The University of Freiburg, Germany, invites applications for 5 fully-funded Ph.D. positions on the topic of frequency effects in language, beginning October 1, 2015. (An earlier starting date can be arranged in individual cases, but not a later one.) Successful applicants will be members of the Research Training Group on “Frequency effects in language” (Graduiertenkolleg DFG GRK 1624/2), which after successful evaluation of its work by the German Research Foundation (DFG) is currently in its second funding period.

Synopsis: Frequency is assumed to be an important determinant in usage-based models of language change, language acquisition and language processing. In the Ph.D. projects, this determinant will be investigated with a view both to its explanatory potential and its limitations. The proposed research combines quantitative- corpuslinguistic methods with experimental psycho- and neurolinguistics in the analysis of standard and non-standard data from a wide range of European languages. This agenda builds on cutting-edge research in usage-based linguistics, carried out both internationally and in the Research Training Group’s own work during its first funding period (October 2009 to March 2014).

Linguistics in Freiburg: The University of Freiburg has created a unique infrastructure and environment for research in linguistics and cognitive science, especially for young scholars at Ph.D. and postdoctoral level. Key elements in this environment are strong linguistics sections in the Departments of English, German, Romance Languages and Slavic Studies, several Masters programmes in linguistics and cognitive science, the Hermann Paul Center for Linguistics (HPCL), and the Hermann-Paul-Graduate School of Language Sciences (HPSL), which is jointly operated with the neighbouring University of Basel.

Further details:
http://academicpositions.eu