26.3663, Jobs: Aymaran; Germanic; Quechuan; Phonetics: Post Doc, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History

Mon Aug 17 17:59:11 UTC 2015

LINGUIST List: Vol-26-3663. Mon Aug 17 2015. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 26.3663, Jobs: Aymaran; Germanic; Quechuan; Phonetics: Post Doc, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History

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Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2015 13:59:03
From: Paul Heggarty [heggarty at shh.mpg.de]
Subject: Aymaran; Germanic; Quechuan; Phonetics: Post Doc, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany

University or Organization: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History 
Department: Linguistic and Cultural Evolution
Job Location: Jena, Germany (Telecommute)
Web Address: http://www.shh.mpg.de/en
Job Title: Research Associate in Phonetics
Job Rank: Post Doc; Researcher

Specialty Areas: Phonetics 

Required Language(s): Aymaran
                      Germanic 
                      Quechuan 

Description:

Applications are invited immediately for up to three short-term posts (c. 4 months) in phonetic transcription, as a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History (http://www.shh.mpg.de/en) in Jena, Germany, in the Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution.  The posts are open to phoneticians who have completed, or are close to completing a Ph.D. in phonetics.  

Your task will be to transcribe samples of cognate words from either the Germanic family, or the Quechua and Aymara families.  Please explore the provisional website http://www.soundcomparisons.com, to which you will contribute.

Appointments are to start as soon as possible from 1st September 2015.  Posts will run until the end of December 2015.  Some presence in Jena will be required, especially at the start of the contract, but much of the transcription work could also be done remotely.  

Candidates must combine two forms of expertise and experience:  (1) transcription at our target level of relatively close phonetic transcription;  but informed by (2) extensive knowledge of historical/comparative linguistics of sound change, especially at the dialect and accent levels (regional, rather than socio-linguistic or idiolectal).  Ideally, such experience will have been gained specifically with phonetic diversity across the Germanic or Andean languages.

One post is to transcribe recordings of dialects of the Quechua and Aymara families in the Andes.  This is open widely to phoneticians irrespective of their native language, but especially valuable would be experience with contrasts between plain, aspirated and ejective stops, and between palatal, velar and uvular obstruents.

The other post(s) concerns the Germanic family, and alongside transcription will also involve making new recordings of further dialectal varieties.  There are two subsets of languages to cover:  the Scandinavian (‘North’) branch of Germanic;  and the continental West Germanic branch (excluding English).  Applications are invited to cover either or both of those sub-branches, depending on your experience and specialisation.  Particularly suitable would be phoneticians who are native speakers of a North or Continental Germanic language.

Your transcriptions will feed into a major new online database, and research to measure phonetic distances within language families.  Research outputs will include publication opportunities, and credits on the project database and website.  See also http://www.languagesandpeoples.com/Germanic and https://eva-mpg.academia.edu/PaulHeggarty/Linguistics:-Quantitative-&-Phylogenetics.  

Pay will depend on the applicant’s experience.  Exact forms of contract are negotiable.  

The Max Planck Society is concerned to employ more disabled people;  applications from disabled people are explicitly sought.  The Max Planck Society wishes to increase the proportion of women in areas in which they are underrepresented;  women are therefore explicitly encouraged to apply.

Please apply by email (in English, German, Spanish, Italian or French) to Dr Paul Heggarty (email below), with the following attachments:

- Your curriculum vitae.
- A description (max. 750 words) of your research interests and experience as a phonetician and transcriber, as relevant to the expertise required.
- An abstract (max. 750 words) of your Ph.D. topic.
- A list of your publications, or a link to a personal website that shows them.  
- You may also attach up to two sample publications to help illustrate your suitability for this post.
- Names and contact details of two referees.

Application Deadline: 30-Sep-2015 (Open until filled)

Email Address for Applications: heggarty at shh.mpg.de 
Contact Information:
	Dr. Paul Heggarty 
	Email: heggarty at shh.mpg.de 

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