Iulia Pittman

Education

Ph.D., Linguistics and German, University of Georgia

M.A., Translation Science and Terminology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

B.A., Translation and Interpreting (German-English), Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

About Me

Iulia Pittman is Professor of German and Linguistics and a Biggio Faculty Fellow at Auburn University. An applied linguist and certified Professional Neurolanguage Coach®, her work focuses on multilingualism, family language policy, language learning and teaching, and the intersections of language, culture, and identity. Her teaching and community-engaged work have long connected language learning with real-world linguistic and cultural experiences. More recently, her work has expanded to include intercultural communication, language and learning coaching, and faculty development. Across these areas, she is interested in how people navigate linguistic, cultural, and educational boundaries and how greater awareness and understanding can foster learning, connection, and belonging.

Areas of Expertise

German Language and Culture, Applied Linguistics, Translation and Interpreting, Multilingualism, Intercultural Communication, Language and Learning Coaching, Faculty Development and Coaching

Research Interests

Multilingualism and Family Language Policy, Second and Additional Language Learning and Teaching, Language, Culture and Identity

Publications

Books

• Raising Children Bilingually in the United States. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2015. Editor and contributor.
• The Romanian Accent in English. Romance Monographs, University of Mississippi Press, 2008.

Selected Articles and Book Chapters

• Pittman, I. & Glimois, L. “Intentionality and Adaptability in Family Language Policy.” Sustainable Multilingualism, 2024.
• “Regional Language Variation in the German Curriculum.” Die Unterrichtspraxis/Teaching German, 2022.
• “Promoting Linguistic Diversity and Fostering Multilingualism through Community and Civic Engagement.” Southern Journal of Linguistics, 2021.
• “The Disconnect between Textbook and Research: Inductive versus Deductive Approaches to Grammar in First-Year German College Textbooks.” Glottodidactica: An International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2021.
• “From Overhearing to Partial Immersion: L3 Acquisition of Romanian in Three English-Hungarian-Speaking Siblings.” In International Research on Multilingualism: Breaking with the Monolingual Perspective. Springer, 2019.
• Pittman, I. & Gramberg, A. “An Exploration of Outreach Opportunities for College German Programs in Alabama.” In Creating Citizens: Liberal Arts, Civic Engagement, and the Land-Grant Tradition. University of Alabama Press, 2016.
• “On Minority Language Maintenance in the United States.” In Raising Children Bilingually in the United States, 2015.
• “Bilingual and Trilingual Code-Switching Between Hungarian, Romanian, and English in the Speech of Two Transylvanians Living in North America.” International Journal of Multilingualism, 2008.

Courses Taught

• Beginning and Intermediate German
• The Sounds of German
• German for the Professions and the Workforce I & II
• German for Business, Society, and Media
• Cultures in Conversation
• Introduction to Linguistics
• German-English Translation and Interpreting