Faculty of Arts, Radboud University  Nijmegen, The Netherlands

       

Vacancy number: 23.12.13

       

Closing date: 24 May 2013

       

 

       

Responsibilities

       

As a PhD student in this project you will           investigate the interplay between exemplars and abstract           representations, which is expected to vary with processing           speed and experimental task, and to evolve during learning.           The student will investigate these issues with behavioural           experiments investigating how native speakers of Dutch learn           pronunciation variants of French words with schwa deletion.

       

Learning a foreign language implies           learning pronunciation variants of words in that language.           This includes the words' reduced pronunciation variants, which           contain fewer and weaker sounds than the words' canonical           variants (e.g. 'cpute' for English 'computer'), and which are           highly frequent in casual conversations. The learner has to           build mental representations (exemplars and possibly also           abstract lexical representations) for these variants.           Importantly, late learners will build representations that           differ significantly from native listeners' representations,           since reduction patterns in their native language will shape           their interpretation of reduction patterns in the foreign           language. The goal of this Vici project is to develop the           first, fully specified, theory of how late learners of a           foreign language build mental representations for           pronunciation variants in that language.

       

The dissertation will consist of an           introduction, at least three experimental chapters that have           been submitted to high impact international journals, and a           General Discussion.

       

 

       

What we expect from you

       

· You have or shortly expect to obtain a           Master's degree in a field related to speech processing, such           as phonetics, linguistics, psychology-, or cognitive           neuroscience;

       

· you have an excellent written and spoken           command of English;

       

· you have demonstrable knowledge of data           analysis;

       

· you preferably have knowledge of the           phonetics / phonology of French;

       

· you preferably have knowledge of the           phonetics / phonology of Dutch.

       

 

       

What we have to offer

       

We offer you:

       

- full time employment at the Faculty of           Arts, Radboud University Nijmegen

       

- in addition to the salary: an 8% holiday           allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus;

       

- the starting salary will amount to €2,042           gross per month on a full-time basis; the salary will increase           to €2,612 gross per month on a full-time basis in the fourth           year (salary scale P);

       

- you will be appointed for an initial           period of 18 months, after which your performance will be           evaluated;

       

- if the evaluation is positive, the           contract will be extended by 2 years (on the basis of a           38-hour working week);

       

- you will be classified as a PhD student           (promovendus) in the Dutch university job-ranking system           (UFO).

       

 

       

Further information

       

- On the research group  Speech           Comprehension:  http://www.ru.nl/speechcomprehension

       

- On the project leader: http://mirjamernestus.nl

       

- Or contact Prof. dr. Mirjam Ernestus,           leader of the Vici project, telephone: +31 24 3612970, E-mail:           m.ernestus@let.ru.nl

       

 

       

Applications

       

It is Radboud University Nijmegen's policy           to only accept applications by e-mail. Please send your           application, including your letter of motivation, curriculum           and transcripts of your university grades and stating vacancy           number 23.12.13, to vacatures@let.ru.nl,           for the attention of Mr drs. M.J.M. van Nijnatten, before 24           May 2013.