Centre for English Corpus Linguistics

08/07/2026

L'UCLouvain recherche un (h/f) Gestionnaire de données

- taux d’emploi à convenir (entre 60% et 80% selon les coûts) pour une durée déterminée jusqu’au 31 décembre 2027 (avec possibilité de prolongation)
- pour l'Institut Langage et Communication (ILC), du Secteur des Sciences Humaines (SSH)
- à Louvain-la-Neuve
- entrée en fonction : octobre 2026

Contexte
La recherche actuelle fait un usage massif de données langagières écrites et orales, dans différentes langues (français, espagnol, anglais, néerlandais, etc.). Pour être exploitables, ces données langagières doivent être documentées (métadonnées), anonymisées (afin de respecter les règles sur les données personnelles), enrichies d’annotations (transcription, indexation, analyse thématique, etc.) et déposées dans des bases de données interrogeables en ligne. C’est à ces différentes tâches que le ou la gestionnaire de données contribuera au sein de l’Institut Langage et Communication (ILC), et plus particulièrement du Pôle de recherche en Linguistique (PLIN) et de la plateforme CENTAL (Centre de Traitement Automatique du Langage).

Fonction
En collaboration avec les chercheurs de PLIN/ILC, le ou la gestionnaire de données a pour fonctions de :
• Superviser la chaîne de traitement nécessaire à la constitution de corpus oraux et écrits (acquisition des données, documentation des métadonnées, transcription et annotation, versement dans les bases de données existantes, standardisation et contrôle des formats utilisés).
• Développer, adapter et utiliser des outils de prétraitement et de traitement des données linguistiques (segmentation, alignement texte-son, alignement texte-texte, annotation automatique ou semi-automatique, etc.), en fonction des besoins des projets de recherche.
• Assurer une veille technologique et méthodologique dans le domaine des technologies linguistiques et des infrastructures de données (outils d’acquisition, de traitement et d’analyse des données, automatic speech recognition, tokenisation, modèles de traitement automatique du langage, etc.), évaluer leur pertinence et accompagner leur intégration dans les workflows de recherche.
• Veiller à l’interopérabilité, à la pérennisation et à la réutilisation des données linguistiques, en garantissant leur documentation et leur traitement selon les standards internationaux (notamment ceux promus par CLARIN, OLAC, ORTOLANG, etc.).
• Veiller au respect des cadres juridiques et éthiques liés à la collecte, au traitement, au partage et à la publication des données (notamment le RGPD et les principes de science ouverte), ainsi qu’à l’utilisation de plateformes de diffusion adaptées (par exemple Dataverse).
• Représenter l’UCLouvain dans différents consortiums et réseaux internationaux actifs dans le domaine des données linguistiques.
• Assurer le suivi des demandes d’information, d’accompagnement et de support adressées au centre K CLARIN pour les corpus d’apprenants.
• Apporter un soutien méthodologique et technique aux activités de recherche du projet ARC « PostAILanguage », consacré à l’analyse du langage produit par les grands modèles de langue (LLM) et à l’étude de leur impact sur les usages langagiers humains (30–40 % du temps).

Qualifications et aptitudes requises
Le ou la candidat.e répondra aux qualifications suivantes :
• Titulaire d’un diplôme de Master en Sciences du langage, Traitement automatique du langage ou Linguistique
• Compétences de programmation : maîtrise de Python, bonne connaissance du XML ; des compétences en développement web constituent un atout.
• Compétences en traitement automatique du langage (NLP), notamment dans l’utilisation de méthodes et d’outils d’analyse linguistique automatique (par exemple parsing, tagging, modèles de deep learning).
• Capacité à traiter et analyser des données langagières en français ainsi que dans au moins une des langues suivantes: anglais, néerlandais, espagnol, allemand, ou italien
• Connaissance de l’anglais (B2) et en particulier de l’anglais académique (pour participer à des réunions internationales et éventuellement contribuer à des publications scientifiques)
• Capacité à travailler en équipe, sens de l’écoute, aptitude à analyser les besoins des chercheurs et réactivité dans l’accompagnement des projets
• Des compétences en statistiques appliquées aux données linguistiques constituent un atout.

Votre candidature (fichier unique avec lettre de motivation et curriculum vitae) est à transmettre pour le 31 août à l'adresse suivante : [email protected]
Sur base de ces documents, les candidat·e.s seront, le cas échéant, sélectionné·e.s pour un entretien qui se fera normalement la semaine du 21 septembre.

