36.2774, Jobs: English, Norwegian, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk; Applied Linguistics, General Linguistics, Language Acquisition: Postdoctoral Fellow in Multilingualism and Language Learning, UiT The Arctic University of Norway

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-36-2774. Tue Sep 16 2025. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 36.2774, Jobs: English, Norwegian, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk; Applied Linguistics, General Linguistics, Language Acquisition: Postdoctoral Fellow in Multilingualism and Language Learning, UiT The Arctic University of Norway

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Date: 16-Sep-2025
From: Merete Brendeford Anderssen [merete.anderssen at uit.no]
Subject: English, Norwegian, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk; Applied Linguistics, General Linguistics, Language Acquisition: Postdoctoral Fellow in Multilingualism and Language Learning, UiT The Arctic University of Norway


Job Location: Tromsø, Norway
Web Address: https://en.uit.no/enhet/isk?p_dimension_id=210121
Job Title: Postdoctoral Fellow in Multilingualism and Language
Learning
Job Rank: Post Doc

Specialty Areas: Applied Linguistics; General Linguistics; Language
Acquisition

Specialty Language(s): English (eng)
                       Norwegian (nor)
                       Norwegian Bokmål (nob)
                       Norwegian Nynorsk (nno)

Other Specialties: Multilingualism, Multilectalism, Second Language
Acquisition, Third Language Acquisition, Simultaneous Acquisition,
Closely Related Varieties
Description:
Position:
A Postdoctoral Research Fellow position is available at the Department
of Language and Culture, Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and
Education at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. The position is
affiliated with the Center for Language, Brain & Learning (C-LaBL),
more specifically the Learning domain (see more detailed description
below). C-LaBL is financed by the Trond Mohn Foundation in the period
2024–2029.
Expected starting date: January/February 2026 or earlier.
The position is a fixed term position for a duration of 3 years.
Appointment to the position of Postdoctoral Research Fellow is mainly
intended to provide qualification for work in top academic positions.
It is a prerequisite that the applicant can carry out the project over
the full course of the employment period. No person may hold more than
one fixed term position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the same
institution.
The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the
position within a reasonable time after receiving the offer.
Project:
The advertised postdoc is part of the Learning domain in C-LaBL. This
domain studies the interplay of multilingualism and learning within
individuals, exploring how linguistic distance between languages
interacts with language exposure and experience, with a clear focus on
educational aspects such as literacy and academic achievement. To this
end, we will undertake a series of controlled interventions and
carefully planned experiments tapping into various aspects of
linguistic competence. We will collect background information by
combining detailed questionnaires on language exposure and experience
with available register data from Statistics Norway and link them to
measures of language competence and acquisition outcomes to assess
their relative impact. The research will primarily be situation within
the Norwegian school system, and one subproject is already underway,
exploring how Norwegian children and adolescents acquire English.
We welcome applications from candidates interested in exploring either
competence in closely related language varieties (multilectalism),
parallel language learning, or a combination of the two.
The Norwegian language situation offers unique opportunities for
research on multilectalism. Dialect use is widespread across both
spoken and written contexts, and Norway also has two codified written
standards, Bokmål and Nynorsk, which exist in an asymmetrical
relationship largely shaped by geography. As a result, the linguistic
experiences of children and young people vary across regions in more
intricate ways than in many other countries. One possible research
avenue is to examine how this variation correlates with other aspects
of language learning, including metalinguistic awareness and learning
processes more generally.
Parallel language learning refers to situations where a child (from
school age and upwards) or an adult must learn two new languages at
the same time. This is a reality for many newcomers to Norway, where
success in school and society often requires learning both Norwegian
and English. Although still underexplored, parallel language learning
shares important features with other acquisition scenarios, such as
simultaneous bilingualism and second or third language learning.
Possible research questions include how two languages are acquired in
parallel by older children and adults, to what extent they influence
each other, and how prior knowledge of English shapes the acquisition
of Norwegian – as well as how the introduction of Norwegian affects
the continued development of English. Other central questions concern
the role of previously acquired languages and the impact of linguistic
distance in this process. An additional relevant issue is how parallel
language learning is shaped by the local linguistic situation in
Norway, which naturally brings in a multilectal perspective.
The candidate will be expected to contribute to the planning of new
aspects of the project as it develops. They will work closely with the
research team but also need to be able to work independently and take
day-to-day responsibility for project management. Duties include
contributing to the recruitment of participants; planning and
execution of fieldwork (including in schools and/or other relevant
settings); organizing and analyzing data sets; disseminating results
and collaborating actively with other researchers of the Learning
domain and C-LaBL at large.
Qualifications:
Required Qualifications:
A completed PhD in Linguistics, Language Education, Applied
Linguistics, Psychology or another relevant field involving language
sciences. If you're in the final stages of your PhD, you may still
apply for the position, provided that you submit parts of your
dissertation along with your application. This enables the evaluation
committee to assess the quality and likelihood of completion by the
desired employment date. You must include a statement from your
supervisor or institution stating the expected completion date for
your PhD degree. Documentation of your completed PhD degree must be
submitted before commencement.
Experience with empirical methods in language research.
Fluency in English. Nordic applicants can document their capabilities
by attaching their high school diploma.
Desired qualifications:
High command/competence of statistical modelling and knowledge of
relevant programs
Experience working with bi-/multilingual young and adult populations
A good operative command of Norwegian or another Scandinavian language
(Danish or Swedish)
Knowledge of other languages is considered an asset
In the assessment the main emphasis will be attached to the submitted
works for the qualifying work. Emphasis shall also be attached to
experience from popularization/dissemination and academic policy and
administrative activity.
During the assessment emphasis will be put on the candidate’s
motivation, potential for research, and personal suitability for the
position. We are looking for candidates who:
Have good collaboration skills
Have good communication and interaction with colleagues and students
Wants to contribute to a good working environment
At UiT we put emphasis on the quality, relevance and significance of
the research work and not on where the work is published, in
accordance with the principles of The San Francisco Declaration on
Research Assessment (DORA).
Application:
Your application must include:
 - Application letter
 - Contextualizing statement/proposal (max 2 pages), detailing how the
candidate fits into the research done in C-LaBL (including
investigations across the domains).
 - Contextualizing statement/proposal, detailing how the candidate
plans to contribute to the research in the Learning domain (2–3
pages).
 - CV (containing a complete overview of education, supervised
professional training and professional work, as well as a list of
publications).
 - Diplomas and transcripts (all degrees)
 - Documentation of English proficiency
 - Contact information to 3-4 references
 - A list of your academic production
 - Description of your academic production, stating which works you
consider most important
 - Three samples of published work or other professional writings.
 - The academic works (published or not) you wish us to take into
consideration in the assessment
If you're in the final stages of your PhD, you may still apply for the
position, provided that you submit parts of your dissertation along
with your application. This enables the evaluation committee to assess
the quality and likelihood of completion by the desired employment
date. You must include a statement from your supervisor or institution
stating the expected completion date for your PhD degree.
Documentation of your completed PhD degree must be submitted before
commencement. Experience with empirical methods in language research.
All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language
or English. If English proficiency is not documented in the
application, it must be documented before starting in the position. We
only accept applications and documentation sent via Jobbnorge within
the application deadline.
Assessment:
The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The
committee's mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants'
qualifications based on the written material presented by the
applicants, and the detailed description draw up for the position.
The applicants who are assessed as best qualified will be called to an
interview. The interview should among other things, aim to clarify the
applicant’s motivation and personal suitability for the position. A
trial lecture may also be held.

