Historical Linguistics, Psycholinguistics:
Postdoctoral Researcher,
Free University of Berlin
University or Organization: Freie Universität Berlin
Department: Institute for Romance Philology
Job Location: Berlin, Germany
Web Address: https://www.geisteswissenschaften.fu-berlin.de/en/we05/index.html
Job Title: Postdoctoral Researcher
Job Rank: Post Doc
Specialty Areas: Historical Linguistics; Psycholinguistics
Description:
The Institute of Romance Philology at the Department of Philosophy and Humanities of the Free University of Berlin is currently seeking to fill a Postdoctoral Researcher Position (m/f/d) in the ERC-funded research project “Experimental replication of historical reanalysis processes” (EXREAN) from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2029. Salary is determined following the salary scale E 13 according to German TVL.
EXREAN investigates reanalysis, the process by which speakers assign a new meaning to a superficially unchanged element, in Romance languages (French, Italian, Spanish). Reanalysis presents several methodological difficulties for researchers in the field of historical linguistics. Evidence of language change is often determined by comparing language use over time across different historical texts. Reanalysis, however, is a cognitive process and its existence is thus very difficult to prove using written texts. Analyzing language usage in historical texts can only provide limited information about the conditions under which reanalysis takes place.
The EXREAN project is the first of its kind to systematically examine reanalysis in a laboratory setting. It brings together and integrates insights from historical linguistics, psycholinguistics, and social psychology. In particular, it investigates the linguistic and social factors necessary for reanalysis to occur. For more information, please visit https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/presse/informationen/fup/2023/fup_23_278-erc-grant-malte-rosemeyer/index.html
Your tasks:
– You will plan and conduct experiments about reanalysis in Romance languages
– You will analyze the results of these experiments using statistical methods
– You will present your results at international conferences and make them available to the research community through publications in scientific journals
– You will administrate the linguistic research laboratory Labex (https://www.geisteswissenschaften.fu-berlin.de/we05/forschung/LabEx/index.html)
Formal requirements:
You have earned a university degree and a PhD in linguistics or a related field
Your ideal profile:
– Excellent academic CV
– Very good knowledge of experimental methods in linguistics
– Very good knowledge of the application of Artificial Language Learning experiments and the use of the PsychoPy software package
– Very good knowledge of syntax-based statistical software (preferably R or Python)
– Very good knowledge of modern linguistic theories with a focus on historical linguistics
– Very good knowledge of statistical methods
– Very good language skills (C1) in a Romance language (French, Italian or Spanish, practical language skills and linguistic description)
Further information is available from Prof. Dr. Malte Rosemeyer (malte.rosemeyer@fu-berlin.de/ +49 30 838 60570).
Additional information:
Applications must be sent electronically by email to Prof. Dr. Malte Rosemeyer: romphil@zedat.fu-berlin.de, using the identifier ERC-PD-Ros. Please send all documents as a single PDF.\
Application deadline: January 8, 2024.
By submitting an online application, you as the applicant agree that your data will be processed and stored electronically. We would like to point out that Freie Universität Berlin cannot guarantee the security of transmitted personal data.
Application Deadline: 08-Jan-2024
Mailing Address for Applications:
Email Address for Applications: romphil@zedat.fu-berlin.de
Contact Information:
Dr. Malte Rosemeyer
Email: malte.rosemeyer@fu-berlin.de