Forum on Languages of Origin (Forum Herkunftssprachen)

We are a team of researchers and educators at the University of Regensburg, specializing in heritage language research and teaching. Our goal is to further advance the promotion and appreciation of heritage languages, fostering their recognition and value in diverse contexts.

Members

• Prof.?Dr. Bj?rn?Hansen?
  Website?Slavic Linguistics
• Prof. Dr. Rupert Hochholzer
  Website German as a Second Language
• Prof. Dr. Marek Nekula
  Website Bohemian Studies and West Slavic Studies
• Prof. Dr. Maria?Selig
  Website Romance Studies
• Amelie Moser
  research assistant, Chair of Romance Studies
• Ledio Hala
  Lecturer für Albanian as heritage language
• Giulia De Savorgnani
  Lecturer for Italian as heritage language
• Simona Fabellini
  Lecturer for Italian as heritage language
• Lidija Cvikic
  Lecturer for Croatian as heritage language
• Daniel-Sorin Vintil?
  Lecturer for Rumanian as heritage language
• Natalia Brüggemann
  Lecturer for Russian as heritage language
• Renáta Pavlová
  Lecturer for Slovak as heritage language
• Kate?ina ?ichová
  Lecturer for Czech as heritage language

---

Every language can also serve as a heritage language. It is acquired by individuals who migrated with their families to a new linguistic environment during early childhood or were even born in a migration context.

Heritage language acquisition primarily occurs in the family setting and typically develops in a natural, informal manner. As a result, the heritage language is often used exclusively within the family, while the local language tends to dominate in interactions outside the home.

---

We are actively working to expand the range of heritage language courses and include additional languages. Currently, we offer specialized heritage language courses in the following languages, open to all students at the University of Regensburg and the Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule (OTH):

Albanian as heritage language > Ledio Hala

Italian as heritage language > Giulia De Savorgnani und Simona Fabellini

Kroatisch as heritage language > Lidija Cviki?

Rumanian as heritage language > Daniel-Sorin Vintil?

Russian as heritage language > Natalia Brüggemann

Slowak as heritage language > Renáta Pavlová h

Czech as heritage language > Kate?ina ?ichová

---

Heritage language teaching is not only tailored to the specific learning needs of students but also differs fundamentally from foreign language instruction. Its primary focus lies in a cognitive, rather than communicative, approach to linguistic awareness. Key aspects include linking spoken and written language, developing productive skills, fostering sensitivity to the standard language, and more.

---

In recent years, heritage languages have gained increasing attention in the education systems of many federal states. Research has long demonstrated the positive effects of heritage languages on German as a second language and on the acquisition of additional languages. Multilingualism, in general, benefits society: the more languages a person speaks, the more opportunities they have in the professional world. Moreover, multilingualism fosters creativity.

---

Our forum offers a wide range of activities. These include regular lectures, advanced seminars, introductory seminars, and project-based seminars on various heritage languages, such as the project seminar Voci italo-bavaresi, as well as specialized practical language courses for heritage speakers (see above). Together with our students, we explore numerous research questions that lead to publications, term papers, bachelor's theses, master's theses, and dissertations on heritage languages.

In addition to regular forum meetings for exchange and collaboration, we organize workshops, conferences, lectures, and excursions, all of which are open to anyone interested. We maintain close connections with institutions such as schools and are always open to new collaborations and suggestions.

Further information about our course offerings and other activities is available on the pages of the contact persons for each heritage language. These offerings are updated every semester. Feel free to reach out to us at bjoern.hansen@ur.de

---

Brüggemann, Natalia (2022) Der Wortschatz in der Sprachproduktion von Herkunftssprechern des Russischen. ALP-Reader zur 21. Fortbildungstagung, 26-29.

Brüggemann, Natalia (2021) Grundlagen und Prinzipien der Entwicklung eines Curriculums für herkunftssprachliche Lerner. Slavic Language Education 1/2021, 20-46.

Brüggemann, Natalia (2021) Zur (In-)Stabilit?t der grammatischen Kategorien in der Herkunftssprache Russisch (am Beispiel der Substantivkategorien Numerus, Genus und Kasus). Slavic Language Education 1/2021, 48-68.

Brüggemann, Natalia (2021) Pr?fixe in der Herkunftssprache Russisch. In: Brehmer, B./Gattnar, A./Perevozchikova, T. (Hrsg.) Von A wie Aspekt bis Z wie zdvo?ilost. Ein Kaleidoskop der Slavistik für Tilman Berger zum 65. Geburtstag. Tübingen.