Application Deadline: 15-Oct-2025
Web Address for Applications:
https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/285635/postdoctoral-research-fellow-in-multilingualism-and-language-learning
Application Instructions:
Application:
Your application must include:
 - Application letter
 - Contextualizing statement/proposal (max 2 pages), detailing how the
candidate fits into the research done in C-LaBL (including
investigations across the domains).
 - Contextualizing statement/proposal, detailing how the candidate
plans to contribute to the research in the Learning domain (2–3
pages).
 - CV (containing a complete overview of education, supervised
professional training and professional work, as well as a list of
publications).
 - Diplomas and transcripts (all degrees)
 - Documentation of English proficiency
 - Contact information to 3-4 references
 - A list of your academic production
 - Description of your academic production, stating which works you
consider most important
 - Three samples of published work or other professional writings.
 - The academic works (published or not) you wish us to take into
consideration in the assessment
If you're in the final stages of your PhD, you may still apply for the
position, provided that you submit parts of your dissertation along
with your application. This enables the evaluation committee to assess
the quality and likelihood of completion by the desired employment
date. You must include a statement from your supervisor or institution
stating the expected completion date for your PhD degree.
Documentation of your completed PhD degree must be submitted before
commencement. Experience with empirical methods in language research.
All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language
or English. If English proficiency is not documented in the
application, it must be documented before starting in the position. We
only accept applications and documentation sent via Jobbnorge within
the application deadline.
Contact Information:
        Merete Brendeford Anderssen
        Email: merete.anderssen at uit.no
        Phone: +4777644254



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