Ledio Hala, M. A.

I am a linguist, and my academic journey began in 2019 when I graduated in Albanian Language and Literature from the University of Tirana. With the support of a DAAD scholarship, I completed my Master’s degree in Albanology at LMU Munich in 2022. Since April 2025, I have been pursuing my Ph.D. in General Linguistics at the University of Hamburg. My doctoral research focuses on language policy and the standardization of Albanian. Using corpus-based and quantitative methods, I offer a new approach to studying the standardization process: not only describing language during the communist period- when standard Albanian was established - but also analyzing it systematically.  I currently serve as Lecturer in Albanian at two universities- the University of Regensburg and the University of Zurich. At Regensburg, I am a team member of the SeeFfield project (seeffield.app.uni-regensburg.de), where I am responsible for developing and strengthening Albanian Studies. My academic interests also include the didactics of Albanian for heritage speakers. I am proud to have designed and taught the first university-level course worldwide dedicated specifically to Albanian heritage speakers, offered at the University of Regensburg. In 2023, I published a monograph Censorship of Translated Literature in Totalitarian Albania: The Case of Robinson Crusoe. Beyond my primary focus on linguistics, I am also interested in censorship in totalitarian regimes and the mechanisms through which literature was controlled. Outside academia, I enjoy reading literature and traveling as much as possible.

• Language Policy and Planning in Totalitarian Albania
• Empirical Study of the Standardization Process of Albanian
• Corpus Linguistics and Quantitative Approaches
• Sociolinguistics
• Albanian as a Heritage Language and its Didactics
• Censorship of Literature in Totalitarian Albania

04/2025- Present:

Doctoral Candidate, University of Hamburg   Field: General Linguistics

Dissertation Title: From Varieties to Standard: A Corpus-Driven Perspective on the Development of Standard Albanian

First Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Edyta Jurkiewicz-Rohrbacher

Second Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Kristina Jorgaqi

10/2021- 03/2024:

Additional Studies in Intercultural Communication (Certificate)

Thesis: Beyond Historical Shadows: Navigating Cultural Conflict in Albanian University Courses through a Kosovar-Serb Encounter

Supervisor: Dr. Gregor Sterzenbach
Final Grade: 1.0

10/2020- 07/2022:

Master of Arts (M.A.) in Albanology (Albanian Linguistics) - LMU Munich

Final Grade: 1.02

10/2019- 07/2021:

Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Historical Linguistics (Albanian) - University of Tirana

Final Grade: 1.02, with Distinction

02/2020-06/2020

Semester Abroad - University of Valladolid, Spain

Field: Linguistics
Coursework: Corpus Linguistics
Final Grade: 1.3 (sobresaliente)
Funding: ERASMUS+

10/2016-10/2019

Bachelor’s Degree in Albanian Language and Literature – University of Tirana

Final Grade: 1.0, awarded Gold Medal

03/2019-07/2019:

Semester Abroad – Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany

Field: Southeast European Linguistics

Courses: Der Satz: Functional and Cognitive Perspectives;

               Gender Linguistics in the Balkans

Final Grade: 1.0

Funding: ERASMUS+

09/2013-09/2016:

Secondary Education - “Sami Frashëri” High School, Tirana, Albania

09/2003-07/2013:

Primary Education -“Ramazan Jarani” School, Tirana, Albania

Project Team Member

09/2025-04/2026:

Team Member – Blended Intensive Programme (BIP): AI and Modern Approaches in Language Acquisition (Charles University, Prague)

03/2024- Present:

Team Member – Development of the Forum for Heritage Languages, Institute of Slavic Studies, University of Regensburg

Responsibilities: Developing curricula for Albanian heritage language courses and organizing conferences

04/2023- Present:

Team Member, SeeFField Project (A Small but Fertile Field: Strengthening Southeast European Studies in Regensburg)

Responsibilities: Development of Albanian Studies in Regensburg

03/2019-07/2019:

Team Member – CALD Dialect Corpus for Kosovo Albanian

Institute for Slavic and Hungarian Studies, Humboldt University of Berlin
Responsibilities: Data transcription using the EXMARaLDA software

10/2018- 10/2023:

Collaboration on Various Projects

Institute for Albanian and Protestant Studies, Tirana, Albania
Responsibilities: Critical editing of 19th-century Albanian works; research and preparation of texts produced within the Protestant community for new editions

