Research area Multilingualism and Communication

In the project multilingualism, we explore the developmental processes of children who grow up in multilingual environments. A variety of languages often goes hand in hand with a wealth of different cultures, interaction partners, and diverse communication styles. This is particularly important in Switzerland, where different languages come together naturally and in close vicinity. The results of our project help to support children of any language and cultural background in their development.

We particularly focus on children's communicative development: We investigate how children learn to deal with misunderstandings, adapt to their interaction partners, and communicate effectively. Furthermore, we explore the extent to which any differences are also evident in children who grow up with different dialects, such as Standard German and Swiss German.

Group leader: Dr. Stephanie Wermelinger

Project staff:
M. Sc. Joanna Rutkowska (Post-Doc)
M. Sc. Esmee Aalders

Master students:
Fiona Manzolini (finished)
Corinne Meier (finished)
Norine Moser
Flavia Pfister
Lena Güntzel
Vanessa Zöbeli