17/06/2026

On recrute 3 doctorant.es et 1 postdoctorant.e pour un projet innovant sur l'impact de l’IA générative sur le langage humain:

https://postai-language.netlify.app/index.fr

Comment l’usage généralisé de l’IA générative reconfigure-t-il notre manière d’écrire, d’apprendre et de penser dans une langue ? Ce programme de recherche interdisciplinaire examine les empreintes linguistiques de l’IA générative, leur réappropriation dans l’écriture humaine,...

11/06/2026

Job offer: PhD fellowship in Second Language Acquisition and Conversational AI

The University of Louvain (UCLouvain) has an opening for a PhD fellowship at the intersection of second language acquisition, learner corpus research and computer-assisted language learning, within the interdisciplinary research project “How Generative AI is shaping human language: insights from post-AI language use, learning and critical literacy”.

- Full-time (100%) PhD fellowship, initially for two years, renewable up to a total of 4 years
- Start date: 1 October 2026
- Supervisors: Prof. Serge Bibauw & Prof. Magali Paquot

The project

The PhD project will investigate the longitudinal effects of interacting with Generative AI (GenAI) chatbots on the second language (L2) development of French learners, with a focus on vocabulary and pragmatics. While conversational AI is increasingly used as a language-learning partner, its actual longitudinal effects on L2 development—and the extent to which learners may also acquire AI-specific linguistic fingerprints—remain largely unexplored.

The project plans on following cohorts of L2 French learners, possibly in Hanoi, Vietnam, over one academic year. It will combine quasi-experimental studies on pragmatics and vocabulary learning and longitudinal corpus analysis of conversation logs.

The doctoral researcher will be part of an interdisciplinary consortium, including two other PhD students, a post-doctoral researcher and five academic supervisors, investigating the impact of GenAI on language, communication, and critical literacy across educational and professional contexts. The broader project aims to address two critical gaps in current research: first, the need to understand how GenAI-produced language may reshape human writing, language learning, and communicative practices; and second, the importance of fostering critical competencies to help users engage thoughtfully with AI-generated content.

The initiative brings together expertise from linguistics, second language acquisition, natural language processing, translation studies, and communication sciences to analyze how AI-generated language influences human language use and first and foreign language learning. By addressing both the linguistic and educational dimensions of generative AI, the project seeks to promote critical AI literacy, mitigate the risks associated with uncritical reliance on GenAI tools, and foster a more informed, ethical, and reflective integration of these technologies into academic and public life.

Qualifications and expected profile

Required:

Master degree in (Applied) Linguistics, Language Sciences, Romance Studies, Educational Sciences, NLP, or a closely related field

Excellent record of BA and MA level study

Excellent command of French (B2 minimum, C1 ideal) — the language of the empirical data

Excellent command of English (B2 minimum, C1 desired) — the language of publication and supervision

Strong analytical skills, scientific rigor, and intellectual curiosity

Autonomy, sense of teamwork, ability to listen and engage with colleagues across disciplines

Assets:

Background or strong interest in second language acquisition and/or computer-assisted language learning

Familiarity with learner corpus research, quantitative methods, or experimental designs

Knowledge of R or Python for data analysis, or willingness to learn it quickly.

Interest in generative AI and its educational applications.

Willingness to travel (to academic conferences and possibly to Hanoi for data collection).

Conditions of engagement

The contract will initially be for two years and may be renewed once, for a total duration of up to four years.

The candidate receives a doctoral fellowship grant (starting at approx. EUR 2,515 net per month).

The position requires residence in Belgium for the duration of the mandate.

Applicants from outside the EU are responsible for obtaining the necessary visa or permits, with the assistance of UCLouvain’s HR department.

Application

Application deadline: 7 August 2026

The application file (a single PDF) should include:

A one-page cover letter in English explaining your interest in this position and how you meet the requirements;

A curriculum vitae;

A one-page academic statement in French outlining your research interests, expectations and career goals;

Names and full contact details of two academic referees;

Copies of BA and MA diplomas and transcripts;

A copy of (or working links to) your master’s thesis and any academic publications (if applicable).

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview (in person in Louvain-la-Neuve or via videoconference) between 17 and 21 August 2026.

