Research
My research interests revolve around questions of foreign language learning as part of a critical humanities education. I work within sociocultural, discursive, and complex dynamic systems frameworks to investigate beliefs and practices concerning language ideologies, language variation, multilingualism, and diversity within pedagogical models such as a multiliteracies pedagogy and critical multilingual language awareness.
Publications
| Journal Articles | |
|---|---|
| * peer-reviewed | |
| 15 | *Ruck, J., Walter, D. & Lehrich, S. (submitted, under review). Deconstructing Language Ideologies in L2 Study Abroad |
| 14 | *Walter, D., Ruck, J. & Lehrich, S. (submitted, under review). “It’ll be real German, but German with a little twist”: Learning about dialects in the study abroad classroom |
| 13 | *Ruck, J., Walter, D. & Lehrich, S.Lehrich (accepted with minor revisions). Multilingualism Meets Multidialectism in L2 Study Abroad. L2 Journal. |
| 12 | *Aufgebauer, M. & Ruck, J. (2025). Erfahrungsbasiertes Lehren und Lernen: Vielfältige Kompetenzentwicklung angehender DaF/DaZ Lehrender durch ein kollaboratives Praxiserkundungsprojekt, KONTEXTE. Internationales Journal zur Professionalisierung in Deutsch als Fremdsprache 3(1), 146-156. |
| 11 | Ruck, J. (2023). How can German studies become a site of resistance to linguistic indifference in language policy regimes? The German Quarterly 96(3), 383-385. |
| 10 | The Pipestone Group (Dawson, T., Gramling, D., Eldridge, H., Maxim, H., Ploschnitzki, P., Rieger, C., Ryshina-Pankova, M., Ruck, J., Wailes, S., Warner, C.) (2023). Introduction: On linguistic indifference. The German Quarterly 96(3), 378-382. |
| 9 | *Ruck, J. (2022). Konstruktionen von Diversität in Deutsch als Fremdsprache Lehrwerken. Zeitschrift für Deutsch im Kontext von Mehrsprachigkeit 38(1-2), p. 66-82. |
| 8 | *Ruck, J. (2022). Elementary-Level Learners’ Engagement with Multimodal Resources in Two Audiovisual Genres. The Language Learning Journal 50(3), p. 328-343. |
| 7 | Ruck, J. (2021) Sprachenpolitische Implikationen zur Sprachvariation im Fremdsprachenunterricht. IDV Magazin 99. |
| 6 | Ruck, J. (2021) Sprachenpolitische Kooperationen unter dem DACH-Prinzip. Deutsche Lehrer im Ausland, Frühjahr 2021. |
| 5 | Ruck, J. & Shafer, N. (2020). Introduction to the Special Issue: National Standards – Local Varieties. Critical Multilingualism Studies 8(1), p. 7-22. |
| 4 | Ruck, J. (2020) The Politics and Ideologies of Pluricentric German in L2 Teaching. Critical Multilingualism Studies 8(1), p. 24-56. |
| 3 | *Ruck, J. (2020) Multilingualism and Affective Attitudes: The Sociocognitive Profiles of First-Year Learners of L2 German. Die Unterrichtspraxis/Teaching German, 53(2), p. 210-228. |
| 2 | Ruck, J. (2019) Eine Frage der Perspektive? Einstellungen Lehrender zu ‚guten’ Deutsch als Fremd-/Zweitsprache Lehrenden. KDV Info 27(52/53). |
| 1 | *Ruck, J. (2017) Against All Standards: On Regional Variation in the German Language Classroom. Critical Multilingualism Studies, 5(1), p. 112–143. |
| Journal Special Issues | |
|---|---|
| 3 | Walter, D. & Ruck, J. (Eds.) (2026, forthcoming). Multidialectism in the Multilingual Turn. L2 Journal. |
| 2 | Ruck, J., Schicker, S., Akbulut, M. & Dorner-Pau, M. (Eds.) (2022). mit.sprache.teil.haben. Sonderheft zur IDT 2022. Deutsch im Kontext von Mehrsprachigkeit 38(1-2). |