University Teaching

02/2025- Present:

Lecturer in Albanian 

Slavic Department, University of Zurich

04/2023- Present:

Lecturer in Albanian 

Institute of Slavic Studies, University of Regensburg
Within the project SeeFField – A Small but Fertile Field: Strengthening Southeast European Studies in Regensburg

04/2023-07/2023:

Lecturer in Albanian

Professorship for Albanology, LMU Munich

04/2021-07/2024:

Adjunct Lecturer in Albanian
Professorship for Albanology, LMU Munich

Examination Duties

11/2023-Present:

Examiner for Albanian as a Heritage Language – Schools in Bavaria

08/2024-Present:

Examiner for Albanian as a Foreign Language – UniCert Programme, University of Regensburg
Responsibilities: Design of the certificate programme and examination

07/2022-07/2023:

Committee Member and Second Reviewer for M.A. and B.A. Theses – LMU Munich

Fields: M.A. Albanology; B.A. Historical and General Linguistics

07/2025:

Second Evaluator and Expert for a Master’s Thesis – ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences

Study Programme: Master in Language and Communication

Scholarships

10/2022- 04/2023:

Research Scholarship – Konrad Adenauer Foundation

10/2020-09/2022:

DAAD Master’s Scholarship

Master of Arts in Albanology, LMU Munich

02/2020-06/2020:

ERASMUS Scholarship- Semester Abroad at the University of Valladolid, Spain

Focus: English Studies with an Emphasis on Corpus Linguistics

03/2019-07/2019:

ERASMUS Scholarship- Semester Abroad at the University of Humboldt, Berlin

Focus: Linguistics

Early Career Support

10/2024-10/2025:

Mentee- Southeast Europe Association (Südosteuropa-Gesellschaft),Munich
Early-Career Mentoring Programme for Young Scholars

02/2023-03/2023:

Foundation Seminar for International Scholars- Konrad Adenauer Foundation
Topic: Germany in Europe: History, Politics, Economy, and Language

Publication Grants

03/2023:

Monograph: Censorship of Translated Literature in Totalitarian Albania: The Case of Robinson Crusoe

Funding: Institute for Albanian and Protestant Studies, Tirana – €1,000

Conference Grants

05/2025:

Conference: 2nd Symposium of Albanian Studies: Language Ideologies and Attitudes of Albanian Heritage Speakers Worldwide- Approaching a New Field

Grant: Hans Vielberth University Foundation – €3,600

06/2024:

Conference: New Perspectives in Interdisciplinary Albanian Studies

Grant: Hans Vielberth University Foundation – €3,000

In Collaboration with a Team

May 30, 2025:

10th Albanian Evening in Prague: Whose Albanian? Stories of a language from Albania to Kosovo and Beyond.

Organizers: Charles University Prague, University of Regensburg

Location: Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic

May 26, 2025:

2nd Symposium of Albanian Studies: Language Ideologies and Attitudes of Albanian Heritage Speakers Worldwide- Approaching a New Field

Organizers: University of Regensburg, University of Zurich, University of Hamburg

Location: University of Regensburg

November 04, 2024:

Albanian among the Indo-European languages, its origin and antiquity

Organizers: Academy of Sciences of Albania & Chair of Historical and Indo-European Linguistics, LMU Munich

Location: Academy of Sciences, Tirana, Albania

June 07,2024:

New Perspectives in Interdisciplinary Albanian Studies

Organizer: University of Regensburg, Institute of Slavic Studies

Location: University of Regensburg, Germany

March 05,2024:

Multilingualism of the city in the context of Albanian linguistics- proposals for new theoretical approaches

Organizers: University of Regensburg (Institute of Slavic Studies) & University of Elbasan
Location: University of Elbasan, Albania

January 30,2024:

Albanian Studies in the Global Context

Organizers: University College London (UCL) & SeeFField Project (University of Regensburg)
Location: University College London, UK

April 21-23, 2023:

7th German-Albanian Cultural Studies Conference: The Albanian language area and its surroundings from late antiquity to the high middle ages.