Applications and inquiries should be sent by email to Prof. Serge Bibauw ([email protected]) and Prof. Magali Paquot ([email protected]), with the subject line “SP3 PhD application — [Your name]”.

We are hiring 3 doctoral students and one postdoctoral researcher. For more details,

We are recruiting three PhD researchers and one postdoctoral researcher to join an interdisciplinary team investigating how generative AI is reshaping language use, language learning, and literacy. All positions are based at UCLouvain (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium) and funded by the F.R.S.-FNRS under t...

11/06/2026

PhD Position: GenAI and Academic Editing – Practices, Perceptions, and Linguistic Fingerprints



The Language and Communication Institute (UCLouvain, Belgium) has an opening for a PhD fellowship at the intersection of corpus linguistics, second language acquisition, and translation studies within the interdisciplinary research programme “How Generative AI is shaping human language: insights from post-AI language use, learning and critical literacy”.

- Full-time (100%) PhD fellowship, initially for two years, renewable up to a total of 4 years
- Start date: October 2026
- Supervisors: Marie-Aude Lefer & Magali Paquot

The project

This PhD project investigates the impact of generative AI (GenAI) on academic editing, addressing two key gaps: (1) the linguistic differences between professional and AI-generated edits in scholarly publications, and (2) how academic writers—from PhD students to senior researchers—engage with, evaluate, and learn from AI-assisted language editing. Using a combination of corpus analysis, interviews, and real-time editing tasks, this research will provide insights into the opportunities and challenges of using GenAI for academic editing. The candidate will contribute to corpus annotation, data collection, and analysis, while exploring the implications of GenAI for scholarly communication. They will also contribute to the development of a university-wide survey examining researchers’ use of and perceptions toward GenAI for academic writing and language editing.

The doctoral researcher will be part of an interdisciplinary consortium, including two other PhD students, a post-doctoral researcher and five academic supervisors, investigating the impact of GenAI on language, communication, and critical literacy across educational and professional contexts. The broader project aims to address two critical gaps in current research: first, the need to understand how GenAI-produced language may reshape human writing, language learning, and communicative practices; and second, the importance of fostering critical competencies to help users engage thoughtfully with AI-generated content.

The initiative brings together expertise from linguistics, second language acquisition, natural language processing, translation studies, and communication sciences to analyze how AI-generated language influences human language use and first and foreign language learning. By addressing both the linguistic and educational dimensions of generative AI, the project seeks to promote critical AI literacy, mitigate the risks associated with uncritical reliance on GenAI tools, and foster a more informed, ethical, and reflective integration of these technologies into academic and public life.

The successful candidate will also be integrated into the Centre for English Corpus Linguistics (CECL).



Qualifications and expected profile

Required:

Master's degree in (Applied) Linguistics or Translation Studies

Excellent record of BA and MA level study

Excellent oral and written English (minimum level: C1)

Excellent analytical skills, scientific rigor, and intellectual curiosity

Knowledge of corpus linguistic techniques

Autonomy, sense of teamwork, ability to listen and engage with colleagues across disciplines

Willingness to live in Belgium and to travel abroad (to attend international academic conferences)

Assets:

Knowledge of statistics and R

Knowledge of French

Familiarity with survey and interview research



Conditions of engagement

This doctoral fellowship is subject to the following conditions:

The contract will initially be for two years and may be renewed once, for a total duration of up to four years.

The candidate receives a doctoral fellowship grant (starting at approx. EUR 2515 net per month).

This position requires residence in Belgium for the duration of the mandate.

Applicants from outside the EU are responsible for obtaining the necessary visa or permits, with the assistance of UCLouvain staff department.



Application

Application deadline: 7 August 2026

The application file (a single PDF) should include:

a one-page cover letter in English, in which you specify why you are interested in this position and how you meet the job requirements outlined above;

a curriculum vitae in English;

a one-page academic statement in English, in which you outline your expectations about and plans for graduate study and career goals;

a copy of BA and MA diplomas and degrees;

a copy of (or working links to) your master thesis and academic publications (if applicable);

the names and full contact details of two academic referees.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview (in person in Louvain-la-Neuve or via videoconference) in the second half of August 2026.

Applications (as an email attachment) and inquiries should be addressed to both Magali Paquot ([email protected]) and Marie-Aude Lefer ([email protected]) with the subject line “SP2 PhD application — [Your name]”.

