Psychology of Language

Infants are precocious language learners. Often to the despair of struggling adult second language learners, infants appear to sail through the language acquisition challenges presented to them in the early years of their life. The Psychology of Language Research Group at Georg-Elias-Müller Institut für Psychologie and its associated infant language lab “WortSchatzInsel” is interested in examining the mechanisms underlying the ease of infants’ language acquisition and language processing.

Our particular interest lies in studying how infants learn words (and learn how these words sound) and how they come to recognize these words when next they encounter them. At the Psychology of Language Research Group, we believe that a thorough understanding of how young language users traffic in words is one the footholds of the study of language processing.

Our group is constantly evolving. If you are interested in working with us for a short project (Bachelor or Masters) or a doctoral or post-doctoral project, please contact us. There are a number of sources of funding for longer term projects you might be eligible for (Humboldt, Marie Curie, DAAD or the University’s own Dorothea Schlözer program).