European University Association

av. Rejtana 16 b
35-959 Rzeszów
phone no.: +48 17 872 12 08
e-mail: infilger@univ.rzeszow.pl

Director of the Institute
prof. dr hab. Zdzisław Wawrzyniak

Vice-Directors
dr Małgorzata Sieradzka, dr Jaromin Homa
the Directors Plenipotentiary for licentiate studies mgr Agnieszka Buk

The Institute employs 35 academic teachers: 3 professors, 4 post-doctoral degree holders, 15 doctors, 13 Master's degree holders and 1 maintenance man.

The institute was established on the basis of the Department of German Philology founded in 1975 as part of Pedagogical College in Rzeszów.

The institute consists of the following units

• The German Language Unit
  head prof. dr hab. Zdzisław Wawrzyniak
  
• The History of German Literature Unit
  head prof. dr hab. Zbigniew Światłowski
  
• The Theory of Language Communication Unit
  head prof. UR dr hab. Zofia Bilut-Homplewicz
  
• The Comparative and Applied Linquistics Unit
  head prof. UR dr hab. Mariola Wierzbicka

The Institute runs the following studies:

5-year MA full-time studies
3-year licentiate part-time studies
2-year MA complementary part-time studies
post-graduate studies

Directions of research activity

The main scope of research into linguistics refers to the theory of text and discourse, the theory of translation, Polish-German , English-German and German-West Slavic contrastive linguistics as well as problems of language acquisition.

The works in text linguistics analyses literary, commercial, professional and press texts.

The above works take into account the context of conditions accompanying writing and reception of these texts, including interdisciplinary (socio- and psycholinguistic) aspects.
Research in translation focuses on the theory and practice of literary translation, the strategy of translating a language joke and vocabulary games. It also concentrates on metaphor in poetry, translating dramas as well as widely understood language humor.

In the range of German-Polish contrastive linguistics, the main issues are the following:

• problems of syntax and semantics, especially with reference to the verb and its grammatical categories.
  
• contrastive research into language and language
  
• culture systems according to grammatical structures and general linguistic categories.
  
• research into standard theoretical linguistics

Moreover, there has been research carried out into pragmatics and theoretical implications of practical-pragmatic reactions on the example of intercultural communication, economic communication, social and ethnic relations. The next area of scientific interests is glottodidactics with psycho- and neurosociolinguistics.

As part of German-West Slavic grammar, a lot of attention is especially dedicated to the problems of reference and determination in a nominal phrase. The research also refers to the basics of modular theory of a language, universal grammar, lexicology and paremiology , the latest tendencies of German language development and also the diachronic aspects of a language.

The main currents in literature refer to 19th and 20th century German language literature. The works in it comprise the problems of relationships between literature and politics, the writers' role and activities in dictatorship, concentrating especially on the concept of "enslaved mind". In the range of researchers' interest there is also German literature both from the unification period and the 90s', as well as the issue of remembrance in literature - nostalgia for communism and perception of bygone times. The Unit also carries out research connected to the mutual German-Polish relations in culture. The next scope of interest is determined by the perception of Polish literature in Germany and the problems encountered when translating Polish literary works. The phenomenon of "femme fatale" has been also thoroughly studied. Since 2003 the annual journal "Studia Germanica Resoviensia" has appeared, where articles and reviews of the German Philology teachers can be found.

International cooperation

With the University in Bielefeld (Abteilung DAF) and German teachers from the Universities in Regensburg and Halle.

Within Socrates/Erasmus Programme with: University of Bielefeld (Germany), University of Regensburg (Germany), University of Freiburg (Germany), College of Nyiregyhaza (Hungary), West University of Timisoara (Romania)
Coordinator for International Programmes - dr Renata Budziak.

In the Unit the following academic organizations can be found:

• Scientific Club of Applied Linguistics (supervisor: prof. dr hab. Zofia Bilut-Homplewicz)
  
• University Club of International DAF Student Cooperation (supervisor: dr Małgorzata Sieradzka)

Under resolution no. 148/2006 PKA (The State Accreditation Committee) of 16th February 2006 on the "Assessment of the quality of Education", the Faculty of German Philology (uniform Master studies as well as 1st degree BA studies and 2nd degree post-graduate studies) received a positive assessment.