The researchers at Section for Linguistics are active researchers. Part of their research is organized in a new Research Centre for Grammar and Language Use (RCGLU). The section collaborates with the Language Museum ( Sprogmuseet.dk ) about the communication of linguistics results. Below, you can read a brief description of the research and teaching profiles of the linguistic staff. Further info about the individual researcher can be seen by clicking on the name. Info on other scientific staff at the section can be seen here.

Staff profiles 

Torben Andersen
Senior researcher. Cand.mag. (University of Copenhagen), dr.phil.

• Research . Since 1981 Torben Andersen has been engaged in research on little-described Nilo-Saharan languages based on fieldwork in Sudan, Congo-Kinshasa and Ethiopia. Thus, he has published on several Western Nilotic languages (Dinka, Päri, Mabaan, Jumjum, Mayak, Kurmuk and Surkum), several Central Sudanic languages (Moru, Madi, Lugbara and Lulubo) and Berta. His descriptions cover phonology, morphology and syntax, often in a typological and/or historical perspective. He is currently conducting the research project Description of the Dinka language , funded by the Danish Research Council for the Humanities. 

Peter Bakker
Associate Professor. BA Dutch (the University of Amsterdam); MA & PhD Linguistics (the University of Amsterdam).

• Teaching . Language and society (Sociolinguistics), Language and culture (Anthropological linguistics), Language acquisition, Language contact, Bilingualism, Historical linguistics, Fieldwork, Phonology, Danish in the World.
• Research . Monographs on Michif, a French-Cree mixture (1992), and twins’ languages (1987); co-edited and co-authored books on mixed languages (1994, 2004) and Romani (1992, 1997, 2000, 2004). Articles on different kinds of links between social, historical and linguistic data, leading to new languages such as creoles, pidgins and intertwined languages. Areal linguistics and convergence. Deep genetic relations. Language and migration. Basque as a contact language. Linguistic extremes. Regional interests: Canada/North America, Europe, Caribbean, South Asia, Ghana, West Africa. Morphology, Algonquian (Amerindian) languages, Romani (Gypsy) languages, twins’ languages. For publication list see: www.hum.au.dk/lingvist/lokal/pdf/publist-to-2003.pdf
• Graduate areas . Language contact, Areal linguistics, Romani, Historical linguistics, Social Typology, Mixed languages, Pidgins, Creoles, Native Canadian languages.

William B. McGregor
Professor. BA (Australian National University), PhD (Sydney University), FAHA.

• Teaching . Phonetics & Phonology, Morphology, Grammar, Applied linguistics, Language description, Languages of the world, Psycholinguistics & Neurolinguistics, Understanding linguistics
• Research . Research. A specialist in the languages of the Kimberley region of the north-west of Australia, McGregor has a range of interests in other areas of linguistics, including grammatical theory, typology, narrative, history of linguistics, historical linguistics, cognition, origins and evolution of languages, and ethnomathematics. As of mid-2009 he will begin research on Shua (Botswana), as a part of the EuroBabel project The Kalahari Basin area: a ‘Sprachbund’ on the verge of extinction . He is the author or editor of over a dozen books, including Linguistics: an introduction (2009), The languages of the Kimberley (2004), Verb classification in Australian languages (2002), and Semiotic grammar (1997). He has published over a hundred articles in journals and anthologies. He is a member of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and he is on the editorial advisory board for Pacific Linguistics and the journal Language & History .    
• Graduate areas . Grammar, Language description/Descriptive linguistics, Australian Aboriginal languages, Psycholinguistics, Neurolinguistics, Phonetics, Phonology, Typology, Semantics and pragmatics, Diachronic Linguistics, History of linguistics.

Jan Rijkhoff
Associate Professor. BA Dutch (Free University Amsterdam), MA & PhD Linguistics (the University of Amsterdam).

• Teaching Grammatical theory, Typology & Universals, Syntax & Morphology, Semantics, Language change especially Grammaticalization, Anthropological linguistics.
• Research . His research focuses on (i) various aspects of Functional (Discourse) Grammar (FDG), esp. semantic and morpho-syntactic parallels between the noun phrase and the sentence and (ii) linguistic typology, in particular in the area of noun phrase structure, word classes, lexical semantics (especially nominal aspect and Seinsart ). He was a core member of the ESF EuroTyp project (1990-1994) and was awarded a Humboldt grant in 1995. Rijkhoff is the author of The Noun Phrase (Hb 2002; Pb 2004) the editor of The Noun Phrase in Functional Discourse Grammar (2008; co‑editor D. García Velasco, Oviedo) and several journal issues (Sprog, Deutsche Sprache). His articles have been published in e.g. Journal of Semantics, Studies in Language, Linguistic Typology, Journal of Linguistics, Functions of Language, Linguistics - as well as various anthologies, including International Handbook of Typology. He is currently editing a book on flexible word classes (co‑editor Eva van Lier, Amsterdam).
• Graduate areas . Typology, Grammatical theory especially Functional (Discourse) Grammar, Language change especially Grammaticalization, Semantics. 

Jakob Steensig
Associate Professor. PhD (University of Aarhus)

• Teaching . Language in use (pragmatics, analysis of conversation and texts), Conversation analysis, Phonetics, Prosody in Interaction, Epistemics in Interaction, Applied conversation analysis, Applied linguistics, Grammar, Sociolinguistics, Job preparation and trainee courses, Grammar and Pragmatics, Conversation analytic and anthropological methods for the study of social interaction.
• Research . Interactional linguistics and grammar of spoken Danish (which grammatical, phonetic, prosodic means are used to construct turns at talk; the relationship between interactional moves and linguistic forms and structures), Conversation analysis (specifically, how linguistic actions contribute to the creation and maintenance of human relations; analyses of specific actions in their contexts), Applied conversation analysis (how can conversation analysis contribute to improving practices in professional interaction). Has published the monography Sprog i virkeligheden - Bidrag til en interaktionel lingvistik [Language in Reality – Contributions to an Interactional Linguistics] (2001), and the anthologies Samtalen på arbejde [Conversation at Work] (co-editor Birte Asmuss, ASB) and Questioning in Interaction (co-editor Paul Drew, York) as well as articles in Scandinavian and international anthologies, journals and encyclopedia. Is currently editing an anthology, The Morality of Knowledge (co-editors Lorenza Mondada, Lyon, and Tanya Stivers, MPI Nijmegen).
• Graduate areas . Conversation analysis, Interactional linguistics, grammar and phonetics of talk-in-interaction, Applied Conversation Analysis.