About

I have been Professor of Scandinavian Linguistics at the Institute of Scandinavian Studies, Frisian Studies, and General Linguistics at Kiel University since 2019.

My research focuses on language contact and multilingualism from areal, sociolinguistic, historical-linguistic, and construction-grammar perspectives. I also work on topics in phonetics and phonology, language ausbau, and language standardisation.

My work spans multiple languages, with a particular emphasis on the North Germanic languages (Danish, Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian, and Swedish). Important contact languages in my research include Low German, other northern German dialects, and Latin.

Pronunciation

My name is pronounced [ˌʃtɛfn̩ ˈhøːdɐ] in Standard German.

Current research

Diasystematic Construction Grammar (DCxG) | Grammatical Areality in the Nordic Countries and Northern Germany (GrammArNord) | Språkliga nätverk, inom och mellan språk

Curriculum vitae

Academic career

  • 2019–: Full Professor of Scandinavian Linguistics, Institute of Scandinavian Studies, Frisian Studies and General Linguistics, Kiel University
  • 2013–2019: Junior Professor of Scandinavian Linguistics, Institute of Scandinavian Studies, Frisian Studies and General Linguistics, Kiel University
  • 2012–2013: Acting Professor of Scandinavian Linguistics, Kiel University
  • 2011–2013: Senior Lecturer, University of Münster (German Studies)
  • 2010–2011: Lecturer, HafenCity University Hamburg (Q-Studies)
  • 2007/2008: Lecturer, University of Hamburg (Scandinavian Studies)
  • 2005–2011: Research Associate, research project Scandinavian Syntax in a Multilingual Setting, Collaborative Research Centre 538 Multilingualism, University of Hamburg

Education

  • 2005–2009: Ph.D., University of Hamburg (Scandinavian Studies). PhD dissertation: “Sprachausbau im Sprachkontakt. Eine theoretische und empirische Analyse zum Syntaxwandel im Altschwedischen” [“Language Ausbau in Language Contact. A Theoretical and Empirical Study on Syntactic Change in Old Swedish”]. Supervisor: Kurt Braunmüller
  • 2000–2005: Magister Artium [M.A.], University of Hamburg (Scandinavian Studies, German Linguistics, Phonetics).

Awards and scholarships

  • 2015: The Swedish Academy’s Award for Postdoctoral Linguists, Swedish Academy (Svenska Akademiens stipendium till postdoktorala språkforskare)
  • 2009: Best Dissertation Award, Faculty of Language, Literature and Media and the Faculty of European Languages and Literatures, University of Hamburg, Haspa Foundation
  • 2000–2005: Excellent Student Fellowship, German Academic Scholarship Foundation

Current academic functions (selected)

Memberships