| 1 | Ruck, J. & Shafer, N. (Eds.) (2020). National Standards – Local Varieties: A Cross-linguistic Discussion on Regional Variation in L2 Studies. Critical Multilingualism Studies 8(1). |
| Book Chapters | |
|---|---|
| 5 | Crane, C., Maxim, H. & Ruck, J. (in preparation). Setting the Standards: The AATG’s Role in Language Standards Development. In Collenberg-Gonzalez, C., Costabile-Heming, C. A., Crane, C., Layher, W., Mello, M., Niekerk, C. & Rinner, S. (Eds.). Commemorating AATG’s Centennial in 2026: Looking Back and Looking Forward |
| 4 | de Cillia, R., Draxl, A.-K., Faistauer, R., Fritz, T. von Gehlen, M., Janicka, M., Jung, M., Kaur, P., Konstantinidou, L., Petersen, I., Reitbrecht, S., Ruck, J., Schweiger, H., Sorger, B. & Studer, T. (2023). Wiener Thesen zur Sprachenpolitik. In Thomas Fritz, Brigitte Sorger, Hannes Schweiger & Sandra Reitbrecht (Ed.) IDT 2022 mit.sprache.teil.haben. Band 5: Sprachenpolitik und Teilhabe. Erich Schmidt Verlag, p. 19-40. |
| 3 | Middeke, A. & Ruck, J. (2023). Das DACH-Prinzip. In Thomas Fritz, Brigitte Sorger, Hannes Schweiger & Sandra Reitbrecht (Ed.) IDT 2022 mit.sprache.teil.haben. Band 5: Sprachenpolitik und Teilhabe. Erich Schmidt Verlag, p. 105-111. |
| 2 | Ruck, J. (2015). Identität als Motiv zum Sprachenlernen? Sprache und Identität von uruguayischen Deutschlernenden mit deutschsprachigen Vorfahren. In Beate Baumann, Sabine Hoffmann & Parvaneh Sohrabi (Eds.), Proceedings for IDT 2013, Band 2.1 − Sektionen A1, A3: Kognition, Sprache, Musik. Bolzano, Italy: bupress. |
| 1 | Ruck, J. & Weger, D. (2015). Graphic Novels im DaF-Unterricht. Potential und praktische Anregungen. In Ulrike Eder (Ed.), Sprache erleben und lernen mit Kinder- und Jugendliteratur II. Theorien, Modelle und Perspektiven für den Deutsch als Fremd- und Zweitsprachenunterricht. Vienna, Austria: praesens. |
| Book Reviews | |
|---|---|
| 2 | Ruck, J. (2021). Review of the book “The Pluricentricity Debate. On Austrian German and other Germanic Standard Varieties”, by Stefan Dollinger, ÖDaF Mitteilungen. Fachzeitschrift für Deutsch als Fremd- und Zweitsprache 1/2021 |
| 1 | Ruck, J. (2021). Review of the book “Österreichisches Deutsch macht Schule. Bildung und Deutschunterricht im Spannungsfeld von sprachlicher Variation und Norm“, by Rudolf de Cillia & Jutta Ransmayr, ÖDaF Mitteilungen. Fachzeitschrift für Deutsch als Fremd- und Zweitsprache 1/2021 |
| Public-Facing Engagement | |
|---|---|
| 2 | Ruck, J. (Guest) (2025, August). “Fremdsprachendidaktik” Interview by Denis Weger. In Didaktik Dialog [Video podcast episode] |
| 1 | Ruck, J. (2020). Reclaiming Learners’ Agency in Discourses of Discrimination. [Blog post on the Diversity and Decolonialization and the German Curriculum Blog]. |
Conferences
| Keynotes and Invited Talks | |
|---|---|
| 4 | Ruck, J. (2025). Multilingual Manifests: Disrupting Language Ideologies in German Studies. Annual Conference of the Germanic Graduate Student Association at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, (02/2025). |
| 3 | Ruck, J. (2022). Language Testing for Migration Control: Countering Language Policy Regimes Through Critical Discourse Analysis in L2 German Education, invited talk at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures (05/2022) |
