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Philosophische FakultätPhonetik (Institut für Linguistik)

Simona Sbranna M.A.

Institut für Linguistik - Phonetik
Herbert-Lewin-Str. 6
D-50931 Köln

E-Mail: s.sbranna(at)outlook.com

Postdoctoral researcher in “Skills and Structures in Language and Cognition”

Short biography

Simona Sbranna graduated in 2018 in Modern Languages and Literatures at the University of Salerno (Italy) with a focus on linguistics and language teaching. During her studies, she spent two semesters at the University of Cologne, concluded a traineeship at the Dante Alighieri Institute of Seville as a teacher of Italian as a foreign language, and a traineeship at AISV (Italian Association for Voice Sciences). After the M.A. she was employed for a semester at the University of Salerno as a graduate teaching and research assistant. 2018 she was awarded a “Predoc” scholarship, 2019 a doctoral scholarship by a.r.t.e.s. Graduate School for the Humanities and 2022 a further one-year scholarship by the Mercator Institute for reaching out. She completed her PhD in 2023 with the thesis "Developing linguistic competence in second language learning: Fluency and prosody in Italian learners of German" supervised by Prof. Martine Grice and Prof. Michelina Savino (link to the unpublished thesis: https://osf.io/9ca6m/) and gave a training to learners of German (DaF) based on the results of her research work. In the same years she started working as a Post-Doc within the project “Skills and Structures in Language and Cognition” with a focus on multimodal feedback signals and interactional fluency.

Publications

2024

2023

2022

  • Sbranna S., Wehrle S. & Grice M. (2022). The use of Backchannels and other Very Short Utterances by Italian Learners of German. In La posizione del parlante nell'interazione: atteggiamenti, intenzioni ed emozioni nella comunicazione verbale [The position of the speaker in interaction: attitudes, intentions, and emotions in verbal communication], edited by Riccardo Orrico and Loredana Schettino, Studi AISV 9:149-169. Milan: Officinaventuno. doi:10.17469/O2109AISV000008. https://www.aisv.it/StudiAISV/2022/vol_9/008_SbrannaEtAl
  • Sbranna S., Möking E., Wehrle S., Grice M., (2022). “Backchannelling across Languages: Rate, Lexical Choice and Intonation in L1 Italian, L1 German and L2 German”. 11th International Conference on Speech Prosody, 2022. DOI: 10.21437/SpeechProsody.2022-149. https://www.isca-speech.org/archive/speechprosody_2022/sbranna22_speechprosody.html [conference proceedings].
  • Savino, M., Sbranna, S., Ventura, C., Albert, A. and Grice, M. (2022). “Imitating intonation in a non-native variety: the influence of the native repertoire”. 11th International Conference on Speech Prosody, 2022. DOI: 10.21437/SpeechProsody.2022-150. https://www.isca-speech.org/archive/speechprosody_2022/savino22_speechprosody.html [conference proceedings]

2020

  • Sbranna, S., Cangemi F. & Grice, M. (2020). Quantifying L2 interactional competence. In La variazione linguistica in condizioni di contatto: contesti acquisizionali, lingue, dialetti e minoranze in italia e nel mondo [Language change under contact conditions: acquisitional contexts, languages, dialects and minorities in Italy and around the world], edited by Luciano Romito, Studi AISV 7: 383-405. Milan: Officinaventuno. doi:10.17469/O2107AISV000018. https://www.aisv.it/StudiAISV/2020/vol_7/018_SbrannaCangemiGrice.pdf

2018

  • Alfano I., Savy R., Sbranna S. & Schettino L., (2018). Strategie discorsive in spagnolo L1 e L2 a confronto: un'indagine su corpora dialogici. CHIMERA: Romance Corpora and Linguistic Studies. 5(1), 27-52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15366/chimera2018.5.1.002

