Our Researchers
Sarah Bindar
Sarah Bindar is a project leader at the Didactics Research Section at treffpunkt sprachen − Centre for Languages, Plurilingualism and Didactics at the University of Graz. Her research focuses on intergenerationality in language teaching as well as intergenerational methodology and didactics to, thus, analyze how language learners of diverse generations learn from and with each other in foreign language courses. She studied English and Art Education at the University of Teacher Education and English and American Studies, with a focus on Cultural Studies, at the University of Graz. In addition to teaching at a secondary school, she is a student assistant at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Aging and Care (CIRAC) and the Department of American Studies.
Serena Comoglio
Serena Comoglio has been a lecturer at the Department of Translation Studies at the University of Graz, since 2014. She studied Translation Studies in Turin/Italy and at the University of Graz. Additionally, she acquired a Master of Science in the field of Industrial and Organizational Psychology at the Middlesex University London/ KMU Akademie and Management AG. Her research focuses on leadership in virtual and intercultural contexts, with a focus on the current situation at university language centers in Austria. She also works as a freelance translator and interpreter for Italian, German and English and as a project manager for language projects at the Austrian Language Competence Center (ÖSZ) in Graz. At the ÖSZ she supervises several projects on methodological-didactical developments in the field of competence-oriented foreign language teaching in English and Romance languages.
Teresa Eibl-Steiner
Teresa Eibl-Steiner is a research assistant at the Didactics Research Section at treffpunkt sprachen. Her research is on the implementation of digital communication tools in university in-person language teaching. She studied German and English and American Studies at the University of Graz and the University of Bristol. Additionally, she has completed further training in the field of German as a foreign/ second language as well as literacy for adult migrants. Teresa Eibl-Steiner also works as a German as a second language (DaZ) trainer in adult education.
Stefanie Faustmann
Stefanie Faustmann is a research assistant at the Didactics Research Section at treffpunkt sprachen – Centre for Languages, Plurilingualism and Didactics at the University of Graz. She has received a BA in Romance Studies and finished her Italian and History studies teaching degree, at the University of Graz. Furthermore, she completed the university course “German as a Second and Foreign Language” and taken part in diverse training courses in the field of adult education. Since 2021 she has been a teacher in compulsory secondary education and in the field of subject didactics at treffpunkt sprachen. Her research interests include literature and cultural didactics, media and film didactics, as well as issues of inter- and transculturality, value formation and global citizenship education in the teaching of German as a foreign language.
Antonia Gösweiner
Antonia Gösweiner is a linguist and German as a second/foreign language trainer. She studied linguistics at the University of Graz and is now focusing on grammar phenomena in a wide variety of languages, as part of her research projects at treffpunkt sprachen – Centre for Languages, Plurilingualism and Didactics. In order to connect the gap between theory and practice, her research primarily focuses on the positive and negative influence of linguistic differences on DaF/DaZ teaching. Her research interests include first and second language acquisition, facial expressions and gestures in language acquisition and the field of psycholinguistics.
Christian Hofer-Tomberger
Christian Hofer-Tomberger is a Senior Lecturer at treffpunkt sprachen – Centre for Languages, Plurilingualism and Didactics. He graduated from the University of Graz with a degree in Italian and Educational Science, a teaching degree in Italian and Psychology/Philosophy and a PhD in Adult Education with a focus on didactics. As a Senior Lecturer he is responsible for the teaching of Italian, research in language didactics and the training of (future) language teachers. In addition to teaching at a secondary school for several years, he has also taught philosophy and, since 2004, has been responsible for the coaching and professional development of language teachers at treffpunkt sprachen. In the field of career counseling, Christian Hofer-Tomberger works as a management consultant (coaching), as a human energeticist and as an adult educator.
Sarah Jud
Sarah Jud is a research assistant at treffpunkt sprachen – Centre for Languages, Plurilingualism and Didactics. Her research focuses on multilingual language learning and plurilingual didactics. She studied Transcultural Communication and Translation Studies at the University of Graz and completed advanced training in German as a Foreign Language. In her research, she reviews current theoretical assumptions and discussions on multilingual didactic approaches and develops multilingual didactic elements for university language teaching. Her research interests include multilingualism, plurilingual learning, learning strategies and multilingual didactic approaches.
Bettina Leitner
Bettina Leitner is a university lecturer for German as a Foreign Language and Latin, as well as an office manager at treffpunkt sprachen. After completing her teacher training for Latin and German at the University of Graz, she trained as a DaF/DaZ trainer at the Goethe Institute and attended the module series "Language Learning with Adults" and "Interdisciplinary Language Learning" at the University of Graz - at treffpunkt sprachen. In 2021 she received her PhD in Latin with a dissertation on Animism and Dynamism in Greek and Roman Religion. During her time as a doctoral student, she worked as a freelance editor for various magazines and newspapers, attended numerous continuing education courses in adult education, and began teaching Latin and German as a foreign language as an adjunct professor at treffpunkt sprachen. She also conducted a research project on "Grammar and Language Competence in German as the Key to Successful Foreign Language Acquisition", the results of which were published in the anthology "Forschende Fachdidaktik III" (Guideline).
