Offre de thèse
(voir en anglais)
Date limite de candidature
08-07-2026
Date de début de contrat
01-11-2026
Directeur de thèse
BOULTON Alex
Encadrement
Joint doctorate in the context of the Doctoral Network Project 'MultiLaWa' | Multilngual Language Awareness in European Digital Society (Horizon MSCA, #101310669). Secondment: Lexical Computing (Czech Republic). Co-supervisor: Eva Vetter, University of Vienna. A Personal Career Development Plan (PCDP) will be set-up within two months after recruitment, by the Doctoral Candidate (DC) together with the DC-Supervision Committee. The PCDP, to be updated every six months, includes: i) Research work plan and progress with timing and deadlines, incl. schedule of secondment mobilities; ii) Training: Network training activities and definition of the scientific lectures and training courses; iii) Publication plan: at least 2 papers during the funded period time in international journals with diamond / gold OA policy as well as 1 joint publication at the WP-level; iv) Communication & outreach activities; v) Tentative dates for submission of complete draft of the thesis manuscript and PhD defence; vi) Future career path. The PCDP serves as a guide to reach DCs' career goals and monitor IRPs. Regular discussion between the DC and his/her supervisor(s) (cf. below) during the MultiLAwa bi-annual meetings will also ensure overall quality. The DC will meet both (main) academic co-supervisors every 2 months online and their DC-SC (with the supervisor(s) from the Associated Partners) every 6 months, including once during the annual on-site network meeting. Besides regular meetings, the supervisors will provide the DC with an open-door policy, ensure the smooth scientific integration of the DC and their general well-being at the universities, at the AP(s) for the secondment(s) and at the consortium's level.
Type de contrat
école doctorale
équipe
Didactique des langues et sociolinguistiques (Crapel)contexte
The doctoral contract is embedded into Work Package 4 (WP4) ‘Language learning and plurilingualism in the era of GenAI'. In light of technological advances in digital tools and resources, as well as the ongoing migration crisis, WP4 reconsiders the main concepts and approaches to language learning and teaching: it investigates practical language awareness, metalinguistic awareness and critical language awareness as well as learner autonomy, motivation and plurilingualism from the learners' perspective. It will conduct pedagogical experiments and analyse interview, survey and classroom data, as well as curricula and language teaching/learning materials. WP4 will produce guidelines for students, teachers, teacher trainers and decision-makers and innovative teaching materials, resources and pathways for formal and non-formal language learning in a digital Europe. In this context, IRP14 investigates how massive exposure to structured language can enhance language awareness and communicative ability. Recruiting University: University of Vienna (UNIVIE), Austria Partner University for the Joint Doctorate: Université de Lorraine (UL), Nancy, Francespécialité
Sciences du langagelaboratoire
ATILF - Analyse et Traitement Informatique de la Langue Française
Mots clés
(voir en anglais), (voir en anglais)
Détail de l'offre
The MultiLAwa initiative is an interdisciplinary research programme that promotes the concept of multilingual language awareness as it investigates language awareness in multilingual contexts, zooming in on critical language awareness, metalinguistic awareness, and practical language awareness. Adopting a broad understanding of language awareness as a general, socially embedded competence, the project addresses major language-related challenges in a rapidly digitalising society and contributes to the development of sustainable, inclusive, and pluri-/multilingual ecosystems across Europe.
MultiLAwa capitalises on the diverse expertise of its 26 interacting partners and can rely on a solid and highly experienced multi-stakeholder partnership. Thanks to the exceptional collaboration between 10 universities in 8 European countries and 16 associated partners, the DC will benefit from an international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral training, including in-depth training in key research skills in the fields of (applied) linguistics, digital linguistics and language technologies, gender linguistics, interactional linguistics, sociolinguistics, lexicography, terminology, LSP, didactics and language policy and transferable skills (e.g., open science, intellectual property rights, ethics, scientific presentation, etc.).
The consortium will train 14 DCs as plurilingual ambassadors of plurilingualism in research excellence by using both English and German for internal communication during the training events and to achieve the respective research objectives in their multilingual Individual Research Project.
Keywords
Language awareness, Data-driven learning, Corpus linguistics, Multilingualism, Less commonly-taught languages
Subject details
Digitisation has a massive impact on the availability and usability of language data, but its effect on language awareness and communicative ability is only gradually being explored. IRP14 investigates how massive exposure to structured language can enhance language awareness and communicative ability. Structured language mainly involves: a) corpora of authentic language in the form of data-driven learning (DDL); b) LLMs that underlie GenAI chatbots. Drawing on a usage-based approach, IRP14 will: 1) compare the learning potentials/affordances from different forms of ‘authentic' language exposure; 2) analyse current uses of corpora and GenAI for language learning in formal and non-formal contexts, exploring how the strengths of corpora and GenAI can be best combined; 3) develop new practices for combining use of corpora and GenAI in developing language skills, testing these empirically.
Profil du candidat
(voir en anglais)
Candidate profile
The candidate is expected to:
– have the potential to conduct research of excellent quality, as demonstrated by initial academic work such as the master's thesis, and – if applicable – presentations at conferences, awareness-raising activities or publications.
– be interested in working in a multilingual, interdisciplinary and international research environment.
– have excellent communication skills in German and English (at least B2).
– be willing to undertake international research secondments and travels.
Applications should be sent as a single PDF file to application@multilawa.eu. For more details, cf. the project website under 'Application process': https://www.multilawa.eu/recruitment-for-applying/application-process/
Référence biblio
Boulton, A., & Cobb, T. (2017). Corpus use in language learning: A meta-analysis. Language Learning, 67(2), 348–393. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12224
Boulton, A., & Vyatkina, N. (2024). Expanding methodological approaches in DDL research. TESOL Quarterly, 58(3), 1193–1204. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.3269
Crosthwaite, P., & Baisa, V. (2023). Generative AI and the end of corpus-assisted data-driven learning? Not so fast! Applied Corpus Linguistics, 3(3), 100066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acorp.2023.100066
Garret, P., & Cots, J. M. (Eds). (2018). The Routledge handbook of language awareness. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315676494
Krogager Andersen, L. (2024). Unfolding language awareness in a plurilingual context: A study of metalinguistic, practical and critical language awareness. Modern Language Journal, 108(1), 353-380. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12912
Pérez-Paredes, P., & Boulton, A. (2025). Teaching and data-driven learning in and out of the language classroom. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009511384
Rindler, R., & Vetter, E. (2012). European multilingualism: Current perspectives and challenges. Multilingual Matters https://doi.org/10.21832/9781847697363
Vetter, E. (2013). Where policy doesn't meet life-world practice: The difficulty of creating the multilingual European. European Journal of Applied Linguistics, 1(1), 83–102. https://doi.org/10.1515/eujal-2013-0005
Vetter, E. (2024). Dominant instead of hidden? A critical discussion on a European DLC including endangered languages. In D. Gabryś-Barker & E. Vetter (Eds.), Modern approaches to researching multilingualism (pp. 227-247). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-52371-7_14