Andrew D. Hoffman

I am a post-doctoral teaching fellow in the Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures at Penn State University.  I received my B.A. in German from Juniata College in 2012, my M.A. in Linguistics from the University at Buffalo (SUNY) in 2016, and dual-title Ph.D. in German and Language Science in 2023 from Penn State University.  My research interests lie primarily in the fields of German dialectology, morphosyntax, language contact, typology, and language documentation and preservation.  My most recent research focuses on Gottscheerisch (a German dialect formerly spoken in present-day Slovenia) and contact-induced language change as a result of Gottscheer emigration and expulsion from Slovenia in the 20th century and speakers’ subsequent contact with other regional varieties of German (in Austria) and English (in the US and Canada). I have also conducted research looking at Pennsylvania Dutch and Heritage Swiss German in the United States, receptive bilingualism in foreign language learners, and recently have begun collaborating on a project aimed at documenting and revitalizing Zarzer German (a German dialect historically spoken in and around Sorica (Zarz), Slovenia). Much of this research has been conducted in conjunction with the Morphology Circle @ Penn State, which continues to support this line of research.

On this site, you can find information about my research interests and current projects, teaching experience, community outreach, and an up-to-date version of my Curriculum Vitae.  My contact information can also be found here.