Vera Lee-Schoenfeld

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Associate Professor of Linguistics
Director, UGA Exchange with University of Hannover

Vera Lee-Schoenfeld is primarily a theoretical linguist with a research focus on German syntax. Her early work on constructions involving possessor datives and binding (the distribution of reflexive and non-reflexive pronouns) in sentences with embedded infinitive clauses and other clause-like phrases was published in her book Beyond Coherence: The Syntax of Opacity in German (2007). Covering more general topics in linguistics, her second book is titled Language Matters: A Guide to Everyday Questions about Language, Second edition (2010) and is co-authored with Donna Jo Napoli from Swarthmore College. In more recent work, Dr. Lee-Schoenfeld has been investigating the syntax-phonology-pragmatics interface, which resulted in the Oxford University Press volume Parameters of Predicate Fronting: Explorations of V(P)-initial Clauses (2021), as well as other syntactic phenomena, including dative vs. accusative case, passivization, and binding in double-object constructions. 

Prof. Lee-Schoenfeld, who was named a recipient of the 2019 Richard B. Russel Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, also has an interest in language acquisition and pedagogy, holding degrees in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and French Language Education.

Education:

Ph.D. Linguistics, University of California, Santa Cruz, 2005

Areas of Interest:
Language Acquisition
Syntax and Morphology
Specific Research Areas:

Syntax, Syntax-Phonology-Pragmatics interface, Language acquisition, Germanic languages

Selected Publications:

“Syntactically branching out beyond the traditional classroom: A report on the Discovery Method” (with Jean Costa Silva). Language 100.3 (2024): e99-e123. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/lan.2024.a937195

“German double-accusative verbs: Different solutions for a marked construction” (with Gabriele Diewald and Maud Kelly). Linguistische Berichte 278 (2024): 161-195.

“Object coreference in German: The reflexive sich as a problem for derivational approaches to binding” (with Nick Twiner). Philosophies 7(1).5 (2022): https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies7010005

“German passives and English benefactives: The need for non-canonical accusative case” (with Nick Twiner). Nordlyd 44.1 (2020): 53-68. https://doi.org/10.7557/12.5210

“The syntax, information structure, and prosody of German ‘VP’-fronting” (with Anya Lunden). The Linguistic Review 36.2 (2019): 231-283. https://doi.org/10.1515/tlr-2018-2012

Selected Papers (2015-2004)

Courses Taught:
LING 3150W
LING 3160W
LING 8150
LING 8160
LING 8080
GRMN(LING) 8510
LING 2100E
Articles Featuring Vera Lee-Schoenfeld
Virtual Exchange Program Flyer 2026

Virtual Exchange Program Applications Now Open!

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UGA Linguistics Faculty Share Research at 2026 LSA Annual Meeting

Several faculty members from our Linguistics department presented research earlier this month at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the…

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UGA Linguists Present at LSA 2025

Last week we had some individuals from our program present in Philadelphia at the 2025 Linguistic Society of America Annual Meeting, the largest linguistics conference in the country!
 
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PhD Candidate Jean Costa-Silva and Dr. Vera Lee-Schoenfeld publish article in Language

Late September, PhD Jean Costa-Silva alongside Dr. Vera Lee-Schoenfeld published the article, "Syntactically branching out beyond the traditional classroom: A report on the discovery method", in Language - the flagship journal of the…


Virtual German Exchange Program: UGA+HANNOVER

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Linguistics Department Summer 2023 Round-Up

This past summer, Linguistics faculty and students represented UGA at several conferences. We are excited about all of the phenomenal research taking place in the department, and we would like to take the opportunity to recognize some of the projects that…

Parameters of Predicate Fronting

Recent book co-edited by Dr. Vera Lee-Schoenfeld

A volume of papers co-edited by Vera Lee-Schoenfeld and Dennis Ott, titled Parameters of Predicate Fronting, was published by Oxford University Press this summer. This book showcases state-of-the-art research on predicate fronting and the…

Photograph of Dr. Vera Lee-Schoenfeld in front of bookshelves

Dr. Vera Lee-Schoenfeld receives 2019 Richard B. Russell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

Congratulations to Dr. Vera Lee-Schoenfeld, Associate Professor of Linguistics and Adjunct faculty in Germanic and Slavic Studies, for receiving the university's highest early career teaching honor!

Photograph of Dr. Vera Lee-Schoenfeld in front of greenery

Dr. Vera Lee-Schoenfeld publishes "The syntax, information structure, and prosody of German 'VP'-fronting"

Congratulations to Dr. Vera Lee-Schoenfeld, Linguistics, University of Georgia and Dr.


Fall 2017 CURO Students

The Linguistics Department is proud to announce that two CURO students will be working with our faculty this fall.

Contact Information

vleesch@uga.edu
Office: 209 Joe Brown Hall
Office Hours: Wednesday 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Other Information

Curriculum Vitae: CV_March25_Webpage_1.pdf (295.37 KB)

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