Research interests
language variation & change
language complexity
language typology & evolution
computer-mediated communication
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Research activity
My research is rooted in quantitative, usage-based linguistics.
Much of my research investigates how structural variation and complexity in English varieties is related to language-external pressures. Thus, I work at the interface of information-theory, sociolinguistics, cross-language typology, language evolution, second language acquisition research, and historical linguistics.
I am also interested in digital language use and grammatical variation in emerging registers of computer-mediated communication. Recent projects explore, for instance, lexico-grammatical variation in podcast transcripts. This strand of research unites quantitative methods with discourse analytic and text linguistic approaches.
Funded projects
Complexity, causality, change: Testing extra-linguistic triggers as causal mechanisms (CoCa)
Applicant and PI, 2024-2027
funded by the Baden-Württemberg Stiftung, Stuttgart, Germany
Extra-linguistic triggers of Morphosyntactic Variation in Englishes (MoVE)
Applicant and PI, 2003-2025 (grant no. 20.23.0.009SL)
funded by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation, Cologne, Germany
Language complexity meets discourse analysis: exploring the interplay of complexity and subjectivity
Applicant and PI, 2024-2027
funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Bonn/Berlin, Germany
PhD project
An information-theoretic approach to language complexity: variation in naturalistic corpora
funded by the Cusanuswerk, Bonn, Germany