1961-69 Studies in English, History and Sociology at the University of Hamburg, Tuebingen and at the Free University of Berlin.

1969 M.A. (English, History, Sociology) at the Free University of Berlin.

1969-71 Post-graduate studies in Linguistics and Education at the Free University of Berlin.

1971-1973 Curriculum planning and development, University of Bremen.

1973-74 Teaching English and Social Studies at a comprehensive school in Bremen.

1975-76 Center for Pedagogical Practice and Research, University of Osnabrueck.

1977-85 Research fellow at the Max-Planck-Institute for Educational Research in Berlin.

1981 Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics/Second Language Studies at the University of Osnabrueck (Dissertation „Spracherwerb und Sprachbeherrschung: Untersuchungen zur Struktur von Fremdsprachenfähigkeit“)

1977-1993 First Assistant, then Assoc. Prof. in English/Applied Linguistics at the University of Osnabrueck.

1994 Habilitation (Applied Linguistics/Teaching English as a Foreign/Second Language) University of Osnabrueck

1993-95 Visiting Professor at the University of Leipzig, Saxony.

1995 Six months of content-based language teaching (Social Studies in English as L2) in a German "Gymnasium" (grade 9 & 11).

Since 1996 Professor of Applied Linguistics: Teaching English as Foreign/Second Language.

Currently Director of a Post-Graduate Program in Bilingual Teacher Education , participation in the development of European Modules for the training of bilingual teachers (a SOKRATES program 2001-2003).

 

Research areas include: applied linguistics and second language acquisition, language testing, pragmatics, sociolinguistics (bilingualism, multilingualism, intercultural communication, language contact and language planning), second language teaching and learning. Current Research: See Research Projects.

 

Member of several research units at the University of Osnabrueck: Minority/Canadian Studies, European Studies, Bilingual Education. Recipient of travel and research grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), the Canadian Government, the British Council and the European Union. See: Work in Progress .

 

Published widely (since 1972): see List of Publications ; many presentations on national and international conferences: see Recent&Forthcoming Conference Presentations .

 

Membership in Professional Organizations include: German Association of Linguistics (DGfS); German Association of Applied Linguistics (GAL); Association Internationale de Linguistique Appliquée (AILA); German and International Association of University Professors of English (Anglistentag, IAUPE), American Association of Applied Linguistics (AAAL); Teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). German Association for Modern Languages (FMF); Member of the Spring Conference for Research on Foreign Language Learning and Teaching („Frühjahrskonferenz zur Erforschung des Lehrens und fremder Sprachen“).

Co-founder of the German Association for Foreign Language Research (" Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Fremdsprachenforschung " - DGFF), 1993-95 Vice-President, currently serving on the Advisory Board, Research Coordinator, Liaison Officer to the European Language Council and the European Union.