crepaldiLab

ALT Two PhD positions in eye-tracking and other experimental studies of first and second language reading A vibrant group of researchers at the Department of Linguistics and Languages, Centre for Advanced Research in Experimental and Applied Linguistics (ARiEAL) and McMaster English Language Development program (MELD) at McMaster University invites applications for two PhD positions starting in September 2023. We are looking for bright, motivated and well-trained individuals with a master’s degree in linguistics, psychology, cognitive science or related disciplines to join the collaborative group co-led by Drs Victor Kuperman, Anna Moro and Daniel Schmidtke. With financial support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the group has recently spearheaded collection of large-scale cross-linguistic datasets of eye-tracking and chronometric data on text reading in L1 and English L2 among university students. The datasets include multi-partner MECO and ENRO

ALT Project 1: Eye-movement behavior and comprehension across languages, writing systems and levels of proficiency The project seeks to contribute to foundational questions of language and reading research: what is universal and specific in reading behavior across diverse languages and writing systems; what component skills are required for successful L1 and L2 reading fluency and comprehension; what impact does learning environment (including COVID-related disruptions in instruction delivery) have on reading acquisition and proficiency.

ALT Project 2: Language development among English as an additional language university learners: phonological development, reading development, academic performance Contributions to several projects related to the above: examining components of language development (reading, phonological processing, vocabulary) during a bridging program and beyond; how does L1 phonology contribute to L2 phonological development? what components of reading skill differentiate students with different pathways to postsecondary studies; How does L1 reading fluency relate to L2 reading skill across typologically distant languages?

ALT PhD students will be expected to analyze existing secondary data and contribute to processing new primary data and designing follow-up experimental studies as needed. They will communicate findings through publications in scholarly journals and conference presentations. They will also engage in knowledge translation for stakeholders in the field of higher education and policy-making. Ideal candidates for both projects will have strong command of statistics and programming skills as well as interest in the fields of reading and first or second language/reading acquisition. Knowledge of eye-tracking and educational assessments is an asset. Proficiency in languages other than English is desirable for both projects; proficiency in Mandarin is a strong asset for Project 2. Successful candidates will be admitted to the graduate program in the Cognitive Science of Language & will be expected to complete the curriculum of the respective PhD degree.