Two PhD Positions in Second Language Acquisition / Study Abroad Research (100%)

Your position

As one of two PhD researchers in the LINC team, you will contribute to the implementation of the overall research project while developing an independent doctoral dissertation within the thematic and methodological framework of LINC.

The two PhD researchers will have comparable profiles and will work closely together, alongside the Principal Investigator, a postdoctoral researcher, project collaborators, and partner institutions.

Your responsibilities will include:

• developing an individual PhD project within the broader aims of LINC;
• contributing to the longitudinal collection of quantitative and qualitative data from the participants;
• recruiting and maintaining contact with research participants across different stages of the longitudinal study;
• administering language proficiency measures, questionnaires, interviews, diaries, and other research instruments;
• preparing, managing, documenting, and analysing longitudinal datasets;
• contributing to quantitative and/or qualitative analyses according to the focus of the doctoral project;
• participating actively in regular LINC research meetings and collaborative project activities;
• presenting findings at national and international conferences;
• preparing research articles for publication in international peer-reviewed journals;
• contributing to workshops, conferences, dissemination activities, and other events organised within the project.

The successful candidates will be encouraged to develop their own scholarly profile and research expertise within the framework of the project.

Your profile

Applicants should have:

• a completed or near-completed Master's degree (or equivalent) in Applied Linguistics, Second Language Acquisition, English Linguistics, Foreign/Second Language Education or a closely related discipline; meeting the University of Basel’s and SNSF’s requirements for admission to doctoral studies (minimum GPA of 5.0 on the Swiss grading scale or equivalent).
• a strong interest in one or more of the project's core areas: second language development, study abroad, international student mobility, intercultural competence, multilingualism/plurilingualism;
• excellent command of English, both spoken and written;
• strong organisational skills and the ability to work reliably with complex longitudinal data and research schedules;
• the ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of an international research team;
• excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Experience with one or more of the following would be a significant advantage:

• German and/or another Swiss national language.
• quantitative research methods and statistical analysis (e.g., R, SPSS);
• qualitative research methods, particularly interviews, diaries, or qualitative longitudinal research;
• mixed-methods research;
• corpus or learner-language analysis;
• longitudinal data analysis;• Second Language Acquisition or study-abroad research;
• research involving plurilingual participants;

Candidates are not expected to have expertise in all areas, but should demonstrate strong potential and a willingness to develop new research skills.

We offer

• a fully funded four-year PhD position at 100%;
• the opportunity to complete a doctorate within a major SNSF Starting Grant project;
• a stimulating international research environment, with opportunities for methodological and professional development, collaboration with national and international research partners, and participation in international conferences and publications;
• terms of employment and salary are in accordance with the regulations of the the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the University of Basel.