Presentations

2024

  • Sbranna, S., Schettino, L., Maffia, M. (2024). “Does L2 (dis)fluency improve with proficiency? An exploration on Italian learners of German”. Satellite Workshop of Speech Prosody “Prosodic features of language learners' fluency”, Leiden, Netherlands, July 1, 2024. [Talk]
  • Wehle S. & Sbranna, S. (2024). “Longer silence duration in L2 conversations is modulated by proficiency—evidence from turn-timing in German and Italian”. Satellite Workshop of Speech Prosody “Prosodic features of language learners' fluency”, Leiden, Netherlands, July 1, 2024. [Talk]
  • Sbranna, S. (2024). “Developing prosodic competence in Italian students of German”. 3° Workshop “Prosodia tedesca: Tendenze della fonetica e della didattica DaF in Italia / German prosody: Tendencies of DaF phonetics and didactics in Italy”, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy, 9 May 2024. [Invited talk].
  • Sbranna, S., Baills, F., Savino, M., Grice, M. (2024) Vocal feedback and eye gaze patterns in Italian task-based dyadic conversations. XX AISV Conference "Voices, Media, and New Technologies", University of Turin, Turin, Italy, 1-3 February, 2024  [Poster].
  • Ferin, M., Sbranna, S. & Albert, A. (2024). “The intonation of rhetorical questions in Italian”. XX AISV Conference "Voices, Media, and New Technologies", University of Turin, Turin, Italy, 1-3 February, 2024. [Talk].
  • Damiazzi, V. & Sbranna, S. (2024). “Phonetic correlates of the perception of communicative intentions in podcasts’ narrative journalism”. XX AISV Conference "Voices, Media, and New Technologies", University of Turin, Turin, Italy, 1-3 February, 2024. [Poster].

2023

  • Möking, E., Sbranna, S., Albert, A., & Martine Grice (2023). "Monitoring and assessing L2 prosodic competence". 2nd International conference on Language MOOCs and OERs: new trends and challenges, University of Naples L'Orientale, Naples, Italy, 28-29 September, 2023. [Talk].
  • Sbranna, S., Wehrle, S., Bauer, A., Gipper, S., Herrmann, T., Hosemann, J. (2023). “Predictability of head movements as feedback signals in signed and spoken languages”. LingCologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany, 15-17 June, 2023. [Poster].
  • Sbranna, S., Albert, A. & Grice, M. (2023). “Can we use categories when investigating interlanguages?”. Hanyang International Symposium on Phonetics and Cognitive Sciences of Language, Seoul, South Korea, 26-27 May 2023. [Talk].
  • Janz A., Sbranna S., Wehrle S. & Grice, M. (forthcoming). “The effect of conversational setting on backchannel feedback”. 45. Jahrestagung der DGfS, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany, 7-10 March 2023. [Talk].

2022

  • Janz A., Wehrle S., Sbranna S. & Grice, M. (2022). “The lexical and intonational realisation of backchannels is less constrained in spontaneous than task-based conversation”. 4th International Symposium on Applied Phonetics (ISAPh), Lunds Universitet, Lund, Sweden, 14-16 September 2022. [Talk].
  • Albert A., Lialiou M., Sbranna S., Cangemi F. (2022). “Improved acoustic characterization of prosodic prominence using periodic energy mass”. 3rd International Conference "Prominence in Language" (ICPL III), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany, 2-3 June, 2022. [Poster].
  • Sbranna S., Möking E., Wehrle S., Grice M., (2022). “Backchannelling across Languages: Rate, Lexical Choice and Intonation in L1 Italian, L1 German and L2 German”. 11th International Conference on Speech Prosody, University of Lisabon, Lisabon, Portugal, 23-26 May 2022. [Talk]
  • Sbranna, S. (2022). “Developing linguistic competence in second language learning: prosodic marking of information status and backchannels in Italian learners of German”, University of Insubria, Como, Italy, 12 May 2022. [Invited talk].
  • Sbranna, S., Albert, A. and Grice, M. (2022), “L2 acquisition: continuous modulation of prosodic parameters or categorical (de)accentuation?”. 10th International Symposium on the Acquisition of Second Language Speech, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, 20-22 April 2022. [Talk]
  • Sbranna, S., Wehrle, S. and Grice, M. (2022), “The use of Backchannels and other Very Short Utterances by Italian Learners of German”. XVIII AISV Conference “The position of the speaker in interaction: attitudes, intentions, and emotions in verbal communication”, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy, 7-8 February, 2022. [Talk]

