Dr. Monika Pahlke-Pleyer

Work experience

• 10/2020 - : Akademische Mitarbeiterin am Anglistischen Seminar, Universität Heidelberg
• 10/2020 - 09/2021: Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin am Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik, Ernst Moritz Arndt Universität Greifswald (Linguistik-Lehrveranstaltungen zu Morphology & Syntax, Phonetics & Phonology, Language Myths, Gender, Im/Politeness)
• 10/2017 - 09/2020: Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin am Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik, Universität Koblenz-Landau, Campus Koblenz (Unterricht in Linguistik und Sprachpraktischen Studien; Konferenzorganisation)
• 03/2013 - 09/2017: Wissenschaftliche Hilfskraft am Anglistischen Seminar, Universität Heidelberg

Education

• 06/2013 - 02/2019: Promotion (summa cum laude) in Englischer Philologie, Univerisität Heidelberg; Titel des Dissertationsprojekts: Impoliteness in children’s fiction: Linguistic and cross-cultural aspects
• 10/2012 - 07/2017: Heidelberger Graduiertenschule für Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften, Universität Heidelberg
• 10/2010 - 05/2012: Studium der Psychologie als Erweiterungsfach; Universität Heidelberg
• 09/2008 - 06/2009: ERASMUS-Auslandsstudium, University of Nottingham, Großbritannien
• 10/2005 - 10/2011: Studium der Anglistik und Germanistik als Hauptfach; Abschluss: 1. Staatsexamen für das Lehramt an Gymnasien; Universität Heidelberg

Current research projects

• Metaphors in virtual health discourses on dementia, depression and PTSD
• Impoliteness and pragmatic preferences in German translations of British children's fiction
• The evolution of im/politeness and face

General research interests
im/politeness, metaphor, children's fiction, pragmatics, language and gender, queer linguistics,  language evolution

Peer-Reviewing
Ad hoc reviewer for Journal of Politeness Research: Language, Behaviour, Culture; Language and Literature: International Journal for Stylistics

Classes in the summer term 2026: 

• PS I Semantics
• PS II Conceptual Metaphors
• PS II Linguistic ImPoliteness
• PS III Language and Gender in the Media
• PS III Linguistic ImPoliteness in Fiction
• BA Colloquium

Previous classes: 

• PS I Introduction to Im/Politeness
• PS I Language Myths
• PS I Semantics
• PS I Morphology and Word-Formation
• PS I Varieties of English
• PS I Cognitive Linguistics
• PS I Introduction to Language and Gender
• PS II Linguistic ImPoliteness
• PS II Cognitive Linguistics
• PS II Practical Explorations into Metaphor
• PS II Varieties of English in the British Isles
• PS III Metaphors in Illness Discourse
• PS III Linguistic ImPoliteness in Fiction
• HS/PS III Language and Gender
• HS/PS III Language and Gender in Education

• Bachelor Thesis Colloquium
  Kolloquien
  
  This colloquium is open to all students who are interested in writing their BA thesis in linguistics. Students who plan to write their final BA thesis with Dr Pahlke-Pleyer are expected to attend the research colloquium. 
  The colloquium aims to prepare students for the planning stages of their thesis, as well as to support them during the writing phase. We will discuss the basic building blocks of a linguistics thesis (and how it differs from literature), zoom in on methodological challenges when designing an empirical study, and discuss how one goes about finding a good data set and research hypothesis. We will also cover related aspects such as how to register and hand in your BA thesis, time-management skills, and self-care for linguists dealing with difficult topics (e.g. analyses of eating disorder discourses on social media). 
  Students are expected to give short presentations about their BA thesis projects; all stages are welcome (pre-planning stage to finished projects). There will be opportunities for problem-oriented presentations, and for presenters to receive feedback on their progress. 
  
  Send an email to register, stating your research topic / topic ideas, and when you plan on signing up for your thesis. 
  
  Students in the planning stages are especially directed to the following book, which is available in our Department library: 
  Litosseliti, Lia. Research methods in linguistics. 2nd edn. London et al.: Bloomsbury.
   