Organizer: Professorship for Albanology, LMU Munich

Funding: Nehemiah Gateway

Location: Pommelsbrunn, Germany

Journal

08/2024-Present:

Südost-Forschungen. International Journal for the History, Culture, and Regional Studies of Southeastern Europe

Publisher

08/2023-09/2023:

Routledge

Peer Review of Albanian Language Textbooks

23-28 June 2025:

Teaching Stay in Tirana- Swiss-European Mobility Programme Staff Mobility

29 May- 06 June 2025:

Teaching Stay in Prague - ERASMUS Teaching Mobility

18-22 March 2024:

Research Stay in Prague- within the DAAD East Partnerships Programme

02-12 March 2024:

Research Trip to Elbasan and Korça, Albania - Network building with universities as part of the SeeFField Project

02-07 October 2023:

Research Trip to Tirana, Albania- Establishing networks with academic institutions as part of the SeeFField Project

Committee Work

July 2025- Present:

President – Martin Camaj Society, Lenggries, Bavaria

Organization for the Promotion and Support of Albanian Studies

Memberships

DGfS (German Linguistic Society), SLE (Societas Linguistica Europaea), LiZZ (Linguistics Center University of Zurich), Association for Balkanology (Balkanologenverband), Alumni Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Berlin, Southeast Europe Association, Munich, Martin Camaj Society, Lenggries

Albanian

Native language, working language

German

Excellent knowledge, working language

Telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule Certificate

English

Excellent knowledge, working language

LMU Munich Language Center C1 Certificate

Italian

Very good passive knowledge

Six years of instruction during nine-year middle school in Albania

Romanian

Basic knowledges (LMU Munich A1 certificate)

Seminars

University of Regensburg

Introduction to Albanian Culture  ST 2023

Language Policy in Totalitarian Albania  WT 2023/24 

Albanian in Contact   ST 2024

Introduction to Albanian Linguistics  WT 2024/25 & WT 2025/26

Language Policy and the Albanian Language: A Historical Perspective (1908–1973) ST 2025

LMU Munich

Albanian Writing Culture and Text Editing (Master course)  ST 2024

Introduction to Albanology – Advanced  (Master course)  ST 2024

Charles University Prague

Intensive Seminar on the Linguistics of Heritage Speakers ST 2025

Workshop

University of Tirana/Institute of European Studies

Workshop on Heritage Speaker Linguistics   ST 2025

Lecture Series

University of Regensburg

Lecture within the Series “Lecture Series on Multilingualism”
Title: Fundamentals and Principles of Heritage Language Teaching Using the Examples of Albanian, Russian, Czech, and Ukrainian (co-presented with colleagues)  WT 2025/26

Language courses

University of Regensburg

Albanian 1  ST 2023, ST 2024, ST 2025, WT 2025/26

Albanian 2  WT 2023/24

Albanian 3  ST 2024, ST 2025, WT 2025/26

Albanian for heritage speakers  ST 2023, WT 2023/24, ST 2024, WT 2024/25, ST 2025, WT 2025/26

Intensive Albanian  WT 2023/24

Albanian for Beginners: Grammar and Vocabulary   ST 2025

Taster course: Albanian   ST 2024

Albanian Text Reading   WT 2025/26

University of Zurich

Introduction to Albanian  ST 2025

Foundations of Albanian  WT 2025

LMU Munich

Albanian 1  WT 2021/22, WT 2022/23, WT 2023/24

Albanian 2  ST 2021, ST 2022

Albanian 3  WT 2022/23

Albanian 4  ST 2022, ST 2023

 21.07.2022:

Second Reader- Bachelor’s Theses, B.A. Historical and General Linguistics, LMU Munich

 Candidates:

Sonja Krasniqi- Die Sprache von albanischen Jugendlichen in den sozialen Netzwerken

Sara Ymeri- Formen des Erwerbs der Elternsprache bei albanischstämmigen Kindern  und  Jugendlichen in Deutschland

Hala, Ledio. The Vocalic Cluster -ue in Nomina Agentis in Standard Albanian: A Corpus-Based Analysis.
In: 10th Albanian Evening in Prague: Whose Albanian? Stories of a Language from Albania to Kosovo and Beyond. Organized by Charles University Prague, University of Regensburg, and the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 30 May 2025.

Jorgaqi, Kristina / Hala, Ledio. Albanian as a Heritage Language in German-speaking Areas: Germany & Switzerland. In: 2nd Symposium of Albanian Studies: Language Ideologies and Attitudes of Albanian Heritage Speakers Worldwide – Approaching a New Field. Organized by University of Regensburg, University of Zurich, and University of Hamburg, 26 May 2025, Regensburg.