| 2 | Ruck, J. (2020). Landeskunde und kulturelles Lernen im DaF-Unterricht: Entwicklungen und Tendenzen, invited keynote & workshop at the Annual Convention of the Finnish German Teacher Association, Helsinki, Finland, (03/2020) [cancelled due to COVID-19] |
| 1 | Ruck, J. (2018). Eine Frage der Perspektive? Einstellungen Lernender und Lehrender zu „guten“ DaF-LehrerInnen, invited keynote; Überzeugte Praxis, workshop, Annual Convention of the Croatian German Teacher Association (KDV), Vodice, Croatia (10/2018) |
| Conference Presentations | |
|---|---|
| 22 | Ruck, J. (2026, accepted) Multilingual Identities: Rewriting Language Ideologies in Study Abroad, American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL) Conference, Chicago, IL (03/2026) |
| 21 | Ruck, J. (2025, accepted) Transforming Multilingual Identities in Study Abroad, South Atlantic Modern Language Association Conference, Atlanta, GA (11/2025) |
| 20 | Middeke, A. & Ruck, J. (2025) Diversitätsverantwortung in der DaF/DaZ-Vermittlung nach dem DACH-Prinzip, International Congress for German Teachers (IDT), Lübeck, Germany (08/2025) |
| 19 | Ruck, J. (2025) [accepted, withdrawn] Just Language: A Q-Methodology Study on Student Beliefs on the Goals of Collegiate L2 Education, American Association of Applied Linguistics (AAAL) Conference, Denver, CO (03/2025) |
| 18 | Walter, D., Ruck, J. & Lehrich, S. (2024) Dialect Instruction Abroad, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Convention, Philadelphia, PA (11/2024) |
| 17 | Ruck, J. (2024) Multilingualism and Identity in Vienna: Study Abroad Students’ Perspectives, ACTFL Convention, Philadelphia, PA (11/2024) |
| 16 | Walter, D., Ruck, J. & Lehrich, S. (2024), Deconstructing Language Ideologies in Study Abroad Contexts, German Studies Association 48th Annual Conference, Linguistics and Language Studies in German Studies Panel Series, Atlanta, GA (09/2024) |
| 15 | Ruck, J. (2022). Language Ideologies and Pluricentricity in German Foreign Language Teaching, 11th International Conference on Language Variation in Europe, Vienna, Austria (04/2022) |
| 14 | Ruck, J. (2021). Linguistic Indifference in Language Policy Regimes: A Critical Discourse Analysis Approach to L2 German Teaching. German Studies Association 45th Annual Conference, Seminar: Linguistic Indifference, Indianapolis, IN (10/2021) |
| 13 | Ruck, J. (2021), [accepted/symposium cancelled]. Sociocognitive approaches to L2 learners’ engagement with language and culture in audio-visual texts, World Congress of Applied Linguistics, Groningen, the Netherlands, (08/2021) |
| 12 | Ruck, J. (2019). Understanding Austria: How to Teach Austrian Regional Varieties, ACTFL Convention, Washington, D.C. (11/2019) |
| 11 | Ruck, J. (2018). Multilingual perspectives on audiovisual media, ACTFL Convention, New Orleans, LA (11/2018) |
| 10 | Ruck, J. & Schueller, J. (2017). Authentic Film with Beginning Learners: Theory Meets Practice, ACTFL Convention, Nashville, TN (11/2017) |
| 9 | Ruck, J. (2017). Landeskunde und Kulturkonzepte im DaF-Unterricht: Wo stehen wir? Wohin gehen wir?; Interaktive Webtools im DaF-Unterricht, workshop, Asociación Mexicana de Profesores de Alemán (AMPAL) Convention, Villahermosa, Mexico (05/2017) |
