The research group ‘Quantitative Lexicology and Variational Linguistics’ (QLVL) of the Faculty of Arts at KU Leuven, invites applications for a four-year junior researcher-position on a new research project funded by the Research Council of KU Leuven. The title of the project is: ‘Coming of age in urban vernaculars: the development of Citétaal from adolescence to adulthood’.

This project investigates the longevity of urban vernacular features in speakers’ repertoires through a comparison of three generations of speakers from adolescence to adulthood. By focusing on urban vernacular features in Flanders, it aims to contribute to a thorny theoretical sociolinguistic debate on the malleability of speakers’ repertoires over the course of their lives. Studies in this area have so far focused mainly on stable monolingual or bilingual contexts and have paid little attention to the social meaning of features and stylistic variation. This project addresses these gaps by: (i) focusing on a diverse multilingual context, (ii) investigating the role of stylistic variation in language change, and (iii) considering the social meaning of variation. The study of features of the Flemish urban vernacular Citétaal (e.g., the palatalization of /s/) also contributes to international sociolinguistic knowledge about urban vernaculars, which have so far mainly been approached as youth languages. The availability of adult generations provides a unique opportunity to examine whether urban vernaculars generate a permanent linguistic change in speakers’ repertoires.

Requirements

Applications are invited from candidates with the following qualifications: a master’s degree in either Linguistics or in Linguistics and Literature or other relevant master’s degrees. Final year students who are sure they will obtain their master’s degree in September 2023 or January 2023 can also apply.

The ideal candidate will combine:
– strong interest in the field of variationist sociolinguistics. analytical skills and a passion for
research.
– good communication skills (oral & written).
– a cooperative attitude and the ability to work independently as well as in a team.
– a good command of (written and spoken) Dutch and English.
– proficiency in programming skills and statistical literacy (regression modeling and factor
analysis in particular) is a plus.

Offer

We offer a fully funded full-time position for 4 years (initially for one year, to be renewed for another three years after positive evaluation). Remuneration is in accordance with the official Belgian scales for academic personnel and bursaries – see the KU Leuven jobsite for more information.

Additional information and application

You can apply for this job no later than July 11, 2023 via the online application tool. Please upload your CV (in English or Dutch), a motivation letter (in English or Dutch) and a writing sample (paper or MA thesis, in a language of your choice) to your application. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview between 12 and 14 July 2023. If you will not be available during this period, please make this clear in your cover letter and indicate when you will be available.  For further information please contact Stefania Marzo, tel.: +32 16 32 47 90, mail: stefania.marzo@kuleuven.be.