Research
Research in the Department of European Languages is focused on the nexus between Language and Culture, with a majority of staff members publishing in fields that can be loosely grouped under 'Multicultural, Intercultural and Cross-Cultural Studies'. While some research work in the Department is directed at language, e.g. historical and linguistic description of languages, and literary productions in specific languages and of individual writers, another current area of interest is in the theory and history of European Literature more generally and its evolution in the context of intercultural interactions. An emerging research area is the impact of globalisation and migration processes on cultural productions - such as literature, film and theatre - in the European and Australian context. In addition, research projects situated in the area of Applied Linguistics, such as corpus-based approaches to language teaching and computer-mediated communication in second language acquisition, as well as language teaching methodology more generally contribute to the Department's research profile.
Below you will find a listing of individual staff members and their research interests:
A/Prof Martina Möllering
BA (Essen), MA (Macq.), PhD(Macq.)
Head, Department of European Languages
Associate Professor, Head of German Studies
Research interests:
Computer-mediated communication in second language acquisition; corpus-based approaches to language teaching; pragmatics in interlanguage; linguistic aspects of identity construction in multi-cultural societies
Gianluca Alimeni
BA (W'gong), MA (W'gong)
Associate Lecturer, Italian Studies
Research interests:
The Italian Renaissance; computer-assisted language learning
Yvonne Breyer
MA (Duisburg-Essen)
Online Development Coordinator, Postgraduate Student (PhD)
Research interests:
Corpus linguistics; data-driven language learning; corpus-aided language teaching; online teaching; software development for classroom use
Luka Budak
BSc (Wat.), MA (Wat.)
Senior Lecturer, Head of Croatian Studies
Research interests:
History of Croatian language, 20th century in particular; Croatian language in Australia; history of Croatian settlement in Australia; Croatian cultural history; Croatian emigrant literature and emigrant literature in general; Croatian and Russian literature (19th century and early 20th century)
Dr Ulrike Garde
BA (Toulouse), MA (Bonn), PhD (Monash)
Lecturer, German Studies
Research interests:
Cross-cultural approaches to German studies with a focus on the creation of cultural identities; Australian-German cross-cultural relationship; the production and reception of German-language drama in Australia; performativity and theatricality and their application to literary texts; 20th century German-speaking playwrights
Dr Marika Kalyuga
BA (MSU), PhD (MSPU) Senior Lecturer, Head of Russian Studies
Research interests:
Cognitive linguistics, cross-cultural communication, second language acquisition
Dr Elizabeth Kefallinos BA (Syd.), PhD (Syd.), Dip HigherEd (Macq.)
Lecturer, Head of Modern Greek Studies
Research interests:
Greek language history and literature, mainly poetry, poetics and poeticism; intercultural interpretations; modern and traditional concepts of Olympism and heroism
Dr Halyna Koscharsky
BA Dip Ed (Monash), MA (Macq.), PhD (Macq.)
Senior Lecturer, Head of Ukrainian Studies
Research interests:
Contemporary Ukrainian language and the feminist approach to an analysis of women's literature
Dr Bert Peeters
Lic. Rom. Philol. (Leuven), PhD (ANU)
Senior Lecturer, Head of French Studies
Research interests:
French linguistics (syntax and semantics), cross-cultural communication (English-French), Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM)
Dr Kerstin Pilz
BA (La Trobe), PhD (Melb.)
Senior Lecturer, Head of Italian Studies
Research interests:
The relationship of literature and science; Italian and European cinema; issues of immigration and construction of personal and national identity; intercultural communication; uses of cinema in the language classroom
A/Prof Nonna Ryan
BA (Macq.), MA (Macq.), PhD (Macq.)
Associate Professor, Head of Russian Studies
Research interests:
Language retention and language loss in the Russian Émigré Community, and changes in Russian society and culture; literature of the Russian Émigré Community
Andrew Siedlecki
MA, Dip Ed
Polish Studies
Research interests:
Film, theatre, literature, creativity in art, mechanics of acting
Dr Karin Speedy
BA (Auck.), MA (Auck.), PhD (Auck.)
Lecturer, French Studies
Research interests:
French-based Creole languages and linguistics, particularly Reunion Creole, Tayo and Louisiana Creole; colonial and post-colonial francophone literature; French and Pacific history; literary translation; cross-cultural issues in French business
Dr Boris Skvorc
BA (Zagreb), PhD (Macq.)
Senior Lecturer, Croatian Studies
Research interests:
Theory of literature; multicultural studies; cross-cultural studies
Dr Estela Valverde
Lecturer, Head of Spanish Studies
Research interests:
Ethnic and gender identities; re-democratisation and human rights; computer-assisted language acquisition