk.
ISB 8 (International Symposium on Bilingualism 8). Oslo, Norway. June 15-18, 2011.
Winkler, S.: Psycholinguistische Methoden im Testen fremdsprachlicher Kompetenzen. Die “Elicited Imitation Task“ als Fenster zur lernersprachlichen Grammatik. Conference talk.
3. Bremer Symposium 2011 (3rd Bremen Symposium 2011. Testing, Evaluating, and Certifying in Classroom and Autonomous Learning Contexts. Bremen, Germany. March 4-5, 2011.
2010
Winkler, S.: Input, Grammatikprogression und die Wirkung von Sprachunterricht. Eine Interventionsstudiezum Erwerb der deutschen Satzstruktur. Conference talk.
37. Jahrestagung of the FaDaF (Professional Association for German as a foreign language). Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. May 13-15, 2010.
Winkler, S: Learner varieties and language teaching curricula. An intervention study on the acquisition of German (S)OV clause structure by native Italian speakers. Workshop presentation.
Annual meeting of the MPI project group ‘The Structure of Learner Varieties’. Nijmegen, Netherlands. March 26-27, 2010.
Winkler, S: From L1 SVO to L2 SOV. The acquisition of German clause structure and the impact of language tuition. Conference talk.
2nd Junior Research Meeting for Applied Linguistics. Münster, Germany. March 18-19, 2010.
Winkler, S: Finitheit ohne Verben? Zur Rolle lexikalischer Elemente im Erwerb der Finitheitskategorie in der frühen deutschen Kindersprache. Conference talk.
4. dswi-Tagung (Deutsche Sprachwissenschaft in Italien). Rom, Italy. February 4-6, 2010.
2009
Winkler, S: German is not SVO. The acquisition ofverb placement and the (unused) chances of second language tuition. Conference talk.
19th Annual EUROSLA Conference. Cork, Ireland. September 2-5, 2009.
Winkler, S: Finiteness in German and Dutch child language. On the interaction of language universals and language-specific factors in language acquisition processes. Invited talk.
Experimental Linguistics Talks in Utrecht (ELiTU). Utrecht, Netherlands. May 11, 2009.
Triggering syntactic finiteness in Dutch and German child language. Cross-linguistic microvariation and the role of the input. Conference talk.
TIN-Dag 2009. (Annual AVT meeting). Utrecht, Netherlands. February 7, 2009.
Microvariation in Language Acquisition: The Development of Finiteness in Dutch and German L1. Conference poster.
Anéla Juniorendag 2009. Amsterdam, Netherlands. January 16, 2009.
2007
From Lexical Linking to Syntactic Finiteness. Some Remarks on the Emergence of Syntactic Structure in German L1. Workshop presentation.
Annual meeting of the MPI project group ‘The Structure of Learner Varieties’. Bergamo, Italy.
April 13-14, 2007.
Winkler, S: From Lexical Linking to Syntactic Finiteness. Some Remarks on the Emergence of Syntactic Structure in German L1. Conference talk.
29th Annual DGfS Conference. Siegen, Germany. February 28 – March 2, 2007.
2006
Winkler, S: On the Triggering Effect of Negation in the Acquisition of Finiteness in German L1 and L2. A Quantitative Analysis. Workshop presentation.
Annual meeting of the MPI project group ‘The Structure of Learner Varieties’. Nijmegen, Netherlands. March 25-26, 2006.
