I completed my training as a state-approved speech and language therapist in 2000 at the School of Speech Therapy at Philipps University in Marburg. Between 2000 and 2004 I studied teaching and research speech therapy at the RWTH-Aachen while working in a speech and language therapy practice with a focus on children’s speech and language development. This was followed by a teaching position and a doctorate at the University of Sheffield (UK) on the topic of phonological awareness in preschool children. Between 2009 and 2010, I was a research assistant at Newcastle University (UK) and contributed to the revision and re-standardisation of the New Reynell Developmental Language Scales. This was followed by 2 years at the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg as a professor focusing on the prevention and treatment of dyslexia and evidence-based practice. At the same time I worked as a freelance speech and language therapist and seminar leader. Having returned to England, I worked for two years as a Postdoctoral Research Associate on a project evaluating a preschool language support programme, then spent a year as a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Chester. Between 2015 and 2018, I was a Lecturer at the University of Sheffield. In 2018, I moved back to Germany with my family. In 2019 I co-founded Sprachtherapie Online and in 2022 I worked at a social paediatric centre in Frankfurt.

After family and health challenges, I decided to take a career break, get healthy and recharge my batteries. Despite all the turbulence, I am grateful for the experience and I am excited to see what 2023 has in store for me!

• (Scientific) work in interdisciplinary teams
• Living and working with other people, especially in an intercultural context
• Empathic interaction with people, e.g. in the role as a personal academic tutor and in parent talks/counselling sessions
• Extensive experience in developing and evaluating children’s language tests
• Extensive practice in writing intervention/test manuals and (scientific) publications
• Excellent editorial skills (having worked as a reviewer in international scientific publications and as a reviewer of grant applications)
• Excellent time management skills and conscientious, meticulous and accurate work habits
• Extensive experience in organising workshops and seminars for different professional groups and parents
• Taking on a variety of administrative roles
• Very good IT skills (e.g. learning platforms, use of tablets).
• Language skills: English (native level)

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• Schaefer, B., Ehlert, H., Kemp, L., Hoesl, K., Schrader, V., Warnecke, C., & Herrmann, F. (2019). Stern, gwiazda or star: Screening receptive vocabulary skills across languages in monolingual and bilingual German-Polish or German-Turkish children using a tablet application. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 35(1), 1-14, https://doi.org/10.1177/0265659018810334
• Yavaș, M., Fox-Boyer, A., & Schaefer, B. (2018). Patterns in German /ʃC/-cluster acquisition. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 1-19. doi:10.1080/02699206.2018.1469670
• Wachtlin, B., Turinsky, Y., Herrmann, F., &, Schaefer, B. (2017). Phonological awareness in German-speaking preschool children with cochlear implants – 3 case examples. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 100, 198-203, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijporl.2017.06.031
• Bowyer-Crane, C., Fricke, S., Schaefer, B., Lervag, A., & Hulme, C. (2017). Early literacy and comprehension skills in children learning English as an additional language and monolingual children with language weaknesses. Reading and Writing, 30, 771-790, 10.1007/s11145-016-9699-8
• Schaefer, B., Stackhouse, J. & Wells, B. (2016). Phonological awareness development in children with and without spoken language difficulties. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, Early Online 1-11, 10.1080/17549507.2016.1221449
• Schaefer, B. & Fox-Boyer, A. (2016). The development of initial consonant clusters in German-speaking 2-year olds. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, Early Online 1-14. 10.1080/17549507.2016.1221450
• Bowyer-Crane, C., Fricke, S., Schaefer, B., Millard, G., & Hulme, C. (2016). Oral language intervention for children learning English as an additional language and monolingual children with language weaknesses. Nuffield Foundation, public report.
• Schaefer, B., Fricke, S., Herrmann, F., & Bowyer-Crane, C. (2015). Development of a new tablet application for the assessment of receptive vocabulary skills in multilingual children. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 32(2), 179-191, 10.1177/0265659015591634
• Schaefer, B., & Fricke, S. (2015). Language Programmes. In M. Kersner & J.A. Wright (Eds.): Supporting Young Children with Communication Problems (4th ed.). Oxon, England: Taylor & Francis/Routledge.
• Fox-Boyer, A.V. & Schäfer, B. (2015). Phonologieerwerb (Speech acquisition). In S. Sachse (Ed.): Handbuch Sprachentwicklung und Sprachentwicklungsstörungen – Band 3: Kleinkindphase (Handbook of Language Acquisition and Language Disorders, Volume 3, Early Childhood). München, Germany: Elsevier.
