Postdoctoral position in Literacy development and second language learning

Postdoctoral position in Literacy development and second language learning
Postdoctoral position in Literacy development and second language learning

Published	Deadline	Location
30 Sep	30 Oct	Amsterdam

Job description
The Amsterdam Center for Language and Communication (ACLC) currently has two vacant PhD positions as part of the project "How literacy shapes language learning", led by Prof. Sible Andringa and funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The Amsterdam Center for Language and Communication is one of the five Research Schools within the Amsterdam Institute for Humanities Research .
Within the University of Amsterdam, the ACLC represents the thriving linguistics community, which has ranked highest in continental Europe on the QS World University Rankings by Subject for years. The ACLC is home to several research groups. The current project falls under the Language Learning, Literacy and Multilingualism research group.
What are you going to do
In the Netherlands and elsewhere, there are substantial groups of immigrant children and adults that face the difficult task of learning to read and write while acquiring a second language (L2). We know that literacy imbues all kinds of cognitive changes, but we do not understand well yet what these changes mean for how (effectively) a language is learned. This project focuses specifically on the relationship between literacy, meta-linguistic cognition, and language acquisition by charting the language acquisition processes of emerging readers. The project tries to understand how literacy changes language acquisition by following groups of emerging readers (children and adults with an immigrant background) longitudinally, when learning the second language (i.e., Dutch) and simultaneously learning to read and write. In doing so, this project aims to advance theories of second language acquisition as well as improve L2 learning and instruction for immigrant emerging readers. This project will be conducted within the Dutch educational context and envisages a mix of methods ranging from descriptive and qualitative techniques to quantitative psycholinguistic experimentation, including the use of eye-tracking methods and intensive longitudinal data collection in time series designs.
The goals for both PhD projects are to study 1) how metalinguistic ability develops in relation to increasing literacy skills and cognitive maturation; 2) how this development affects the ability to learn a second language and 3) how this interacts with individual difference variables such as cognitive aptitude for second language learning and socio-affective variables. They focus on child (PhD1) and adult (PhD2) immigrant learners of Dutch as L2. The postdoctoral project focuses on modality effects in second language acquisition. Modality effects have been studied before and in many different forms in SLA, but this project is unique in that it focuses on emerging readers. It tries to assess how emerging readers begin to incorporate the written modality into their language learning process. The focus in this project is on more tightly controlled psycholinguistic experiments with both child and adult emerging readers that seek insight into the mechanisms of how aural and written input differentially support learners in noticing the structural properties of the second language and how this affects language learning outcomes. While there are concrete ideas about how this can be done, there are good possibilities for bringing in your own ideas and input.
You will be part of a team of researchers that take on the challenge of increasing our understanding of second language acquisition processes in these understudied populations. The project team will consist of two PhD students, one post-doctoral researcher and the PI, and will be supported by project assistants and knowledgeable PhD supervisors. The project is subdivided into three clearly delineated but closely related subprojects that will collaborate for design and materials development; The PhD projects will focus on child and adult second language (i.e., Dutch) learning by emerging readers, respectively.
Your tasks and responsibilities:

• designing, and conducting language experiments with child and adult second language learners who are emerging readers
• processing, analysing, and interpreting results of these experiments, including statistical analyses
• presenting research results at workshops and conferences
• publishing articles in peer-reviewed journals
• collaborating in an interdisciplinary research team
• assisting with the organization of valorization activities

In addition, there may be possibilities to teach courses in our BA and MA programmes and to assist in supervision of PhDs. This depends on your personal preferences and the possibilities within the institute.
Specifications

• max. 30.4 hours per week
• €3703—€5439 per month
• Amsterdam View on Google Maps

University of Amsterdam (UvA)

Requirements
You are an excellent researcher that takes a strong interest in the topic of this project, and you enjoy working in a team. Studying populations that cannot read and write requires flexibility, creativity, excellent methodological skills and sensitivity for the specific challenges that these groups face when learning a second language.
Your experience and profile:

• a PhD in (psycho)linguistics or a related field
• demonstrable affinity with second language acquisition, bilingual development, and/or emerging literacy
• very strong methodological and statistical skills and experience with a varied set of psycholinguistic methods, preferably including eye-tracking methods
• a cooperative and supportive attitude and commitment to team science
• excellent academic writing and presentation skills
• enthusiasm for communicating academic research to non-academic audiences
• commitment to open science practices
• excellent command of English and (working) knowledge of Dutch

Conditions of employment
The Postdoctoral researcher will be appointed at the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures (MVT&C) of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Amsterdam and will conduct the research in Amsterdam Center for language and Communication. The employment contract will be for one year. Contingent on a positive performance evaluation the contract will be extended with 1 year. The employment contract is for 30,4 hours a week. Preferred starting date is 01 February 2023.
The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and relevant experience, ranges between € 3,703 to € 5,439. This sum does not include the 8% holiday allowance and the 8.3% year-end allowance. A favourable tax agreement, the '30% ruling', may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.
What else do we offer

• excellent possibilities for further professional development;
• an enthusiastic, inspiring and professional academic team;
• participation in the vibrant Language Learning, Literacy and Multilingualism research group and any other research group you may wish you to join.

Employer
Faculty of Humanities
The University of Amsterdam is the Netherlands' largest university, offering the widest range of academic programmes. At the UvA, 30,000 students, 6,000 staff members and 3,000 PhD candidates study and work in a diverse range of fields, connected by a culture of curiosity.
The Faculty of Humanities provides education and conducts research with a strong international profile in a large number of disciplines in de field of language and culture. Located in the heart of Amsterdam, the faculty maintains close ties with many cultural institutes in the capital city. Research and teaching staff focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and are active in several teaching programmes.
Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.
Additional information
Do you have any questions or do you require additional information? Please contact: Prof. Sible Andringa .
Working at UvA

The University of Amsterdam is ambitious, creative and committed: a leader in international science and a partner in innovation, the UvA has been inspiring generations since 1632.

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Application procedure
If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application. You can apply online via the link below. The deadline for applying for this vacancy is 30 October 2022.
Applications should include the following information (submitted in one pdf):

• A letter of motivation.
• A full academic CV, including a list of publications.
• The names and contact details of two referents who may be approached by the selection committee.
• A writing sample that is in some way relevant for the project, for example a published paper or (a chapter from) your PhD thesis.

Only complete applications received within the response period via the link below will be considered.
The interviews will most likely be held in the second or third week of November.