Sascha Stollhans

Profile

I am an Associate Professor of Language Pedagogies in the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies at the University of Leeds. Before joining Leeds in May 2022, I taught German, linguistics, translation and interpreting at various universities and other institutions in the UK, South Africa and France, and have gained some experience working in the translation industry and as an educational consultant and teacher trainer.

I am currently one of the Interim Deputy Pro-Deans for Student Education in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures. As Director of Scholarship in the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies, I have strategic oversight of scholarship within the School, where I also run the Centre for Excellence in Language Teaching (CELT), a centre dedicated to promoting the scholarship of language teaching and learning, and supporting innovations in language education. In 2022/23, I was the School’s Digital Education Academic Lead. I am the elected EDI Officer and chair of the Working Group on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) matters for the Association for German Studies in Great Britain and Ireland.

One of my research interests is the relationship between linguistics and language teaching methodology, particularly how linguistics-informed content and approaches can enrich language teaching and learning and make it more inclusive. In this context, I research the role of linguistic variation (dialects, colloquial language, forms of online communication etc.) in language teaching and learning. Another interest of mine has always been to think about digital approaches to teaching and learning and explore their pedagogical potential critically.

Being a passionate advocate for the study of languages and cultures, I have been involved in various outreach projects and policy-related initiatives. With my colleagues from the Linguistics in Modern Foreign Languages project, I have recently developed a manifesto for language teaching and learning in schools and presented this at a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages at the UK House of Lords. I enjoy delivering outreach events for pupils and the general public and CPD workshops for teachers.

Responsibilities

• Deputy Pro-Dean: Student Education (interim), Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures
• Director, Centre for Excellence in Language Teaching (CELT)
• Director of Scholarship, School of Languages, Cultures and Societies

Research interests

Linguistics in language teaching and learning

My colleague Anna Havinga (Bristol) and I lead the German strand of the Linguistics in Modern Foreign Languages Project, a national research project which investigates the potential of linguistics in school-based language teaching. I have also been interested in exploring the role of linguistic variation (dialects, colloquial language, forms of online communication etc.) in language teaching and learning. In September 2023, Judith Eberharter and I organised a symposium on cultural and linguistic diversity in German language teaching, and we are currently preparing a special issue of the German as a Foreign Language Journal on the same topic. Recently, I have been working more in-depth on gender and LGBTQ+-inclusive approaches to language teaching and learning, and have been a member of the International Research Networking Project “Language and Gender: Academic Research and Practical Implementation”.

Language pedagogy and digital approaches to language teaching and learning

One of my interests is the pedagogically grounded use of digital teaching and learning methods. I was one of the editors of an open-access book on innovative language teaching and have been working in particular on the use of audiovisual ‘screencast’ feedback. In one of my recent papers, I reflect on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the delivery of language programmes and the digitsation of language teaching at UK universities. In June 2023, my colleague Rasha Soliman and I organised a national symposium on language education in the (post-)digital era, funded by the University Council for Languages (UCFL).

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

I am interested in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) as a form of reflective, action-oriented and collaborative research that has a direct impact on student education and staff professionalisation.

Recent and upcoming talks and presentations

• Linguistics in language teaching and learning: towards a more inclusive and motivating approach. Invited presentation at the National Association of Language Advisers (NALA) Annual Conference. University of Nottingham, 29 June.
• A manifesto for linguistics in language teaching (with Michelle Sheehan, also on behalf of Alice Corr, Anna Havinga, Jonathan Kasston and Norma Schifano). Invited presentation at the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages, UK House of Lords, 17 July 2023.
• Raising awareness of gender-inclusive language pedagogies: a staff and student reflection on the potential ‘impact’ of pedagogical research (with Rona Jamieson, final-year student). Pedagogic Research in the Arts (PRiA) Slow Conference 2023, University of Leeds, 24 April 2023.
• Locating Modern Languages in Higher Education institutions: potential for collaboration and joint pedagogical research (with Oranna Speicher). Panel at “Where are we now? The Locatin of Modern Languages and Cultures”, Durham University, 20 April 2023.
• Studying German in the (post-)digital age: pedagogical and linguistic reflections / Didaktische und linguistische Überlegungen zum Deutschlernen im (post-)digitalen Zeitalter. Invited keynote presentation at the German Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference 2022, University of Galway, 5 November 2022. 
• Linguistic diversity in the German language classroom / Sprachliche Vielfalt im DaF-Unterricht. Invited workshop at the Goethe-Institut’s Virtual German Teachers’ Day Northwest Europe, online, 21 May 2022.
• The Digitisation Of Language Education – Lessons Learnt From UK Higher Education During The Pandemic. Invited keynote address at Shaping the Future of Modern Foreign Languages in Education, Institute of Government & Public Policy, online, 9 March 2022.

<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Any research projects I'm currently working on will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Professional memberships

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
• Association for German Studies in Great Britain and Ireland (AGS)
• Forum for Germanic Language Studies (FGLS)
• Association for Learning Technology (ALT)
• European Association of Computer Assisted Language Learning (EUROCALL)
• British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL)

Student education

My teaching includes modules in German language and in (applied) linguistics, e. g. on the MA programmes in Linguistics, Linguistics for English Language Teaching and Professional Language and Intercultural Studies. I also contribute to the Leeds International Summer School (LISS). An aspect of my role at Leeds involves work with the Curriculum Redefined project.

Research groups and institutes

• German
• Language pedagogy
• PRIA
• Language variation
• Language at Leeds
• Language acquisition
• Languages
• Linguistics and Phonetics
• Linguistics and Translation

<h4>Postgraduate research opportunities</h4> <p>We welcome enquiries from motivated and qualified applicants from all around the world who are interested in PhD study. Our <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk">research opportunities</a> allow you to search for projects and scholarships.</p>