About Ilona M Vandergriff

Ilona Vandergriff is Professor of German (Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley). She received her B.A. equivalent in German and English from the Free University of Berlin and her M.A. in German from San Francisco State University. Currently, she is serving as undergraduate (for undergrads whose last names begin with M-Z) adviser. Prof. Vandergriff teaches courses in language, linguistics, applied linguistics, and culture.

Dr. Vandergriff's main research interest is in foreign language use and development, in particular, in technology-mediated environments. She is the author or co-author of more than two dozen articles in a wide range of publications, including Teaching German/Die Unterrichtspraxis, Journal of Pragmatics, Language Learning and Technology and HUMOR. International Journal of Humor Research.  A finalist for the 2019 American Association of Applied Linguistics AAAL Book Award, her book Second-language Discourse in the Digital World. Linguistic and social practices in and beyond the networked classroom (2016) illustrates an innovative, practice-driven approach to technology in second-language (L2) learning that begins with what L2 users do when they connect with others online. She is currently working on a new book on standards-based approach to social media in the World Languages classroom.

Professor Vandergriff also works as a translator specializing in handwritten documents.

Recent selected publications

Vandergriff, Ilona. (2022) “#multilingualself: Hashtagging as a resource for performing identity.” In L. Klimanova (ed.). Identity, Multilingualism and CALL - Responding to New Global Realities. Equinox eBooks Publishing, United Kingdom. p. 76–103. 

Vandergriff, Ilona. (2021) “Linguistic norms and L2 participation in social media: A case study.” Critical Multilingualism Studies 9(1), 1–22. ISSN 2325–2871.

Vandergriff, Ilona. (2016). Second-language discourse in the digital world. Linguistic and social practices in and beyond the networked classroom. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. (2019 Finalist for the American Association of Applied Linguistics AAAL First Book Award)

Vandergriff, Ilona. (2015) “Exercising learner agency in forum interactions on a professionally-moderated language learning networking site." In: E. Dixon & M. Thomas (eds.). Researching language learner interaction online: From social media to MOOCs. Chapter 10, no page numbers 

Vandergriff, Ilona. (2014) "A pragmatic investigation of emoticon use in nonnative speaker/native speaker text chat." Language@Internet, 11, article 4. (urn:nbn:de:0009-7-39846) 

Vandergriff, Ilona. (2013) "'My major is English, belive it or not:)' – Participant orientations in NS-NNS text chat." CALICO Journal 30(3), 393–409.

Vandergriff, Ilona. (2013). "Emotive communication online: A contextual analysis of computer-mediated communication (CMC) cues." Journal of Pragmatics 51, 1–12. 

Vandergriff, Ilona. (2012). “Taking a stance on stance: Metastancing as legitimation.”Critical Approaches to Discourse Analysis Across Disciplines 6(1). 53–75. 

Vandergriff, Ilona & Fuchs, Carolin. (2010). “How to laugh online - Humor support in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC)” HUMOR. International Journal of Humor Research 25(4). 437–458.

Vandergriff, Ilona. (2010). “Staging dialogue – Commenting wenn ‘if’-constructions in German persuasive discourse” Interdisciplinary Journal for Germanic Linguistics and Semiotic Analysis 15(2). 163-202. 

Vandergriff, Ilona. (2010). “Humor and play in CMC.” In: Rotimi Taiwo (ed.). Handbook of research on discourse behavior and digital communication: Language structures and social interaction. IGI Global Publishing. Chapter 15. 

Vandergriff, Ilona. (2009). “Conditionals and mental space set-up: Evidence from German word order.” In: A. Bergs and G. Diewald (eds.). Contexts and constructions (Constructional Approaches to Language CAL), (pp. 193-212). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Vandergriff, Ilona & Fuchs, Carolin. (2009). “Does CMC promote language play? Exploring humor in two modalities.” CALICO Journal 27(1). 26-47. 

Vandergriff, Ilona, Mueller, Kimberly & Barry, David. (2008). “Authentic models and usage norms: Gender marking in first-year German textbooks.” Teaching German/Die Unterrichtspraxis 41(2). 144-150. 

Vandergriff, Ilona.  (2006). “’weil der schmeckt so gut’ – The learner as linguist.”Teaching German/Die Unterrichtspraxis 38(1). 61-73. 

Vandergriff, Ilona. (2006). "Negotiating Common Ground in Computer-Mediated Versus Face-to-Face Discussions.” Language Learning and Technology 10(1). 110-138.