• Conceptual Metaphors
  Proseminar II moderne Sprachwissenschaft
  
  We encounter conceptual metaphors on a daily basis, but for the most part, we are woefully unaware of them. When Taylor Swift sings "I stay out too late, got nothing in my brain" we might just be focused on the melody, instead of the fascinating linguistic expression in my brain, where the centre of human thinking is described as a container that can, in fact, contain nothing. Metaphors like these, where we understand a complex thing such as the brain with a more concrete one (such as a box), will form the centre of this course. In the first part of our course, we will learn what metaphors are (from a cognitive-linguistic point of view), how they differ from metonymies, and how they can be identified. We will investigate the most common source and target domains and find out why we talk about winning and losing arguments, or about having come so far in a relationship. We'll explore how metaphorical mappings work, and understand the basis for metaphorical expressions, such as their embodied nature (just think about how your body feels when you are angry, and you might understand why we blow up at someone). After having understood the basics behind metaphors, our focus will be on which cognitive functions metaphors fulfil in a variety of discourses. We might, for instance, try to understand why political discourses talk about a "major new refugee wave" in Germany. We might also zoom in on sports discourse and consider why we use the JOURNEY metaphor of quarterback JJ McCarthy "finally turning the corner" when he started performing well. We will also have a look at emotion metaphors in lyrics and fiction, and compare how the same abstract concepts are expressed with different metaphors in different cultures. In the second part of our course, students will have the opportunity to plan, research and present their own exploratory projects into conceptual metaphors. 
  Credits are given for regular attendance and preparation, an oral presentation, and a research project that is presented during term time. Class concludes with a written term paper, to be handed in after the end of term. 
  All relevant texts will be made available at the beginning of the semester. Students wishing to refresh their knowledge of conceptual metaphors are directed to the body of work by Zoltán Kövecses as well as Lakoff and Johnson's (1980) Metaphors We Live By,
   
• ImPoliteness in Fiction
  Proseminar III Sprachwissenschaft
  
  "Fool of a Took!" 
  This quote from Gandalf in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings shows that while impoliteness may be comparatively rare in everyday interactions, it certainly has a prominent place in fiction. 
  This class investigates the role of im/politeness in fiction, which is understood very broadly here to encompass entertainment that deals with characters and places that are not real. We will consider, for instance, children's books, Shakespearean tragedies, TV series and radio plays to better understand the form and function of im/politeness in fictional data. An overall well-rounded knowledge of contemporary and classic fiction will be an asset for students. 
  After we have run through a potted history of im/politeness research and refreshed our basic knowledge about the most central im/politeness theories, we will tackle the following questions: 
  - Which im/politeness strategies are most common in a particular text (type), and why? 
  - Which role does im/politeness play in characterising fictional characters, and what is its connection to protagonists and antagonists? For instance, why are villains often more sarcastic than the story's heroes? 
  - How does im/politeness contribute to the progression of the plot? (e.g., would Macbeth have gone through with murdering King Duncan if his wife hadn't insulted him as a "coward"?) 
  - How might multimodality in a TV show or radio play contribute to our understanding of impoliteness? (think tone of voice, giving someone a side-eye, etc.) 
  - Which role does the audience (readers, viewers) play in the co-construction of im/politeness in fictional texts? 
  A portion of our class time will be dedicated to developing a project in which students empirically investigate an aspect of linguistic im/politeness in a fictional text of their choice. 
  
  At the end of our class, students will have gained an in-depth insight into different research approaches to language and im/politeness, and have developed a skill-set that allows them to analyse im/polite language in a variety of fictional contexts. 
  
  Credits are given for preparation and active participation, an oral presentation, and a mini research project, to be presented in the form of a research poster at the end of term. 
  
  A reader with all relevant research texts will be made available at the beginning of term. In preparation for the class, students are expected to consume the following media: 
  Blyton, Enid - The Twins at St Clare's OR Dahl, Roald -- Matilda (any edition) 
  Shakespeare -- Macbeth (any edition - the film version with Patrick Stewart will also do!) 
  Sherlock (BBC) S01E01 "A Study in Pink"
   