Hala, Ledio. Language Learning: Heritage and Inclusion. In: 2nd Southeast European Studies Forum. Organized by SeeFField Project, Prishtina, 19–22 March 2025.

Hala, Ledio. The Process of Standardization of Albanian: A Corpus-Based Perspective.
In: Spotlight on… Albanian: A PROLang Panel on Researching Albanology, UCL London, 21 January 2025. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/arts-humanities/events/2025/jan/spotlight-albanian

*Hala, Ledio. "I Speak Without Grammar": Transferring the Ideology of Standardization to Albanian Heritage Speakers in Germany. In: Ideoling: International Symposium on Language Ideology and Attitudes, organized by Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, 17–19 October 2024. https://gresib.uib.cat/2023/12/11/3977/

Hala, Ledio. Transferring the Ideology of Standardization to Albanian Heritage Speakers in Germany. In: International Summer Seminar for Albanian Language, Literature, and Culture, Prishtina, 19–30 August 2024.

Hala, Ledio. Between Words and Worlds: Language Ideologies among Albanian Heritage Speakers. In: Albanian Studies Symposium: Exploring the Future of Interdisciplinary Research, organized by the Institute of Slavic Studies, University of Regensburg, 7 June 2024.

Hala, Ledio. The Advancement of Albanian Standardization during the Era of Communist Albania. In: Institute of Ethnology and Middle East & Balkan Studies, Charles University, Prague, 19 March 2024.

Hala, Ledio. Censorship of Translated Literature in Totalitarian Albania: The Case of Robinson Crusoe. In: Institute of Ethnology and Middle East & Balkan Studies, Charles University, Prague, 19 March 2024.

Hala, Ledio. Acquisition of Albanian by Heritage Speakers: Theoretical and Methodological Approaches. In: Roundtable on Multilingualism in the City in the Context of Albanian Linguistics – Proposals for New Theoretical Approaches, organized by the Institute of Slavic Studies, University of Regensburg, and the Institute of Linguistics, University of Elbasan, 5 March 2024.

Hala, Ledio. Albanian Language Teaching and Studies in German Universities: Navigating Challenges, Celebrating Successes, and Sharing Best Practices. In: Albanian Studies in the Global Context, organized by ProLang and SeeFField, UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES), London, 30 January 2024.

Hansen, Björn / Hala, Ledio. Albanian for Heritage Speakers at the University of Regensburg: Challenges and Perspectives.In: Seminar XLI International for Albanian Language, Literature, and Culture, Prishtina, 24 August 2023.

In Press

Omari, Anila / Sinani, Shaban / Hala, Ledio (eds.): Studime albanologjike në indoeuropianistikë, filologji dhe gjuhësi kontakti. Vëllim në nderim të prof. Bardhyl Demirajt. [Albanological Studies in Indo-European Studies, Philology and Contact Linguistics: Volume in Honor of Prof. Bardhyl Demiraj.]

(Expected 2026, to be published by the Academy of Sciences of Albania)

Published

* Hala, Ledio:
Censura e letërsisë së përkthyer në Shqipërinë totalitare. Rasti: Robinson Kruzo.
[Censorship of Translated Literature in Totalitarian Albania: The Case of Robinson Crusoe.] Tirana 2023: Institute for Albanian and Protestant Studies

Kryeziu, Jorina / Hosaflook, David / Hala, Ledio (eds.):
Krestomaci (in two volumes). [Chrestomathy – The First Albanian Literary Anthology, written by Gjerasim Qiriazi, Gjergj Qiriazi, and Sevasti Qiriazi (Vol. 1, 1902; Vol. 2, 1907). Newly edited and published in today’s alphabet.]
Tirana 2023: Institute for Albanian and Protestant Studies

Hosaflook, David / Hala, Ledio / Toska, Teuta (eds.): Udhëtari nga kjo botë në tjetrën.

[The Pilgrim’s Progress – The Famous Christian Literary Work by John Bunyan, translated into Albanian by Gjergj Qiriazi in 1927. Edited, adapted into modern Albanian, and republished.]