Brüggemann, Natalia (2019) ?berblick über die Bedarfsbereiche im herkunftssprachlichen Russischunterricht aus systemlinguistischer Perspektive. In: Drackert, A./Karl, K. (Hgg.) Didaktik der slawischen Sprachen. Beitr?ge zum 2. Arbeitskreis in Innsbruck (17.-18.02.2018). Innsbruck, 237-258.

Брюггеман, Нaталья (2018) Особенности русского языка как унаследованного в Германии. In: Przegl?d Rusycystyczny / Русское обозрение / Russian Studies Review. 2018, nr 2 (162), 159-173.

Brüggemann, Natalia (2018) Arbeit mit Schreibanf?ngerInnen im herkunftssprachlichen Russischunterricht. In: Bergmann, A./Caspers, O./Stadler, W. (Hgg.) Didaktik der slawischen Sprachen – Beitr?ge zum 1. Arbeitskreis in Berlin (12.-14.9.2016). Innsbruck, 177-192.

Brüggemann, Natalia (2016) Herkunftssprache Russisch. Unvollst?ndige Grammatik als Folge mündlichen Spracherwerbs. In: Bazhutkina, A./Sonnenhauser, B. (Hgg.) Linguistische Beitr?ge zur Slavistik. XXII. JungslavistInnen-Treffen in München, 37-58.

Bj?rn Hansen / Anna Zielińska (Hgg.) (2022) Soziolinguistik trifft Korpuslinguistik. Deutsch-polnische und deutsch-tschechische Zweisprachigkeit. Winter Verlag
?

Marek Nekula: Special issue “?e?tina ve světě / Czech in the World” edited by Marek Nekula Na?e ?e? 104 (2021), no. 5.

Marek Nekula: ?e?tina v Německu – jazyk v kontaktu a izolaci v ?generaci exil“, in: Na?e ?e? 104 (2021), no. 5, 359–375.

Marek Nekula & Stefan M. Newerkla: Special issue “Tschechisch im deutschsprachigen Kontext” edited by Marek Nekula & Stefan M. Newerkla, in: Brücken – Zeitschrift für Sprach- , Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaft, N.F. 28 (2021), no. 2.

Marek Nekula: Sprachideologien und Sprachmanagement in sprachbiographischen Interviews: Sprecher mit tschechischem Migrationshintergrund in Bayern, in: Brücken – Zeitschrift für Sprach-, Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaft, N.F. 28 (2021), no. 2, 63–82.

Marek Nekula: Language loyalty and language shift in Bohemia in the long 19th century based on the language biography of Friedrich (Bed?ich) Smetana, in: Language & History 64 (2), 2021, pp. 92–112. DOI: 10.1080/17597536.2021.1898126.

Marek Nekula, Lucie Rychnovská: Jazyk Smetanov?ch dopis? v dobovém kontextu / The Language of Smetana’s Letters and Diaries in the Context of His Time. / Die Sprache von Smetanas Briefen im Kontext seiner Zeit, in: Bed?ich Smetana, Korespondence I (1840–1862). Kritická edice. Edited by Olga Moj?í?ová & Milan Pospí?il. Praha: Národní muzeum – Koniasch Latin Press, 2016, pp. 28–73, 123–181, 235–291, 429–444.

Weitere Publikationen von Marek Nekula:
www.uni-regensburg.de/bohemicum/team/marek-nekula/publikationen/index.html

Pavlová, Renáta. Jazyková interferencia ústnych komunikátov v sloven?ine ako cudzom jazyku v nemeckom prostredí. Medzinárodné kolokvium Errare humanum est. Bratislava: Univerzita Komenského, 2024.

?ichová, Kate?ina (2023): "Ta gramatika a taki to psání mě tak nejde (jak tady v tém textu vidíte)": Jazykové kompetence druhé generace mluv?ích ?e?tiny jako zděděného jazyka. - In: ?esk? jazyka a literatura 2023/24, ?. 4, s. 172-177.

?ichová, Kate?ina (2021): Zur phraseologischen Kompetenz bei Herkunftssprechern des Tschechischen. - In: Nekula, Marek (Hg.): Brücken 28/2, S. 111-144. BRUCKEN 2021-2 (cuni.cz)

?ichová, Kate?ina (2016): Untertitelung Tschechisch-Deutsch im Hochschulunterricht für Herkunftssprecher. - In: TransKom: Zeitschrift für Translationswissenschaft und Fachkommunikation, 2/2016, 227-253 (Text).

---