• Language and Gender in the Media
  Proseminar III Sprachwissenschaft
  
  In our proseminar, we will delve deeper into the question of how different genders are linguistically construed and/or present themselves in a variety of different media. 
  The class is divided into three sections: 
  In section 1, we will zoom in on previous research into language and gender, starting with the deficit approach of the 1970s and ending with contemporary intersectional approaches. This will lay the groundwork for section 2, in which we will analyse scripted and naturally-occurring conversations in different forms of media (print, radio, TV and film) to understand how women, men and people of other genders talk and are being talked about. We will also consider different types of discourses, such as the language of advertising, politics, etc., and critically evaluate the notions of stereotypes and normativity. 
  The third part of our class allows students to learn how to design and complete empirical research projects that critically engage with language and gender in context. 
  Credits are given for regular attendance and preparation, an oral presentation, and a research project. Class concludes with a mini research project, to be handed in as a research poster after the end of term. 
  All relevant texts will be made available at the beginning of the semester. While a previous knowledge of language and gender studies is not required, students wishing to get a head start may read Lia Litosseliti's (2006) Gender and Language: Theory and Practice, which is available in the Department library.
   
• Linguistic ImPoliteness
  Proseminar II moderne Sprachwissenschaft
  
  "F* you, you're a f***ing w*nker" - how come that, if we listen to these lyrics from an Alestorm song, we might find them amusing, but would react quite differently if the same phrase were to be said to us in an argument? This course will help us answer these and similar questions. In our class on linguistic im/politeness, we will learn what it means to be polite or rude in a specific context, how and why speakers might differ in what they find im/polite, and also how we can describe these behaviours with linguistic models. The course is divided into two thematic parts. In part I we will focus on classical approaches to language and im/politeness. We will answer questions such as: What is politeness in a linguistic sense? Do linguists understand the same behaviours as polite as lay speakers? Is the same linguistic expression polite in every context in which it is used, or might it also be seen as impolite in some? And how do we define and describe what impoliteness is? Using both linguistic texts and examples from the media, we will come to a deeper understanding of what it means to be polite or impolite in specific social contexts. In part II of our course we will branch out to practical explorations into im/politeness. Here, we will investigate how our use and perception of im/politeness change in a variety of (social) contexts, such as in mixed-gender communication, or in children's fiction such as the Artemis Fowl series. We will tackle questions such as why there is such a wealth of impoliteness in contemporary media (that is, film, TV, and on the Internet), or how we might misunderstand a person from a different cultural background because of their use of politeness strategies. At the end of our class, students will have gained an in-depth insight into different research approaches to language and im/politeness, and have developed a skill-set that allows them to analyse im/polite language in a variety of contexts. A portion of our class time will be dedicated to developing a project in which you empirically investigate an aspect of linguistic im/politeness in context. 
  Credits are given for regular attendance and preparation, an oral presentation, and a small-scale research project. Class concludes with a research poster, to be handed in after the end of term. 
  All relevant texts will be made available at the beginning of the semester.
   
• Semantics
  Proseminar I Sprachwissenschaft
  
  Have you ever asked yourself why technically, a butt dial and a booty call sound fairly similar, but mean vastly different things? If yes, this is the course for you. 
  Semantics is the study of 'how we mean', that is, how we use words, phrases and sentences to express meaning in language. 
  We will look at what 'meaning' is in the first place, and how we can describe meaning relations between entities in the real world and linguistic forms. We will consider different linguistic approaches to semantics, such as formal semantics ("Our quarterback sucks" presupposes "We have a quarterback") or cognitive semantics. 
  We will also delve deeper into key concepts to understand why, for instance, dove can mean a white bird in one context, but be used to talk about one's spouse in another. To do so, we will also branch out into related disciplines of linguistics, such as pragmatics, morphology, and Cognitive Linguistics. 
  At the end of the semester, students will have the skills to observe, describe and analyse semantic processes found in English and other related languages. A portion of our class time will be devoted to teaching students all skills necessary to conduct small-scale empirical research projects into an aspect of semantics of their choice. 
  Credits are given for regular attendance and preparation, an oral presentation, and a mini research project that is presented as a research poster during term time. Class concludes with a written term paper, to be handed in after the end of term. 
  All relevant texts will be made available at the beginning of the semester. Students wishing to refresh their memory of semantics should browse the relevant sections of their Introductions to Linguistics class.
   
