22.902, Support: Cog Sci, Lang Acquisition: PhD Student, U. of Abertay Dundee, UK

Wed Feb 23 18:36:14 UTC 2011

LINGUIST List: Vol-22-902. Wed Feb 23 2011. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 22.902, Support: Cog Sci, Lang Acquisition: PhD Student, U. of Abertay Dundee, UK

Moderators: Anthony Aristar, Eastern Michigan U <aristar at linguistlist.org>
            Helen Aristar-Dry, Eastern Michigan U <hdry at linguistlist.org>

Reviews: Veronika Drake, U of Wisconsin-Madison  
Monica Macaulay, U of Wisconsin-Madison  
Rajiv Rao, U of Wisconsin-Madison  
Joseph Salmons, U of Wisconsin-Madison  
Anja Wanner, U of Wisconsin-Madison  
       <reviews at linguistlist.org> 

Homepage: http://linguistlist.org/

The LINGUIST List is funded by Eastern Michigan University, 
and donations from subscribers and publishers.

Editor for this issue: Matthew Lahrman <matt at linguistlist.org>
================================================================  
Visit LL's Multitree project for over 1000 trees dynamically generated
from scholarly hypotheses about language relationships:
          http://multitree.linguistlist.org/

To post to LINGUIST, use our convenient web form at
http://linguistlist.org/LL/posttolinguist.cfm.

===========================Directory==============================  

1)
Date: 21-Feb-2011
From: Vera Kempe [v.kempe at abertay.ac.uk]
Subject: Anthropological Linguistics, Cognitive Science, Language Acquisition, Typology: PhD Student, University of Abertay Dundee, United Kingdom

-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:34:37
From: Vera Kempe [v.kempe at abertay.ac.uk]
Subject: Anthropological Linguistics, Cognitive Science, Language Acquisition, Typology: PhD Student, University of Abertay Dundee, United Kingdom

E-mail this message to a friend:
http://linguistlist.org/issues/emailmessage/verification.cfm?iss=22-902.html&submissionid=4498295&topicid=12&msgnumber=1

Institution/Organization: University of Abertay Dundee 
Department: Psychology 
Web Address: https://portal.abertay.ac.uk/portal/page/portal/SHARED/v/V514248 

Level: PhD 

Duties: Research

Specialty Areas: Anthropological Linguistics; Cognitive Science; Language Acquisition; Typology 

Description:

http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/ACG883/phd-studentship/

Development of methods for the comparison of language development between 
industrial and non-industrial societies
University of Abertay, Dundee

The University is pleased to offer a FEES ONLY STUDENTSHIP for a period of 
three years for outstanding full time postgraduate research students from outside 
the UK and European Union.  The studentships are part-funded through SORSAS 
(the Scottish Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme). 

The aim is to develop methods for a systematic comparison of cross-cultural 
differences in language input to children to develop cross-culturally and cross-
linguistically valid and applicable methods for the comparison of language 
development in children.

Psychological research in language development has been dominated by studies 
on children learning English and, more recently, a small range of other European or 
East Asian languages which are spoken in industrial, literate societies.  In these 
societies, parents engage in intensive verbal interactions with their babies and 
toddlers.  However, the anthropological literature holds a number of records 
suggesting that in non-industrial societies, this kind of verbal interaction between 
adults and small children can be very limited.  Where differences in the amount of 
verbal interaction with children have been studied, for example when comparing 
parents of different socio-economic status within industrial societies, comparisons 
show that amount of input does affect rate of language development:  The less 
parents talk to their children the later important milestones of language 
development are reached.  This leads to the so far untested prediction that cross-
cultural differences in early verbal input should also lead to differences in rate of 
language development.  Unfortunately, virtually no comparisons between language 
development in industrial and non-industrial societies exist, mainly due to the 
difficulties associated with the development of measurement instruments that 
could be compared across different languages.

This PhD project aims to develop measurement instruments that can be deployed 
for use in industrial and non-industrial societies to compare development across 
different languages.  The ultimate goal is to (a) obtain a more accurate description 
of the range of trajectories of language development across human societies and 
(b) to identify socioecological factors that underpin differences in the transmission 
and use of language across societies.  The development of the proposed 
measurement instruments is crucial for both of these goals and will make use of 
resources such as the electronic Human Relations Area Files which contain 
detailed anthropological records of non-industrial societies.

Supervisors:   
Dr. V. Kempe e: v.kempe at abertay.ac.uk
Dr. F. Moore e: f.moore at abertay.ac.uk  
School of Social and Health Sciences, University of Abertay Dundee

Eligibility:  Overseas (non-EU) students who have been accepted unconditionally 
for admission as a full-time, postgraduate research student for Session 2011/2012.

For an application form please visit Abertay Jobs at www.abertay.ac.uk 

Please return applications to:
Mrs Cheryl Fitzpatrick, Research, Enterprise and Innovation Services, 
University of Abertay Dundee, Bell Street, Dundee, DD1 1HG 
(Tel: +44 1382 308910) e-mail: c.fitzpatrick at abertay.ac.uk   

Completed applications forms together with a current cv should be returned to Mrs 
Fitzpatrick by 11 March 2011.  Please quote reference number STU/11/04

Committed to Equal Opportunities

The University of Abertay Dundee is a Scottish Registered Charity, No: SC016040 

Application Deadline: 11-Mar-2011 

Mailing Address for Applications:
	Attn: Mrs Cheryl Fitzpatrick 
	Research, Enterprise and Innovation Services 
	University of Abertay, Dundee 
	Dundee Scotland DD1 1HG 
	United Kingdom 	

Web Address for Applications: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/ACG883/phd-studentship/ 

Contact Information: 
	Dr Vera Kempe 
	v.kempe at abertay.ac.uk 
	Phone:4401382308586 
	Fax:4401382308749  

-----------------------------------------------------------
LINGUIST List: Vol-22-902	
----------------------------------------------------------
Visit LL's Multitree project for over 1000 trees dynamically generated
from scholarly hypotheses about language relationships:
          http://multitree.linguistlist.org/