Language Use and Migration - Dr. Rita Vallentin (Substitute Professor) • European University Viadrina

Chair of Language Use and Migration

Welcome to the team page of Language Use and Migration!

In our team, we are interested in relationships between language, society, migration, and technology. We examine how digital cultures (re)shape linguistic norms and community definitions, explore how multilingualism influences identity and social dynamics, critically analyse media representations and the role of language in social inclusion and exclusion practices. Our work is rooted in critical sociolinguistic, linguistic anthropological and discourse analytical methodologies, aiming to provide insights into the ways language intersects with social and material processes in an increasingly interconnected world.

Prof. Dr. Britta Schneider has been Professor of "Applied Linguistics of Contemporary English" at the University of Vienna since February 2026.

The professorship is currently held by Dr. Rita Vallentin as substitute professor.

News

Article just published in Discourse, Context & Media!

Pilyarchuk, Kateryna and Eva-Maria Graf. 2026. "From ‘I’ve always wanted to be a homemaker’ to ‘feminism is cancer’: Performing tradwife identity in Instagram Reels". Discourse, Context & Media 70

Article published in Metaphor & Symbol!

Pilyarchuk, Kateryna. 2026. "Conceptualizing the aggressor as an animal: Metaphors, memes, and the Russo-Ukrainian War". Metaphor and Symbol, 41(1), 39–61.

Article published in AI & Society!

Vallentin, Rita T. (2025). "Voicing the machine: constructed dialogues with algorithm-driven diabetic devices". AI & Society (2025)

Article published in Discourse, Context & Media!

Leblebici, Didem and May Rostom (2025). “'Alexa learned Arabic': A translanguaging and multimodal perspective on language and media ideologies”. In: Li Wei, Jenifer Ho, Maria Grazia Sindoni (eds.), Special Issue: Navigating across digital scenarios: Translanguaging and multimodal perspectives. Discourse, Context & Media.