Profile
Abstract
I am currently employed as a research scientist at the Herder Institute of the University of Leipzig in the DFG-funded project "Processing and Representation of Non-Finites in L1 and L2 German" (PI: Prof. Dr. Denisa Bordag).
As a psycholinguist I am particularly interested in the interface between grammar theory and psycholinguistics.
I received my formal training in theoretical linguistics and psycholinguistics at the University of Leipzig, where I also wrote my dissertation, which dealt with the psycholinguistic processing of grammatical features, especially the concepts of morphological underspecification and subanalysis.
For some time now, the acquisition of second languages and language processing in L1 and in L2 has been moving more into the focus of my research.
Professional career
- since 01/2020
Senior Researcher // Leipzig University - 10/2019 - 12/2019
Temporary professorship „German as a foreign language“Herder-Institut // Leipzig University - 10/2017 - 09/2019
Research Associate // Leipzig University - 08/2012 - 09/2017
Postdoctoral researcher & lecturer // Leipzig University
Education
- 09/2006 - 07/2012
Doctorate in Linguistics/Psycholinguistics (Dr.phil.)Leipzig University, Germany
As a psycholinguist I am particularly interested in the interface between grammar theory and psycholinguistics.
For some time now, the acquisition of second languages and language processing in L1 and in L2 has been moving more into the focus of my research.
My areas of specialization are:
- Psycholinguistics
- Morphology
- Morphological Processing
- L2-Acquisition & L2-Processing
- Mental Lexicon
- Interface between Grammar Theory and Psycholinguistics
- Statistics (using “R”)
- Behavioral Experiments
- Eyetracking
- Representation and Processing of Non-Finites in L1 and L2 GermanBordag, DenisaDuration: 01/2020 - ongoingFunded by: DFG Deutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftInvolved organisational units of Leipzig University: Herderinstitut
- Regel, S.; Opitz, A.; Müller, G.; Friederici, A. D.Processing inflectional morphology: ERP evidence for decomposition of complex words according to the affix structureCortex. 2019. pp. 143-153
- Opitz, A.; Regel, S.; Müller, G.; Friederici, A. D.Neurophysiological Evidence For Morphological Underspecification In German Strong Adjective InflectionLanguage. 2013. pp. 231-264
- Regel, S.; Opitz, A.; Müller, G.; Friederici, A. D.The Past Tense Debate Revisited: Electrophysiological Evidence for Subregularities of Irregular Verb InflectionJOURNAL OF COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE. 2015. 27 (9). pp. 1870-1885DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00818
- Opitz, A.; Pechmann, T.Gender features in German - Evidence for underspecification.The mental lexicon. 2016. 11 (2). pp. 216-241
- Bordag, D.; Opitz, A.; Rogahn-Beckmann, M.; Tschirner, E.The strength of meaning: Representations of new words with different properties in the L2 semantic network.The Mental Lexicon. 2018. 13 (1). pp. 74-104DOI: 10.1075/ml.17005.bor
I have taught numerous bachelor and master courses in psycholinguistics, grammar theory, and empirical methodology.
Topics included:
- Introduction to empirical practice and empirical methodology
- Introduction to statistics (quantitative methods)
- Cognitive basis of language processing
- Language disorders
- Processing, understanding & production of language
- L2 language acquisition and language processing in L2
- Psycholinguistic research training (lab training)
- Morphology of contemporary German
- Lexicon and vocabulary in DaF/DaZ context
- Grammar Theory