| 8 | Ruck, J. (2016). Culture Through Advertisement: Teaching Austrian Culture in TV Commercials, CILEX – Primer Congreso Internacional de Lenguas Extranjeras, Monterrey, Mexico (11/2016) |
| 7 | Ruck, J. (2016). Advertising Austria: Promoting Cultural Learning with Television Commercials, ACTFL Convention, Boston, MA (11/2016) |
| 6 | Ruck, J. (2016). Österreich: literarisch und kreativ, Canadian Association of Teachers of German (CATG) Convention, Montréal, Canada (02/2016) |
| 5 | Ruck, J. (2015). Against All Standards: Austrian Regional Languages in the German Classroom? ACTFL Convention, San Diego, CA (11/2015) |
| 4 | Ruck, J. & Fischer, J. (2015) Mapping Austria—Cultures, Languages, and Literature, ACTFL Convention, San Diego, CA (11/2015) |
| 3 | Ruck, J. (2015). Video-mediated listening and collaborative learning. Wisconsin Association of Foreign Language Teachers (WAFLT) Conference, Appleton, WI (11/2015) |
| 2 | Ruck, J. (2013). Die Rolle der Identität im Sprachlernprozess am Beispiel von uruguayischen Deutschlernenden mit deutschsprachigen Vorfahren, IDT, Bozen/Bolzano, Italy (07/2013) |
| 1 | Ruck, J. (2011). Fremdsprachenwachstum: Authentisches Hören und Lesen im DaF-Unterricht, 8th Brazilian German Teacher Congress, Belo Horizonte, Brazil (07/2011) |
| Poster Presentations | |
|---|---|
| 2 | Ruck, J., Goodspeed, L. & Aleeva, D. and Lauren Goodspeed. Analyzing L2 Identity Through Metaphor. SLA Graduate Student Symposium, University of Iowa, Iwoa City, IA. |
| 1 | Weger, D., Stückler-Sturm, B., Ruck, J. & Boysen, M. (2013) Prinzipien der Arbeit mit Kinder- und Jugendliteratur im DaF-Unterricht in der Grundstufe anhand praktischer Beispiele. XV. IDT, Bolzano, Italy. |
| Conference and Session Organization | |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Panel Discussion Organization and Moderation with Badstübner-Kizik, C., Altmayer, C., Schmenk, B. & Li, Y. (Discussants), Landeskunde im Diskurs, International Congress for German Teachers (IDT) 2025, Lübeck, Germany. |
| 2024 | Session Chair, Diversity, Multilingualism & Social Justice: Voices From Austria, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Convention, Philadelphia, PA |
| 2022 | Session Co-Chair with Bridget Levine-West, From Documentaries to Protest Footage: Critical Media Literacy in L2 German, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Convention, Boston, MA |
| 2022 | Session Co-Chair with Rinner, S., Kulovics, N. & Levine-West, G., Sprachenlernen im universitären Kontext, IDT 2022, Vienna, Austria |
| 2022 | Podium+ Co-Organization and Co-Modeation with Middeke, A. and Dengscherz, S., Kuvalekar, S., Levine-West, B., Petter, E. M. & Voerkel, P. (Discussants), DACH-Prinzip, IDT 2022, Vienna, Austria. |
| 2021 | Session Co-Chair with Weger, D. & Schwarzl, L., Beliefs im Kontext von Sprachenlehren und -lernen, Österreichische Linguistiktagung, Vienna, Austria |
| 2017 | Session Co-Chair with Maragno, R., Landeskunde/Kulturvermittlung, XVI. IDT 2017, Fribourg, Switzerland |
| 2015 | Conference Co-Organization of the Annual German and Dutch Graduate Student Association Conference, Madison, WI, USA |
| 2014 | Conference Co-Organization with Weger, D., Annual Conference of the Austrian Association for German as a Foreign/Second Language (ÖDaF), Wien, Österreich |