• Bachelor Thesis Colloquium
  Kolloquien
  
  This colloquium is open to all students who are interested in writing their BA thesis in linguistics. Students who plan to write their final BA thesis with Dr Pahlke-Pleyer are expected to attend the research colloquium. 
  
  The colloquium aims to prepare students for the planning stages of their thesis, as well as to support them during the writing phase. We will discuss the basic building blocks of a linguistics thesis (and how it differs from literature), zoom in on methodological challenges when designing an empirical study, and discuss how one goes about finding a good data set and research hypothesis. We will also cover related aspects such as how to register and hand in your BA thesis, time-management skills, and self-care for linguists dealing with difficult topics (e.g. analyses of eating disorder discourses on social media). 
  
  Students are expected to give short presentations about their BA thesis projects; all stages are welcome (pre-planning stage to finished projects). There will be opportunities for problem-oriented presentations, and for presenters to receive feedback on their progress. 
  
  Send an email to register (

  monika.pleyer@as.uni-heidelberg.de

  ), stating your research topic / topic ideas, and when you plan on signing up for your thesis. 
  
  Students in the planning stages are especially directed to the following book, which is available in our Department library: 
  Litosseliti, Lia. Research methods in linguistics, 2nd edn. London et al.: Bloomsbury.
   
• Language and Gender in Education
  Proseminar III Sprachwissenschaft
  
  In this course, we want to explore language and gender in a particular context, namely that of education. Coming from a critical, intersectional and feminist linguistic position, we will seek to understand the role that language and gender play in school and university. Some prior knowledge of language and gender theories is certainly a good asset for this course, but by no means a requirement. 
  
  After a brief introduction to language and gender research, the course has four broad themes. First, we will examine how children acquire gendered (linguistic) behaviours, both from their caregivers and in peer play interactions. Secondly, we will focus on the primary school, learn about the role of gender in the hidden curriculum, and investigate the ways in which classroom reading contains and perpetuates gender stereotypes. Then we move on to secondary schools, and look at gendered practices in the foreign language classroom. Finally, we will consider the university seminar and analyse how lecturers and students are perceived and present themselves in gendered ways. 
  
  During the semester, students will have the opportunity to research and present their own empirical projects on an aspect of language and gender in education. Part of our class time will be devoted to providing you with the skills and methods you need to successfully work empirically. Credits are given for regular attendance, preparation, an oral presentation during term-time, and an empirical research poster, to be handed in after the end of term. 
  
  With its focus on the educational context, this course is primarily aimed at students who intend to teach in secondary or tertiary education; however, teaching experience is not a prerequisite for participation. Students who don't intend to become teachers but who have an interest in the education of young people are of course also welcome. Note also that while we will consider the role gender plays in a variety of educational settings and materials, the class is not designed to provide you with pedagogical skills to discuss gender in the classroom. 
  
  Texts: All relevant texts will be made available at the beginning of the semester. Students who are interested in learning more about language and gender prior to the start of term are encouraged to read any of the following key texts (all available through our department library or the UB): 
  Coates, Jennifer. 2004. Women, Men and Language, Harlow: Longman. 
  Coates, Jennifer (ed.) 1998. Language and Gender. A Reader, Oxford: Blackwell. 
  Litosseliti, Lia. 2013. Gender and Language: Theory and Practice, London: Hodder Arnold.
   
• Language and Persuasion
  Proseminar II moderne Sprachwissenschaft
  
  In this course, we want to explore how language can be used to persuade people, that is, convince them of a certain point of view, and to construe perspectives in discourse. 
  
  To uncover linguistic means of convincing people of one's standpoint, we will turn to a variety of discourses, from politics to advertising, cults, and the language of Reddit's 'manosphere'. We will ask, for instance, how metaphorical language may be used to persuade voters of standpoints for or against immigration. We will consider multimodal ways that are used in advertising to create desire for the product and persuade the customer to purchase it. In considering specific communities such as the 'manosphere' or religious cults, we will investigate how membership is construed through language, how specialised lexis is used to form in-group identity (e.g. 'alpha' vs 'beta' males) and which linguistic means are available to mark others as undesirable out-groups. 
  
  At the end of the semester, students will have the skills to observe, describe and analyse persuasive language in a variety of discourses. A portion of our class time will be devoted to teaching students all skills necessary to conduct small-scale empirical research projects into a persuasive discourse of their choice. 
  