• Schaefer, B., Bremer, M., & Herrmann, F. (2014). Onset and phoneme awareness and its relationship to letter knowledge in German-speaking preschool children. Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica, 66, 126-131.
• Schäfer, B., Wessels, S., & Fricke, S. (2014). Die Phonologische Bewusstheit bei Dreijährigen (Phonological awareness development in 3-year olds). Sprache Stimme Gehör, 38, 1-5.
• Letts, C.A., Edwards, S., Schaefer, B. & Sinka, I. (2014). The New Reynell Developmental Language Scales: Descriptive account and illustrative case study. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 30(1), 103-116.
• Schäfer, B. (2013). Erwerb der phonologischen Bewusstheit und deren Zusammenhang zu anderen sprachlichen Ebenen (The development of phonological awareness in preschool children and its link to other language skills). In A.V. Fox-Boyer (Ed.): Handbuch Sprachentwicklung und Sprachentwicklungsstörungen, Band 2: Kindergartenphase (Handbook of Language Acquisition and Language Disorders, Volume 2, Early Childhood). München, Germany: Elsevier.
• Letts, C.E., Edwards, S., Sinka, I., Schaefer, B. & Gibbons, W. (2013). Socio-Economic Status and Language Acquisition: Children’s performance on the New Reynell Developmental Language Scales. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 48(2), 131-143.
• Schäfer, B. (2010). Voraussetzungen für einen erfolgreichen Leserechtschreiberwerb (Prerequisits of successful literacy acquisition). In M. Rausch & S. Sandriesser (Eds.): Faszination Sprache (Fascination Language): Festschrift for Professor Dr Walter Huber.
• Schaefer, B., Fricke, S., Stackhouse, J., Wells, B., Szczerbinski, M. & Fox-Boyer, A.V. (2009). Development of a test battery for assessing phonological awareness in German-speaking children. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 23(6), 404-430.
• Fricke, S. & Schäfer, B. (2008). Test für phonologische Bewusstheitsfähigkeiten (Phonological Awareness Test Battery). Idstein: Schulz-Kirchner Verlag (2nd edition was published 2011).
• Schäfer, B. & Fox, A.V. (2006). Der Erwerb der Wortproduktionskonsequenz bei Zweijährigen: ein Mittel zur Früherkennung von Aussprachestörungen (The acquisition of consistent word production in German-speaking children aged 2;00-2;11: A valuable indicator for early identification of speech disorders)? Sprache Stimme Gehör, 30, 186-192.

• Bowyer-Crane, C., Fricke, S., Schaefer, B., Millard, G. & Hulme, C. Multi-contextual vocabulary teaching for EAL learners. Talk presented at the PATOSS Multilingualism/EAL and Dyslexia: An Introduction, London, 28 June 2017.
• Yavas, M., Fox-Boyer, A., & Schaefer, B. Patterns of #ʃC-clusters in German-speaking children. International Child Phonology Conference, Washington D.C. (USA), 31 May- 2 June 2017.
• Bowyer-Crane, C., Fricke, S., Schaefer, B., Millard, G., & Hulme, C. Get Ready for Learning: Early oral language intervention for children learning English as an additional language and monolingual children with language weaknesses. Paper presented at British Educational Research Association, Leeds, 12-15 September 2016.
• Niepelt, R., Thomson, J., Schaefer, B. Development of an assessment tool for speech processing skills in English-speaking adults. Paper presented at the International Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics Association Conference, Halifax (USA), 15-18 June.
• Yavas, M., Fox-Boyer, A. V., & Schaefer, B. Reduction patterns of /ʃ/-clusters in German-speaking children. Paper presented at the International Child Phonology Conference, Flagstaff (USA), 22-24 June 2016.
• Niepelt, R., Thomson, J., & Schaefer, B. Entwicklung eines neuen psycholinguistischen Diagnostikinstrumentes fuer Erwachsene mit Sprachverarbeitungsproblemen. Poster presented at the 45th Annual Conference of the dbl (German Association for Speech and Language Therapy), Bielefeld (Germany) 26-28 May 2016.
• Bowyer-Crane, C., Fricke, S., Schaefer, B., Millard, G., & Hulme, C. Get Ready for Learning: Early oral language intervention for children learning English as an additional language and monolingual children with language weaknesses. Paper presented at the Society for Scientific Studies of Reading Annual Conference, Hawaii. 15-18 July 2015.
