Center for Languages and Philology

Prof. Dr. G. Klotz

Dr. C. Timm

Dr. W. Adamson, Dr. C. Melches , W. Tao (until 1994), Dr. J. Zhou (since 1994), K. Onuma (until 1995), Dr. H. Arnold-Kanamori (since1995), M. Hoshino (since 1995)

Keywords: Language for Special Purposes Research, American Studies, Translation Studies, Philosophy (Anthropology/ Cultural Philosophy), Hispanic Studies, Sociology, German Studies, Japanese
Sociology /History, Chinese Studies (Comparative )

The Center for Languages and Philology is still a very young institution, due to the fact that the University of Ulm is primarily equipped to provide an education for the study of medicine and both technical and natural sciences.

Originally, the Center was a department of the Humboldt Center for the Humanities and responsible singularly for language oriented studies for both elementary and advanced students. However, the department has developed a research profile in addition to its already solid teaching base. This development includes research in the sociocultural sphere as well as in historical and philosophical approaches to, and studies of language and literature. This research must be appreciated, more especially as the University of Ulm possesses no Faculty of Philology, the only related literature (cultural studies, literature and linguistics) to be found in the Center's library.

American Studies (Dr. William Adamson)

Literary analysis and interpretation within the framework of a research post (C1).

The investigation of thematic congruence in three novels (William Kennedy's "Phelan Trilogy"), covering the literary studies of myth and symbolism.

Mythos, Metaphorik und Gedächtnis in William Kennedys Phelan Trilogie

Translation Studies (Wei Tao)

Evolving from the foundation of constructive linguistic studies and methods of translation theory a study of the translation problems that exist between Chinese/German and German/Chinese has been written. Under the title, "A Ladder against the Chinese Wall of Language", it will be volume 3 in the Ulm Language Studies series, published by the Center for Languages and Philology.

  1. Eine Leiter an die Chinesische Sprachmauer lehnen, in Ulmer Sprachstudien, volume 2 (in print)

Linguistic Research (Dr. Christian Timm)

Linguistic research in the area bordering language and literature:

  1. Zum Verhältnis von Objekt- und Metasprache in literaturwissenschaftlichen Fachtexten. In: Rhetoric and Stylistic today, Scandinavian University Studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences, vol 5, S. 149-160, Frankfurt am Main (1994)
  2. Die Indikatorfunktion von Termini für Text und Kontext. In: GAL-Bulletin, S. 8-19, Duisburg (1994)
  3. Das Vorwort - eine Textsorte in Relation. In: Kalverkämper, H., Baumann, K. (Hrsg): Fachliche Textsorten. Komponenten - Relationen - Strategien -.(in print)

Representative and critical reviewing on the future concepts and perspectives in research:

  1. Fachsprachen. Languages for Special Purposes. Ein internationales Handbuch zur Fachsprachenforschung und Terminologiewissenschaft (1996, co-author)

Philosophy/Hispanic Studies (Dr. Carlos Melches)

1. Philosophy (Anthropology/ Culture Philosophy)

Humanistic background of language and culture

2. Hispanic studies

Within the framework of a project financially supported by the university including:

a) providing of a data base for phraseological units (first publication in print)

b) analysing of texts considering a recollection of the 20th century intellectuals Spanish identity (Ortegas and Unamunos)

  1. Die Ganzheit der Person im Mittelpunkt der Vermittlung ethischer Werte. In: Kongreßakten "Mut zur Ethik" (Bregenz 1993) Zürich 1994
  2. Monarchie und Republik - zwei Modelle für Europa am Beispiel Spaniens (zu Gedanken Ortegas und Unamunos). In: Föderalismus und die Architektur der europäischen Integration. hg. Nikolaus Wenturis, München 1994, S. 117-123
  3. Vives und der spanische Humanismus. In: Akten des Vives-Kongresses in Münster (1992), hg. Romanisches Seminar der Universität Münster, Frankfurt a. M. 1995, S. 116-121

Japanese Sociology/History (Dr. Horst Arnold)

The main field of research is the Japanese Weber-research that has been developed with great intensity and at a high level since the beginning of the 30´s. Focal point is the Japanese Historian (Economics) Otsuka Hisao who, as the founder of modern research in the field of social sciences and as an expert on Marx and Weber, enjoys a good reputation in Japan, although his works are virtually unknown outside his own country:

  1. Translation of the reports held on the conference Japan und Max Weber. (in print)
  2. Abriß der japanischen Kulturtheorie und andere Aufsätze. In: Ulmer Sprachstudien Band III, S. 160; (erscheint1996)

Dr. Jianming Zhou

Comparistic studies on the field of German Studies and Sociology, based on methods of literary theory.

Method: comparatistic culture, historical investigations of the description of metamorphoses, literary-artistic, political and cultural significance of the transformation motif:

Zur Bedeutung von literarischen Motiven im Kulturaustausch. In: The Germanic Review (in print)

Based on Paul Seliger's anthology "der Völker Liebesgarten", the representative Chinese image of the Germans (at the turn of the century) and the general importance of love in cultural exchange will be discussed.

Project Funding:

The projects by Wei Tao and Dr. Carlos Melches were supported by the University of Ulm.

Visiting Scholars:

Wei Tao 1993-94

Kyoshi Onuma 1993-95

Symposia/Congresses:

Summer term 1993 series of lectures:
"Down Under - The Australian Experience"

Summer term 1994 - series of lectures:
"The Candle of Understanding - Kommunikation und Kommunikationsstrategien im gesellschaftlichen und geisteswissenschaftlichen Kontext"

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