PhD Studentship Multilingualism and Cognition



Supervisor/s: Professor Panos Athanasopoulos

Project Overview:

In today’s global society, multilingualism has become a far more prominent aspect of everyday life than ever before. The primary objective of this PhD project is to contribute towards our knowledge and understanding of the cognitive characteristics of the multilingual person, and particularly to identify the specific cognitive processes and mechanisms that mould the multilingual mind into a unique thinking entity. The PhD candidate will use a range of linguistic, behavioural and neurophysiological experimental techniques to investigate the relationship between the way multilinguals control their languages and the way they mentally represent the world. Language-specific representations may converge or diverge depending on e.g. language mode, learning context, the age of onset of multilingualism, and the frequency of use of specific languages. A synthesis of the data will ultimately contribute to our knowledge of how the cognitive architecture of the multilingual mind is modelled, and further inform cognitive models of human memory.

The School of Psychology & Clinical Language Sciences has a thriving research community of over 60 PhD students, as well as state-of-the-art research facilities including a dedicated neuroscience centre offering both fMRI and EEG.

Eligibility:

  • Successful candidates will have an undergraduate and/or Masters degree in Psychology or related discipline (First class or 2i degree, or those expecting to graduate with these degrees), and outstanding research potential

Funding Details:

  • The studentship is available from October 1st 2013 and includes payment of tuition fees and a maintenance allowance of £13,500 per annum.

How to Apply:

In the first instance, applicants should express their interest by sending a CV and a 500 word summary of their research interests to Dr Claire Williams, School Director of Research Students (email address accesseed by clicking ‘Apply’ below.)

Please quote the reference GS13-28 in the ‘Scholarships applied for’ box which appears within the Funding Section of your on-line application.

Application Deadline: Friday 10th May. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview.

Further Enquiries:  For further details please contact Dr Claire Williams, School Director of Research Students (PostgradPsyCLS@reading.ac.uk)

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