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

The SNSF-funded LINC project investigates the short- and long-term impact of study abroad on second language proficiency, intercultural competence, and plurilingualism. Adopting a longitudinal, mixed-methods perspective, the project follows Swiss pre-service teachers before, during, immediately after, and up to several years following their study-abroad experiences. The project brings together perspectives from Second Language Acquisition (SLA), study abroad and international mobility research, intercultural competence, and multilingualism/plurilingualism. Particular attention is paid to individual developmental trajectories, the interaction between linguistic and non-linguistic dimensions of development, and the extent to which study-abroad experiences transfer to participants' subsequent academic, professional, and personal lives.
LINC will collect and analyse a rich longitudinal dataset combining language proficiency measures, questionnaires, repeated measures, weekly diaries, interviews, and other qualitative and quantitative data. The project therefore offers an excellent environment for doctoral researchers interested in longitudinal and mixed-methods approaches to language learning and mobility.