Research

• construction grammar
• usage-based linguistic theory
• language and (cultural) evolution
• subjectivity/perspective in grammar and discourse
• causality
• stylistics

Publications

• Verhagen, Arie (2009), The conception of constructions as complex signs. Emergence of structure and reduction to usage. Constructions and Frames 1: 119-152.
• Verhagen, Arie (2005), Constructions of Intersubjectivity. Discourse, Syntax and Cognition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Extended paperback edition, 2007).
• Verhagen, Arie (2005), Constructiegrammatica en ‘usage based’ taalkunde. Nederlandse Taalkunde 10-3/4: 197-222.
• Verhagen, Arie and Suzanne Kemmer (1997). Interaction and causation: Causative constructions in modern standard Dutch. Journal of Pragmatics 27, 61-82.
• Verhagen, Arie (1986), Linguistic Theory and the Function of Word Order in Dutch. A study on interpretive aspects of the order of adverbials and noun phrases. Dordrecht/Berlin: Foris/Mouton de Gruyter

Other publications can be found under 'Publications' (top of page).

Teaching activities

Since 1978 I have taught courses on many different topics, at different levels. The topics include: Elementary level:

• introduction to linguistics
• traditional sentence analysis
• generative grammar
• psycholinguistics

Since 2004, I am actively involved in developing the teaching programme of the Leiden PRE-University College for motivated and talented high school students; I am coordinator of one of the five courses, and contribute to two other ones.

Undergraduate level, after year 1:

• corpus linguistics
• discourse analysis
• psycholinguistics
• construction grammar
• semantics and pragmatics
• psycholinguistics
• specific topics: language use in electronic media, language & gender, stylistics

Since 2003, I teach a minor programme ('Systems and memes', colloquium) for selected students from all fields of science, on approaches to philosophy and history of science, in particular evolutionary approaches to language, culture, and cognition, in which special attention is being paid to similarities and differences between sciences of language and culture on the one hand, and natural sciences on the other.

Graduate level:

Advanced general courses on theories of language, in particular syntax, semantics, and pragmatics; advanced courses on specific topics: adverbial phrases, information structure, passive and causative constructions, accentuation, subordination and clause combining, metaphors and cultural cognitive models, perspective and subjectivity.

For the Dutch national graduate school of linguistics LOT I have taught courses individually as well as jointly with others, on my own research topics and some general ones (overview of cognitive linguistics; connectionism in psychology and linguistics). The most recent LOT-course I taught was "Fixed Expressions: theory, usage and process" (Leiden, summer 2005, together with Joost Schilperoord from Tilburg University).

At the Australian Linguistic Institute held at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, I have taught a course on grammar in cognitive linguistics. The Dutch Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) had funded the trip to Australia, and a visit to four Universities following it.

I have been guest professor teaching short courses (varying between 2 days and 2 weeks) at the Universities of Viena (Austria), Budapest, Debrecen (Hungary), and Potchefstroom (South-Africa).

Curriculum Vitae

Consulting editorships

• From 1992 until 1996, and since 2005: consulting editor for Cognitive Linguistics.
• Since 1995: member of the editorial board of Voortgang. Jaarboek voor de Neerlandistiek.
• Member of the advisory board for the Algemene Nederlandse Spraakkunst ('General Grammar of Dutch', ANS, second edition published 1997).
• From 1997 until 2005: consulting editor for Taalbeheersing.
• Since 1998: consulting editor for Gramma/TTT.
• Since 2000: consulting editor for Nederlandse Taalkunde.
• Since 2001: consulting editor for neerlandistiek.nl (to be found at https://neerlandistiek.nl/)

I have regularly acted as reviewer for other journals, for book proposals to major publishers in the field of linguistics (Benjamins, CUP, Mouton de Gruyter, OUP), for grant proposals in linguistics and in cognitive science for NWO, ESF, and the national research councils of Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, and Norway, and as external reviewer for tenure/promotion proposals for universities in Belgium, Great Britain, and the USA.

Main administrative positions (in chronological order)

• Secretary of the Working Group 'Syntax and Semantics' of the Foundation for Linguistic Research in the Netherlands.
• Member of the reorganization commission of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the Free University in Amsterdam.
• Chairman of the Research Program Commission of the Department of Linguistics at the Free University in Amsterdam.
• Secretary of the Board of the program of Dutch Language and Literature at the Free University in Amsterdam.
• Member of the University Commission for Innovative Teaching Projects of the Free University in Amsterdam.
• Secretary of the Scientific Board of the Centre for Language and Communication at Utrecht University.
• Member of the Research Commission of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Utrecht University.
• Chairman of the Board of the Department of Dutch Language and Culture at Leiden University (1999-2001; since 2004).
• Chairman of the 'Landelijke Vereniging Van Neerlandici' (LVVN, National Association of Graduates in Dutch Language and Culture, 2000-2006).
• Chairman of the Board of the University of Leiden Centre for Linguistics (ULCL, 2001-2005).
• Member of the board of the Dutch National Graduate School of Linguistics LOT (since 2001).
• Chairman of the Teaching Institute NDD (since 2004).
• Chairman of the Board of the Leiden University Centre for Linguistics (LUCL, founded in 2005; since 2005).
• Chairman of the Permanent Commission on Teaching and Education of the Leiden Faculty of Humanities (since 2006).

Publications

Activities