30.2010, Support: Germanic; Computational Linguistics; Historical Linguistics; Sociolinguistics: PhD, KU Leuven

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-30-2010. Mon May 13 2019. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 30.2010, Support: Germanic; Computational Linguistics; Historical Linguistics; Sociolinguistics: PhD, KU Leuven

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Date: Mon, 13 May 2019 12:06:43
From: Freek Van de Velde [freek.vandevelde at arts.kuleuven.be]
Subject: Germanic; Computational Linguistics; Historical Linguistics; Sociolinguistics: PhD, KU Leuven, Belgium

 Institution/Organization: KU Leuven 
Department: Linguistics, Research Unit QLVL 
Web Address: https://www.arts.kuleuven.be/ling/qlvl 

Level: PhD 

Specialty Areas: Computational Linguistics; Historical Linguistics; Sociolinguistics 
Evolutionary Linguistics 

                      Germanic 

Description:

A full-time PhD position is offered as part of the FWO-funded project
"Population developments co-determine diffusional language change: a close-up
view on West-Germanic languages", under the supervision of Prof. Freek Van de
Velde and Prof. Hubert Cuyckens (co-supervisor). The project is to be carried
out within the research group 'Quantitative Lexicology and Variational
Linguistics’ (QLVL), which is part of the Department of Linguistics. QLVL has
a strong tradition in language variation and change. The group focuses on
advanced quantitative methods for studying lexical and constructional
variation.

Project:
The project investigates the relation between urban population developments
and morphological changes in three major West-Germanic languages, English,
Dutch, German, from the beginning of Early Modernity to the end of Classical
Modernity (1500-1900). The main hypothesis is that morphological
simplification accelerates when urban populations grow. Put more succinctly:
word structure becomes simpler when cities grow. The reason is that the growth
in this period is brought about mainly by immigration involving speakers from
different dialects and different languages, resulting in what linguists call
'koineisation' (dialect leveling) with a decrease in morphological complexity.
We take a decidedly quantitative approach, relying on linguistic databases
(text corpora) as well as on demographic databases. 

Profile:
An eligible candidate should:
- Have successfully completed a Master's Degree in Linguistics, a Master’s
Degree in Language & Literature, a Master’s Degree in Digital Humanities (or
equivalent). Students finishing their MA degree in the summer of 2019 are also
encouraged to apply.
- Have an interest in and demonstrable background knowledge on the history of
the Germanic languages (minimally English and German)
- Have an interest in quantitative approaches to linguistics
- Have hands-on experience with coding in R and/or Python.
- Be proficient in English, including mastery of academic writing
- Be willing and able to deepen their knowledge of theories of language change
and language variation.

Familiarity with historical corpora of Early New High German is a plus.

Offer:
A full-time PhD position is offered for 1 year (starting in October 2019),
with the perspective of prolongation with another 3 years. The successful
candidate will become part of a small team of researchers investigating
language variation and language change. S/he will author international
scientific publications. S/he will be able to develop a variety of skills,
including programming, statistics, knowledge of earlier stages of English,
German, and Dutch, but also writing and presentation skills as well as
organizational skills. S/he will be able to attend international meetings and
to meet and collaborate with enthusiastic fellow linguists. Teaching load is
limited to up to 10% of the time. The starting net monthly salary is about
2000 euros.

Interested? Please see the application link provided below to apply. 
 

Web Address for Applications: https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/jobs/55117570?hl=en&lang=en 

Contact Information: 
	Dr. Freek Van de Velde
	freek.vandevelde at arts.kuleuven.be  


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