• Wachtlin, B., Schaefer, B. & Turinsky, Y. Phonologische Bewusstheit bei deutschsprachigen Kindern mit bilateraler Cochlea Implant Versorgung – eine Pilotstudie (Phonological awareness in German-speaking children with bilateral Cochlea Implants – A pilot study). Paper presented at the Bundesverband klinische Linguistik Workshop, Mainz (Germany), 30 April – 2 May 2015.
• Schaefer, B., Fricke, S. & Bowyer-Crane, C. Development of a new tablet application for the assessment of receptive vocabulary skills in multilingual children. Poster presented at the XIII. International Congress for the Study of Child Language, Amsterdam (The Netherlands), 19-25 July 2014.
• Fricke, S., C. Bowyer-Crane, B. Schaefer, G. Millard, & C. Hulme. Get Ready for Learning. Talk presented at CRL Summer Workshop 2014, York, 13 June 2014.
• Fricke, S., Schaefer, B. Millard, G., Greasley, P., Hulme, C. & Bowyer-Crane, C. Evaluation of an oral language intervention for Reception-aged children. Symposium Title: Literacy and Language Processing in Children with English as an Additional Language: From Reception to Primary School Years. Paper presented at the British Dyslexia Association International Conference, Guildford (UK), 27-29 March 2014.
• Wachtlin, B. & Schäfer, B. Phonologische Bewußtheit bei deutschsprachigen Kindern mit bilateraler Cochlear Implantat Versorgung (Phonological awareness in German-speaking children with Cochlea Implants). Poster presented at the 7. Autumn Meeting Patholinguistics, Potsdam (Germany), 16 November 2013.
• Fox-Boxer, A.V. & Schaefer, B. The development of initial consonant clusters in German-speaking 2-year olds. Paper presented at the Child Language Seminar, Manchester (UK) 24-25 June 2013.
• Turinsky, I., Corsten, S., Schaefer, B. & Schramm, B. Phonological awareness in German-speaking preschool children with Cochlea Implants – A pilot study. Paper presented at the 11th European Symposium on Paediatric Cochlear Implantation, Istanbul (Turkey), 23-26 May 2013.
• Fox-Boxer, A.V. & Schäfer. Die Entwicklung der initialen Konsonantenverbindungen im Deutschen. Paper presented at the Interdisziplinäre Tagung über Sprachentwicklungs-störungen (ISES 7: Interdisciplinary Conference for Children with Spoken Language Difficulties), Leipzig (Germany) 2-4 November 2012.
• Bremer, M. & Schäfer, B. Onset- und Phonembewusstheit bei deutschsprachigen Vorschulkindern (Onset- and phoneme awareness in German-speaking preschool children). Paper presented at the 41th Annual Conference of the dbl (German Association for Speech and Language Therapy), Nürnberg (Germany) 7-9 June 2012.
• Letts, C.A., Sinka,I. & Schaefer, B. Language acquisition and socio-economic status: Results from The New Reynell Developmental Language Scales. Paper presented at the Child Language Seminar, Newcastle upon Tyne (UK) 13-14 June 2011.
• Letts, C.A., Sinka, I. & Schaefer, B. The Multilingual Toolkit: Assessing Children From Diverse Linguistic and Cultural Backgrounds. Paper presented at the Child Language Seminar, Newcastle upon Tyne (UK) 13-14 June 2011.
• Letts, C.A., Edwards, S., Gibbons, W., Schaefer, B. & Sinka, I. Testing The Essentials in Monolingual and Bi/Multilingual Children. Poster presented at the LIMoBIS Conference (Language Impairment in Monolingual and Bilingual Society), Aalborg (Denmark) 29 September – 1 October 2010.
• Schellenberger, L., Bendler, S., DiBetta, A. M. & Schäfer, B. The Relationship Between Paired Associate Learning, Rapid Automatised Naming, Phonological Processing Skills, and Spelling in Typical German-speaking 2nd graders. Poster presented at the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics, Athens (Greece) 22-26 of August 2010.
• Schellenberger, L., Bendler, S., DiBetta, A. M. & Schäfer, B. Der Einfluss von phonologischer Bewusstheit und dem Erlernen von neuen Wörtern auf Lese-Rechtschreibleistungen (The influence of phonological awareness and word learning on literacy skills). Poster presented at the Interdisziplinäre Tagung über Sprachentwicklungs-störungen (ISES 6: Interdisciplinary Conference for Children with Spoken Language Difficulties), Rostock (Germany) 11-12 March 2010.