Beatrice Maierhofer
Beatrice Maierhofer teaches Spanish, History and Political Education at the HLW FSB Weiz. She studied at the University of Graz and the Universidad de Valladolid in Spain and wrote her diploma thesis in the field of Spanish didactics. Her first teaching experiences were gained as a language assistant in Lugo (Spain) and during her teaching internship at BG/BRG Gleisdorf. At the Austrian Language Competence Center (ÖSZ) she managed projects in the field of language teaching and learning, on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research. Currently she is involved in the quality assurance of the standardized Spanish Matura by participating in the standard setting of the BMBWF. She also teaches foreign language didactics at the Department of Romance Studies at the University of Graz.
Anneliese Rieger-Roschitz
Anneliese Rieger-Roschitz is subject coordinator at treffpunkt sprachen ‒ Centre for Language, Plurilingualism and Didactics. She studied Philosophy and German philology in Vienna and Cork (Ireland) and completed her PhD in History at the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School at Andrássy University in Budapest. Her areas of work include assisting the head of the department in the subject Didactics, editing and translation. In addition, she has been teaching GFL at universities in Austria and abroad since 2015. Her research focuses on recognition theories, language politics and Austrian German.
Yael Rosenmann
Yael Rosenmann is a research assistant at the Didactics Research Section at treffpunkt sprachen. Her research focuses on multilingual life contexts of international language teachers who are confronted with unavoidable changes in first language use due to their many years of residence in German-speaking countries. Rosenmann studied English and Literature at the University of Amsterdam and Hebrew at Tel Aviv University. She completed further training in Hebrew as a foreign language (biblical and modern language) and in adult education. Yael Rosenmann is active in the field of biblical studies in the Netherlands, Israel, Germany, Great Britain, the USA and Austria. In addition to her research work, she taught Hebrew at treffpunkt sprachen ‒ Centre for Language, Plurilingualism and Didactics at the University of Graz.
Eva Seidl
Eva Seidl studied German Studies and Romance Languages (Italian) at the University of Graz and finished two continuing education programs – German as a Foreign and Second Language and Project Management. Since winter term 2003/04 she teaches German as a Foreign Language at treffpunkt sprachen and at the Institute of Translation Studies, German as a First, Second and Foreign Language. Within the field of continuing teacher education Eva Seidl teaches courses of the module series “Language Learning with Adults“ and the continuing education program „ German as a Foreign and Second Language“. Her research focus are mobility and exchange research, TILLT (Translation and Interpreting-oriented Language Learning and Teaching) and subject-sensitive higher education didactics.
Birgit Simschitz
Birgit Simschitz teaches German as a Foreign language as a University Lecturer as well as a teacher. She studied German and Philosophy/Psychology and completed the continuing education program “German as a Foreign and Second Language”. In her dissertation she conducted research on reading behavior and comprehension in adult education. After her lectureship at the Faculty of Humanities in Prešov/Slovakia, freelance work and teaching at the High school for professionals (Gymnasium für Berufstätige) in Graz she now, has her focus on learning and testing German as a foreign and second language (GFL and GSL) in an academic context.
Kaori Sohar-Yasuda
Kaori Sohar-Yasuda a linguist and university lecturer for Japanese, at the University of Graz. Her research focuses on the topics: teaching strategies, vocabulary acquisition, motivational research and digital media and tools in foreign language teaching. She has studied German Philology in Japan as well as Austria and obtained a PhD at the Department of German Studies focusing on “Transitivity in German and Japanese”. Additionally, she successfully completed the teacher training program for Japanese as a Foreign Language at the Japanese-Language Institute of Japan Foundation in Urawa. For many years she has been collaborating with numerous researchers from international universities on various international research projects between Austria and Japan. Since 2018 she has had an advisory role in two research projects at the University of Kobe. Thus, she is passionate about the promotion of subject didactics in the university context and teaching about Japanese language and culture.
Daniela Unger-Ullmann
Since 2007, Daniela Unger-Ullmann has been the director of treffpunkt sprachen − Centre for Language, Plurilingualism und Didactics at the University of Graz. Her research is focused on the fields of education and teaching management, personnel and organizational development and language teaching and learning research. She obtained a Teacher Training Degree in German and Latin and has completed further training programs in German as a Foreign Language and Media Studies. She further concluded a doctoral program in German philology, with a focus on older German literature. From 1999 − 2003 Daniela Unger-Ullmann worked as a lecturer for German Language and Literature at the Silesian University in Opava/Czech Republic. As director of treffpunkt sprachen − Centre for Language, Plurilingualism und Didactics she concerns herself with the incorporation and preservation as well as the strategic development of teaching and research. From 2010 – 2015 she was appointed director of the Confucius Institute and was devoted to working on cultural and literary topics.
Nina Zavašnik
Nina Zavašnik is a researcher, translator, language trainer and activist. She has completed her studies in German Language and Literature and Croatian, Serbian and Macedonian Language and Literature, at the University of Ljubljana, with distinction. She has further been educated in Sarajevo and Novi Sad and was awarded stipends from the Republic of Bulgaria (2006), Republic of Croatia (2009) and Republic of North Macedonia (2018). She is working as a language trainer at the Volkshochschule (Austrian Adult Education Center) and Urania; additionally, she does translation work and some of her literary and academic translations have already been published. Nina Zavašnik is a member of the Austrian Society for Slavic Studies and the Slovenian Slavic Association. In her dissertation she is focusing on interjection in South Slavic languages. Her research interests include: morphology, psycho and socio linguistics, plurilingualism, language contact, language conflict, language ideology, language politics as well as language learning and teaching for people with visual impairments.