Tirana 2019: Institute for Albanian and Protestant Studies

In Press

Hala, Ledio:

Sociolinguistika historike e shqipes përmes veprës së Bardhyl Demirajt. [The Historical Sociolinguistics of Albanian through the Work of Bardhyl Demiraj.] In: Studime albanologjike në indoeuropianistikë, filologji dhe gjuhësi kontakti. Vëllim në nderim të prof. Bardhyl Demirajt. [Albanological Studies in Indo-European Studies, Philology and Contact Linguistics: Volume in Honor of Prof. Bardhyl Demiraj.]
Expected 2026, Academy of Sciences of Albania

Published

Hala, Ledio. (peer-reviewed)
Einfache Wahrheiten über die Rettung des Geistes (Monastir 1909) – Die erste Broschüre des albanischen Protestantismus. [Simple Truths about the Salvation of the Spirit (Monastir 1909) – The First Brochure of Albanian Protestantism.] In: Zeitschrift für Balkanologie, 2024.

Jusufi, Lumnije / Hala, Ledio.
Die Qiriazi-Schwestern. [The Qiriazi Sisters.] In: Ariadne: Protagonistinnen und Protagonisten der Frauenemanzipation in islamischen Ländern seit dem 19. Jahrhundert, 80/2024. Available at: https://addf-kassel.de/publikationen/ariadne/wohlauf-denn-meine-schwestern-1

Hala, Ledio

Shqipja në dorëshkrimin "Kënkëtore: Hymna për ndë falëtoret të ungjillorëvet" (Korçë, 1893) të Gjerasim Qiriazit.  [Albanian Language Features in the Manuscript "Kënkëtore: Hymna për ndë falëtoret të ungjillorëvet" (Korçë, 1893) by Gjerasim Qiriazi. In: Proceedings of the International Seminar on Albanian Language, Literature and Culture, Vol. 40, Prishtina 2022, pp. 142–170.

In print

Monica Genesin/ Karl Gerhard Hempel/ Thede Kahl (Hg.) Endangered language varieties in Italy and the Balkans. Vienna: Austrian Academy of Sciences Press 2024. Südosteuropa Mitteilungen, 2025.

Published

Voss, Christian/ Jusufi, Lumnije/ Reuter, Evelyn: Innovative Paths of Albanology. Peter Lang 2023. In: Südosteuropa Mitteilungen. Heft 03-04, 2023.

Hala, Ledio.

Nga brohoritjet te realiteti: shqipja përtej kufijve. [From Cheers to Reality: Albanian Beyond Borders.] Peizazhe të Fjalës, 6 January 2025. Available at: https://peizazhe.com/2025/01/06/nga-brohoritjet-te-realiteti-shqipja-pertej-kufijve/

Hala, Ledio.

Të emërtosh luftën: Strategji semantike në politikat gjuhësore të emërtimit të luftës në Izrael. [Naming the War: Semantic Strategies in the Language Politics of War Naming in Israel.] Peizazhe të Fjalës, 29 December 2023.Available at: https://peizazhe.com/2023/12/29/te-emertosh-luften/

Vehbiu, Ardian / Hala, Ledio.

Çabej: Tani kemi një akademi. [Çabej: Now We Have an Academy.]Peizazhe të Fjalës, 4 June 2023. Available at: https://peizazhe.com/2023/06/04/cabej-tani-kemi-nje-akademi/

Sejdiu, Lindita / Hala, Ledio.

Seminari i Albanologjisë. [The Albanology Seminar.] Interview, ABC News Albania, 21 August 2025. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O0bn-3S-OY&ab_channel=ABCNewsAlbania

Hala, Ledio.

Mësimi dhe përditshmëria e shqipes në Regensburg. [Teaching and Everyday Life of Albanian in Regensburg.] Podcast Episode, Balkan Callings – Voices from the Region, 25 October 2024.

Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6e6Oxj8S9lg5t7UUVFCYt1

Hansen, Björn / Hala, Ledio.

Studimet shqiptare në Gjermani. [Albanian Studies in Germany.]

TV Interview, Shqip by Rudina Xhunga. Available at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8rxFzFD-q4&t=403s

Conforti, Emilia / Hala, Ledio.

Shqipja si gjuhë e huaj dhe gjuhë e trashëguar. [Albanian as a Foreign and Heritage Language.] TV Interview, Mysafiri i mëngjesit, RTK – Radio Television Kosovo.