  Credits are given for regular attendance, preparation, an oral presentation, and a written empirical term paper, to be handed in after the end of term. 
  
  Texts: All relevant texts will be made available at the beginning of the semester. Students who are interested in learning more about language and persuasion prior to the start of term are encouraged to read any of the following key texts (all available through our department library or the UB): 
  
  Rüdiger, S. & D. Dayter (eds.) (2025). Manipulation, Influence and Deception, CUP. 
  Partington, A. (2025). The Language of Persuasion in Politics and the Media, 2nd edn. Routledge.
• Metaphors in Illness Discourses
  Proseminar III Sprachwissenschaft
  
  This class is directed at students wishing to delve deeper into metaphor theory, and explore the role metaphors play in various aspects of discourses about illness and health. 
  After a short refresher on conceptual metaphor theory, we will focus on three different discourse groups: medical professionals, persons diagnosed with a condition, and their family care partners. 
  We will uncover the use of metaphors in healthcare settings, where explaining a treatment as a WAR against cancerous cells may be more easily understood than medical terms. We will also discuss problems of such metaphor usage -- what about the patient as a FIGHTER who succumbs to their condition? Did they not 'fight hard enough'? 
  Second, we will consider how people living with a condition may use metaphors to describe their unique lived experience to others; we will also study differences between conditions. For instance, people living with dementia may explain their MIND as a MALFUNCTIONING MACHINE, but this metaphor is not commonly used by people living with depression. 
  Finally, we will also consider the perspective of care partners of people living with a condition to better understand how metaphors are used to stress emotional aspects of their caring roles (see CAREGIVING AS WAR, or as a DIFFICULT JOURNEY). 
  
  At the end of our class, students will have gained an in-depth insight into metaphor theory, and have developed a skill-set that allows them to analyse metaphors in a variety of illness contexts. A portion of our class time will be dedicated to developing a project in which you empirically investigate an aspect of metaphors for a condition of your choice. Credits are given for regular attendance, preparation, an oral presentation, and an empirical research poster, to be handed in after the end of term. 
  
  Content note: we will discuss mental and physical health, such as dementia, depression, or cancer, among other conditions. The class will also cover self-care for researchers working on difficult topics. Feel free to reach out in advance to discuss any questions or possible concerns. 
  
  All required reading will be made available at the start of term. Students wishing to refresh their knowledge about conceptual metaphors are directed to the following texts: 
  Kövecses, Zóltan (2010). Metaphor: A Practical Introduction. New York et al.: Oxford University Press, esp. Ch. 1. 
  Lakoff, George & Mark Johnson (1980). Metaphors We Live By. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, esp. pp. 3-13. 
  Gibbs, Raymond W. (2023). 'How metaphors shape the particularities of illness and healing experiences.' Transcultural Psychiatry 60 (5): 770-780.
• Semantics
  Proseminar I Sprachwissenschaft
  
  Have you ever asked yourself why technically, a butt dial and a booty call sound fairly similar, but mean vastly different things? If yes, this is the course for you. 
  Semantics is the study of 'how we mean', that is, how we use words, phrases and sentences to express meaning in language. 
  We will look at what 'meaning' is in the first place, and how we can describe meaning relations between linguistic forms and entities in the real world. Working from a cognitive-linguistic approach to semantics, we will consider different ways of capturing meaning in language, such as thematic roles, prototype theory, or metaphor. We will also delve deeper into key concepts to understand why, for instance, dovecan mean a white bird in one context, but be used to talk about one's spouse in another. To do so, we will also branch out into related disciplines of linguistics, such as pragmatics, morphology, and syntax. 
  
  At the end of the semester, students will have the skills to observe, describe and analyse semantic processes found in English and other related languages. A portion of our class time will be devoted to teaching students all skills necessary to conduct small-scale empirical research projects into an aspect of semantics of their choice. 
  
  Credits are given for regular attendance, preparation, an oral presentation during term-time, and a written empirical term paper, to be handed in after the end of term. 
  
  All relevant texts will be made available at the beginning of the semester. Students wishing to refresh their memory of semantics should browse the relevant sections of their Introductions to Linguistics class.