New research project on language development in Marburg starts with 4.1 million euros!

New research project on language development in Marburg starts with 4.1 million euros!

The German Research Foundation (DFG) has launched a new research group dedicated to studying weak elements in language development. With funding of 4.1 million euros over a period of four years, the group entitled “Weak Elements in Phonology: Development, Processing and Modality” is led by the University of Marburg. The research group is particularly concerned with the role of weak, unstressed elements in prosody, an aspect of language processing that has so far been little researched.

The participation of renowned institutions underlines the importance of this research. In addition to the University of Marburg, the University of Mannheim, the Goethe University Frankfurt, the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz as well as the German Institute for Adult Education and the Leibniz Institute for German Language in Mannheim are involved in the project. Prof. Dr. Frank Domahs from the University of Erfurt is involved in a sub-project that is funded with 358,317 euros. His project is entitled “Writing weak syllables,” which explores the use of unstressed syllables in written language.

Research aim and questions

The central goal of the research group is to gain a better understanding of the functions of weak elements in language development. This involves examining the grammatical information that weak syllables such as “ehe” and “rather” can convey. The research raises, among other things, the following questions:

• Wie erwerben Kinder schwache Elemente unter verschiedenen Voraussetzungen?
• Wie hat sich die historische Entwicklung schwacher Elemente vollzogen?
• Welche neuronalen Prozesse sind beim Verstehen schwacher Elemente beteiligt?
• Wie beeinflussen schwache Elemente das Versmaß von Sprache?
• Welche Auswirkungen hat die Sprachmodalität auf den Erwerb und die Verarbeitung?

Particular attention is paid to how elementary school children learn to write different sounds using the same letter. Initial results from a pilot study show that children need time to correctly produce unstressed syllables at the end of words. These difficulties can have a negative impact on further language acquisition and highlight the relevance of prosody - the interaction of tempo, melody and rhythm - in language learning.

Linguistic framework conditions

The research group is supported by various linguistic levels that are crucial for language education and support. Different language observation methods are used to analyze the language areas. Particular attention is paid to the following linguistic levels:

• Phonetik
• Phonologie
• Morphologie
• Syntax
• Semantik / Lexikon
• Textlinguistik
• Pragmatik
• Prosodie

These levels help to identify disorders in language acquisition and to develop targeted support measures. The results of the research group are intended not only to contribute to the scientific discussion about prosodic systems, but also to provide practical insights for language didactics. By combining theoretical knowledge and practical application, the aim is ultimately to make a contribution to improving language support in educational institutions.

As the various institutions emphasize, the evidence gathered can have far-reaching implications for understanding and promoting language development. This interdisciplinary project represents a significant step in language research, enabling deeper insights into the complexity of language processing.

Provide further information about the research group University of Erfurt, University of Marburg as well as languageeducation.net.