• Letts, C.A., Sinka, I., Schaefer, B. & Edwards, S. Adapting language assessment to different languages – The New Reynell’s Multilingual Toolkit. Poster presented at the COST Action A33 Conference – Crosslinguistically Robust Stages of Children’s Linguistic Performance, London (UK) 22-24 January 2010.
• Fricke, S., Schaefer, B., Stackhouse, J., Szczerbinski, M., Fox-Boyer, A.V. & Wells, B. Components of phonological awareness and their predictive power for early literacy development in German-speaking children. Paper presented at the XI. International Congress for the Study of Child Language, Edinburgh (Scotland) 28 July – 1 August 2008.
• Schäfer, B., Fricke, S., Stackhouse, J., Szczerbinski, M., Wells, B. & Fox-Boyer, A.V. Phonologische Bewusstheit – Bedeutung für Sprach-und Schriftspracherwerb und Differenzialdiagnostik anhand eines Tests für Phonologische Bewusstheitsfähigkeiten (Phonological awareness, its importance for spoken language and literacy development and its differential diagnosis). Paper presented at the 37th Annual Conference of the dbl (German Association for Speech and Language Therapy), Aachen (Germany) 22-24 May 2008.
• Fricke, S., Schäfer, B., Fox-Boyer, A.V., Stackhouse, J. & Szczerbinski, M. Phonologische Bewusstheit (PhB)-Differenzialdiagnostik anhand eines Tests für PhB-Fähigkeiten (Assessment of phonological awareness). Paper presented at the Interdisziplinäre Tagung über Sprachentwicklungs-störungen (ISES 5: Interdisciplinary Conference for Children with Spoken Language Difficulties), Mainz (Germany) 3-4 April 2008.
• Schaefer, B., Stackhouse, J. & Wells, B. (2008). Letter knowledge and phonemic awareness in German-speaking preschool children. Paper presented at the British Dyslexia Association International Conference, Harrogate (UK) 27-29 March 2008.
• Schaefer, B., Stackhouse, J. & Wells, B. Die Entwicklung der phonologischen Bewusstheit bei Kindern mit Aussprachestörungen (The development of phonological awareness in children with speech difficulties). Paper presented at the 36th Annual Conference of the dbl (German Association for Speech and Language Therapy), Karlsruhe (Germany) 7-9 June 2007.
• Riederer, K., Stackhouse, J. & Schäfer, B. Modellorientierte psycholinguistische Diagnostik bei Kindern mit Wortschatzdefiziten (Psycholinguistic diagnosis of children with semantic deficits). Paper presented at the 36th Annual Conference of the dbl (German Association for Speech and Language Therapy), Karlsruhe (Germany) 7-9 June 2007.
• Schaefer, B., Stackhouse, J. & Wells, B. Phonological Awareness in Typically and Atypically Developing German-speaking Preschool Children. Accepted paper at the Speech Pathology Australia National Conference, Sydney (Australia) 27-31 May 2007.
• Fricke, S., Schaefer, B., Fox, A.V., Stackhouse, J., Szczerbinski, M. & Well, B. Development and Intervention of phonological awareness skills in German-speaking children. Poster presented at the AFASIC: 4th International Symposium – Understanding Developmental Disorders: From Theory to Practice. University of Warwick, Warwick (UK) 2-5 April 2007.
• Fricke, S., Schaefer, B., Fox, A.V., Stackhouse, J., Szczerbinski, M. & Wells, B. Comparison of phonological awareness skills in monolingual and bilingual German-speaking pre-school children. Paper presented at the Child Language Seminar, Newcastle (UK) 19-21 July 2006.
• Schaefer, B., Fricke, S., Stackhouse, J. & Wells, B. Development of phonological awareness skills in German-speaking preschool children. Paper presented at the RCSLT Conference at the University of Ulster, Belfast (Ireland) 10-12 May 2006.
• Schaefer, B., Fricke, S., Stackhouse, J. & Wells, B. Assessment of phonological awareness in German pre-school children. Poster presented at the Latsis Colloquium of the University of Geneva, Geneva (Switzerland) 26-28 January 2006.
• Schaefer, B. & Fox, A.V. The Acquisition of word realisation in German-speaking children aged 2;0-2;11. Paper presented at the X. International Congress for the Study of Child Language, Berlin (Germany) 25-29 July 2005.