2021

  • Sbranna, S., Ventura, C., Albert, A. and Grice, M. (2021), “Developing prosodic competence: marking information status in L2 German”. TAI 2021: 1st International Conference on Tone and Intonation, University of Southern Denmark (SDU), Sønderborg, Denmark, 6-9 December 2021. [Poster]
  • Sbranna, S., Ventura, C., Albert, A. and Grice, M. “Prosodic marking of information status: an exploratory study on L1 Italian and L2 German”, Workshop “Trends in pedagogical transmission of prosody – TiPToP”, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, 12-13 October 2021. [Talk]
  • Sbranna S., Wherle, S. and Grice, M. (2021), “Developing L2 Interactional Competence: Turn-taking across proficiency levels”. P&P 2021: Phonetik und Phonologie im deutschsprachigen Raum, Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany, September 29-30, 2021. [Talk]
  • Savino, M., Ventura, C., Sbranna, S., Albert, A. and Grice, M. (2021), “Native variety interference when imitating intonation in a non-native variety of Italian”. 4th PaPE – Phonetics and Phonology in Europe, Barcelona, Spain, 21-23 June, 2021. [Poster]
  • Sbranna, S., Ventura, C., Albert, A. and Grice, M. “Prosodic expression of information status in Italian”, 4th PaPE – Phonetics and Phonology in Europe, 21-23 June, 2021. [Poster]
  • Sbranna, S., Ventura, C., Albert, A. and Grice, M. “Prosodic marking of information status in L1 Italian and L2 German”, XVII AISV Conference “Speaker Individuality in Phonetics and Speech Sciences: Speech Technology and Forensic Applications”, University of Zürich, 4-5 February 2021. [Talk]
  • Sbranna, S. (2021), “Developing linguistic competence in second language learning: fluency and prosody in Italian learners of German”. Research Colloquium IfL – Phonetik, University of Cologne, January 2021. [Invited talk]

2020

  • Sbranna, S., Cangemi F. and Grice, M. “Reconceiving fluency as an indicator of L2 interactional competence”, Conference: Phonetik und Phonologie 2020, Universität Trier, Trier, 10-11 September 2020. [Talk]
  • Sbranna, S., Cangemi F. and Grice, M. (2020), “Quantifying L2 interactional competence”, XVI AISV Conference “Language variation under contact conditions: acquisitional contexts, languages, dialects and minorities in Italy and around the world”, University of Calabria, Rende (CS, Italy), 29-31 January 2020. [Talk]

2019

  • Sbranna, S., Cangemi F. and Grice, M. (2019), “Towards quantifying conversational competence in second language learning”, Conference: Phonetik und Phonologie 2019, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, 26–27 September 2019. [Poster]
  • Cataldo V., Savy R., Sbranna S. (2019). “Prosodic Transfer in Foreign Language Learning: a phonetic crosscheck of intonation and F0 range between Italian and German native and non-native speakers”. ICLLPCA 2019: 21st International Conference on Language Learning and Phonetic Coding Ability, Paris, February 21 - 22, 2019. [Accepted for conference presentation]

Organised events

  • (Forthcoming). LingCologne 2025, University of Cologne, Germany.
  • WS-SS 2024. Lunch & Linguistics, University of Cologne, Germany.
  • 14 June 2024. Workshop “Communicate your Research in the Humanities”. University of Cologne, Germany.
  • 4 February, 2023. JuniorUni Wuppertal. University of Cologne, Germany.
  • October, 2022. Prosodic training for German as foreign language, Carl Duisberg Centrum, Cologne, Germany.
  • 5-8 October, 2021. Paris-Cologne Collaborative Meeting (PCCM) 7 "Quantifying and interpreting variability in speech", Université Paris Diderot (Paris 7), France, and University of Cologne, Germany.
  • Summer Semester 2019. KinderUni workshop  “Unsere Stimme“, University of Cologne, Germany.

Teaching

  • SS 2024. B.A. Seminar “Theories and Applications of Second Language Learning Research”, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Cologne, Germany.
  • WS 2021/22. M.A. Seminar “Laboratory Phonology”, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Cologne, Germany.
  • SS 2021. B.A. Seminar “The Phonetics of Second Language Learning”, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Cologne, Germany.
  • SS 2018. M.A. Seminar “Applied Linguistics”, Department of Humanities, Università degli Studi di Salerno, Italy.

Awards

  • 2022, "Franco Ferrero Award" author of the best article – Studi AISV series (cf. 18th AISV 2022 Conference, Naples).

  • 2022, One-year scholarship by Mercator institute at the a.r.t.e.s. Graduate School for Humanities, Cologne.

  • 2022, Travel Award (awarded by conference organisers), Speech Prosody

  • 2021-2022, IPA Student Awards, International Phonetic Association

  • 2021, ISCA Student Travel Grant, International Speech Communication Association

  • 2019-2020-2021-2023, CCLS Travel grants for conference attendances

  • 2019, DAAD Research Grants – One-Year Grant (unable to accept owing to concurrent a.r.t.e.s. scholarship).

  • 2019, a.r.t.e.s. Integrated Track scholarship.

  • 2018, a.r.t.e.s. “Predoc” scholarship.

  • 2017, Scholarship “Erasmus Traineeship” for “Dante Alighieri” Institute, Seville, Spain.

  • 2016, Erasmus+ scholarship for exchange semester at University of Cologne, Germany.

  • 2015, Erasmus+ scholarship for exchange semester at University of Cologne, Germany.

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