1. Could you briefly introduce yourself and describe your research area?
I am Associate Professor of German Language, Translation and Linguistics at the Department of Humanities. My research primarily focuses on spoken language, conversation analysis, contrastive linguistics, and the teaching of German as a foreign language, as well as on the cognitive and figurative use of language across different text genres.
More recently, I have expanded my research interests to include Kulinaristik, with particular attention to the linguistic and discursive aspects related to food and food culture, as well as ecolinguistics.
2. How did the contact with the partners involved in the collaboration begin? What role did NEOLAiA play in this process?
The collaboration began thanks to a Spanish Linguistics professor from the University of Jaén, who contacted me by email with the idea of developing an international project on phraseology within the framework of NEOLAiA.
Following this initial contact, we held an online meeting to further discuss the objectives and the possible approaches to the collaboration, which was followed by several working meetings involving all the partners.
NEOLAiA played a fundamental role in fostering the creation of this collaborative network, bringing together researchers from different universities and disciplines who share converging scientific interests
3. What initiative or project emerged from this collaboration?
The collaboration led to the development of the international citizen science project “Conectados por refranes”, dedicated to the collection and study of proverbs from a multilingual and intercultural perspective.
A particularly significant milestone was the International Meeting “Conectados por refranes”, held on 29 June 2026 at the University of Jaén, which brought together all project partners to discuss research methodologies and reflect on the first results achieved.
4. What was the main added value of working with colleagues from other universities within the Alliance?
First and foremost, it has been a wonderful experience from both a human and a scientific perspective. Engaging with colleagues from different universities allows us to look at the same phenomena from new perspectives, discuss different methodological approaches, and enrich our own research practices.
I believe that this exchange of ideas and expertise is one of NEOLAiA’s main strengths, providing significant added value for all researchers involved.
5. What advice would you give to a researcher who has not yet taken advantage of the opportunities offered by NEOLAiA?
I would encourage them to seize this opportunity and get involved. Sometimes, a single initial contact can lead to collaborations that develop into concrete research projects.
NEOLAiA provides a valuable chance to expand your scientific network and engage in discussions with colleagues from other countries.