• Schäfer, B. Früherkennung von Aussprachestörungen bei Zweijährigen im Zusammenhang mit dem Erwerb konsequenter Wortformen (Early diagnosis of toddlers with speech difficulties in relation to the acquisition of consistent word forms). Paper presented at the 34th Annual Conference of the dbl (German Association for Speech and Language Therapy), Kassel (Germany) 26-28 May 2005.

Seminars for Speech and Language Therapists

• Phonologische Bewusstheit im Kindergarten- und Vorschulalter, 2021, Forum Kindersprache, Online-Fortbildung (interdisziplinäres Publikum)
• Sprachentwicklung bei Kindern, 2020, Frankfurt (für Erzieher)
• Get Ready for Learning Project, 2014, Sheffield (Erzieher, Teaching Assistants, Lehrer)
• Der Zusammenhang zwischen gesprochener und geschriebener Sprache – Implikationen für die Prävention von Lese-Rechtschreibstörungen, 2012, Schaffhausen (Schweiz) (für Sprachtherapeuten und (Sonderschul-)Lehrer)
• Prävention von Lese-Rechtschreib-Schwäche und deren Folgen, 2011, Insel Reichenau (für Logopäden und Sprachtherapeuten)
• Phonologische Bewusstheit im Kindergarten- und Vorschulalter, 2010, Kronach (für Logopäden und Sprachtherapeuten)
• Child Language Development, 2009, Newcastle upon Tyne (für Erzieher)
• Sprachbewusstheit bei Vorschulkindern, 2008, Frankfurt (für Eltern, Kinderärzte)

Guest Lectures / Invited Talks

• Workshops on Second Language Learning in the Early School Years, PR5803 Conference Supporting Inclusion Together, Department of Education, University of Chester, 14 April 2016.
• Research seminar: Development of a tablet application for the screening of receptive vocabulary skills in mono- and multilingual children. Department of Human Communication Sciences, University of Sheffield, 15 October 2015.
• Workshops on Second Language Learning in the Early School Years, PR5803 Conference Supporting Inclusion Together, Department of Education, University of Chester, 23 April 2015.
• Lecture at the Diversity Festival 2015 with Dr Frank Herrmann on (A)typical Language Acquisition: Science Matters, University of Chester, 11 March 2015 (see following the following webpage for more information: http://www.languageresearch.net/diversity-festival-15/)
• Guest lectures on Speech and Language Impairment and Comprehension Difficulties
• The Department of Psychology, Sociology and Politics, Sheffield Hallam University, 25th of February and 2 April 2014.
• Guest lecture on Specific Language Impairment. Department of English, University of Chester, 6 May 2013.
• Guest lectures on Speech and Language Impairment and Comprehension Difficulties
• The Department of Psychology, Sociology and Politics, Sheffield Hallam University, 14 and 21 March 2013.
• Research seminar: The New Reynell Developmental Language Scales – How does Socioeconomic Status impact on language acquisition? Department of Human Communication Sciences, University of Sheffield, 15 November 2012.
• Der Test für Phonologische Bewusstheitsfähigkeiten (TPB) – Ein neues Diagnoseverfahren für Kinder im Alter von 4 bis 7 Jahren (The Phonological Awareness Test – An assessment tool for German-speaking children aged 4-7), BVL-Fachtagung (German Association for Dyslexia and Dyscalculia), Erfurt (Germany), 18 March 2011.
• Voraussetzungen für einen erfolgreichen Lese-Rechtschreiberwerb (prerequisites for successful literacy acquisition), Praxistag Logopädie (CPD workshop for Speech and Language Therapists), University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, 10 December 2010.
• Behandlung von Lese-Rechtschreibschwäche in der logopädischen Praxis (dyslexia intervention in Speech and Language Therapy), Praxistag Logopädie (CPD workshop for Speech and Language Therapists), University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, 10 December 2010.
• How does phonological awareness develop in German-speaking children? A comparison of developmental trajectories in children with and without spoken language difficulties, Department of Human Communication Sciences, University of Sheffield, 25 March 2010.
• The relationship between phonological awareness development and spoken language difficulties, Department of Linguistics and Phonetics, University of Leeds, 17 February 2010.
• The development of phonological awareness in German-speaking preschool children. Centre for Linguistics and Language Sciences, Newcastle University, 10 December 2009.
• Möglichkeiten und Grenzen in der Diagnostik und Therapie von Aussprachestörungen bei Zweijährigen (Chances and limitations in the assessment and intervention of 2-year old children with speech disorders). Symposium zum Europäischen Tag der Logopädie (European Day of SLT – Symposium), Linz (Austria), 11 March 2006.