Post-Doc at University of Cologne, Germany
Summary:
Dr. Simona Sbranna is a postdoctoral researcher at Universität zu Köln, Germany, specializing in phonetics, second language acquisition, and prosodic competence. With a strong academic background and international teaching experience, she explores the intersection of language cognition and linguistic structures. Her research focuses on fluency and prosody in second language learning, particularly in Italian learners of German. She is an award-winning scholar, with numerous accolades for her contributions to linguistics and phonetics, including the prestigious “Franco Ferrero Award” and multiple student awards from the International Phonetic Association and the International Speech Communication Association.
Professional Profile:
👩🎓Education:
- Ph.D. in Phonetics (2019–2023)
Universität zu Köln, Germany
Dissertation: “Developing linguistic competence in second language learning: fluency and prosody in Italian learners of German”
Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Martine Grice and Prof. Dr. Michelina Savino
Mercator Scholarship with a practice phase at Carl Duisberg language school.
- Master of Arts in Modern Languages and Literatures (2016–2018)
Università degli Studi di Salerno, Italy
Thesis: “Monitoring prosodic competence in foreign language: A study on German learners of Italian”
Final Grade: 110 cum laude/110 with special mention
Includes semesters abroad at Universität zu Köln and a traineeship in Spain.
- Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages and Cultures (2012–2016)
Università degli Studi di Salerno, Italy
Thesis: “A phonic and textual analysis of pauses in political discourse: A study on Mussolini and Hitler”
Final Grade: 110 cum laude/110
Includes a semester abroad at Universität zu Köln.
Professional Experience:
Dr. Simona Sbranna is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Universität zu Köln, Germany, where she works on the “Skills and Structures in Language and Cognition (SSLAC)” project, conducting advanced data analyses using ELAN software. Her previous roles include serving as a Graduate Research Assistant at the same institution (2019–2022), collaborating with Prof. Dr. Martine Grice on phonetics research, where she utilized Praat and R software for prosodic and intonational analyses. Dr. Sbranna has extensive teaching experience, having conducted seminars on second language acquisition, laboratory phonology, and phonetics of second language learning at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Additionally, she has trained as a teacher of Italian as a foreign language at the Dante Alighieri Institute in Spain and as a foreign languages instructor at London Plus in Italy, teaching English, German, and French. She has also participated in linguistics-focused traineeships, including intonational annotation at the Italian Association for Voice Sciences (AISV).
Research Interests:
- Prosody and fluency in second language acquisition.
- Developing linguistic competence in foreign language learners.
- Intonational training for improved language learning outcomes.
- Application of computational tools like Praat, R, and ELAN in phonetic research.
Author Metrics and Awards
- Publications: Author of multiple conference papers and journal articles on phonetics and language acquisition.
- Awards and Scholarships:
- Franco Ferrero Award for the best article in the AISV series (2022).
- Multiple Student Awards: IPA (2021, 2022), ISCA (2021).
- Travel Awards for conference and summer school participation (2019–2022).
- Mercator Scholarship and DAAD Research Grant recipient.