We are hiring 3 doctoral students and one postdoctoral researcher. For more details,

We are recruiting three PhD researchers and one postdoctoral researcher to join an interdisciplinary team investigating how generative AI is reshaping language use, language learning, and literacy. All positions are based at UCLouvain (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium) and funded by the F.R.S.-FNRS under t...

11/05/2026

Dear colleagues,
The Centre for English Corpus Linguistics at UCLouvain is currently running an experiment for which we need participants with experience in language assessment.

The study requires individuals who have either advanced proficiency in English or speak English as a first language (L1), and who have experience in language assessment. Participants will complete a comparative judgments task involving word combinations. In this task, you will be presented with two word combinations side-by-side and asked to judge which one better fits a given linguistic construct. There is no need to assign scores, either holistically or analytically, or to consult a rubric. Instead, you should rely on your own expertise to decide which of the two options is "better".

Each participant will be asked to complete 50 comparisons (these do not need to be completed in a single session) and to fill out a short feedback form explaining the factors that guided their decision-making process. The entire task is expected to take under 30 minutes to complete.

No prior training is required for this task. You will receive instructions on how to log in to the platform, after which you will rely on your own expertise (without using a rubric) to complete this comparative judgment task.

We are seeking participants who can commit to completing 50 comparisons and the feedback form. Participants will receive 35 euros in compensation for completing this task. This study is the first in a planned series of three. Participants who take part in this initial task will be given priority for recruitment in subsequent tasks, which will focus on longer text-based tasks, involve a greater time commitment, and offer higher compensation.

The experiment is expected to begin in the second half of May. Participants will be asked to complete the task within two weeks of receiving access to the comparative judgment platform.

Applicants should meet the following criteria:
• Advanced English proficiency or English as a first language (L1)
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience teaching ESL/EFL
• Recognised qualification in Teaching English as a Foreign/Second Language or a related field (e.g. undergradute or postgradute degree in Applied Linguistics, Language Testing and Assessment, etc.; CELTA, DELTA)
• Training in L2 writing assessment
• Experience assessing L2 writing (preferably as an examiner)
• Private access to a personal computer with an internet connection.

If you are interested in participating, please register your interest by completing the following form: https://shorturl.at/tvsHu

We will then contact you again by the second half of May with further details.

Do not hesitate to contact us by email if you have any questions ([email protected]).
Best regards,
Gabriela Vaughan & Prof. Magali Paquot

01/12/2025

Please note that the Statistics for Linguistics with R bootcamp taught by S. Th. Gries at UCLouvain will take place from 6 to 10 July, unlike previously announced. The rest of the information remains unchanged (see below).
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
The Linguistics Research Unit of the Institute of Language and Communication (Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium) will be hosting Stefan Gries’s next bootcamp on statistics for linguistics with R from 06 to 10 July 2026.
The ‘Statistics for linguistics with R’ bootcamp is a hands-on introduction to statistical methods for both graduate students and seasoned researchers and is loosely based on the third edition (2021) of Gries’s textbook Statistics for linguistics with R. The course is intended for linguists who already have a basic knowledge in statistics and some experience using R and who wish to improve their proficiency in statistical modeling of linguistic data. Using the open source software and programming language R, we will deal with:
• fundamental aspects of fixed effects regression modeling for both numeric and binary response variables; these include exploration of data and their preparation for modeling, model formulation and selection; numerical and visual interpretation and evaluation of models;
• more advanced aspects of fixed-effects regression modeling such as contrasts for ordinal predictors, orthogonal contrasts, curvature of numeric predictors, and maybe general linear hypothesis tests;
• the theoretical foundations of mixed-effects regression modeling;
• applications of mixed-effects modeling for both numeric and binary response variables;
• tree-based methods and random forests: 'fitting' and interpreting them with importance scores, partial dependence scores, and detecting (not just capturing) interactions.
For more info about the bootcamp, see https://www.uclouvain.be/en/research-institutes/ilc/cecl/rling2026 . Online registration will start on 2nd March 2026, 1pm CEST. The number of participants is limited. If you would like to participate, mark the date in your diary!
Contact email: [email protected]
Magali Paquot
Convenor

We will be hosting Stefan Gries’s next bootcamp on statistics for linguistics with R from 6 to 10 July 2026.Online registration will open on Monday 2nd March 2026, 1 pm CEST. The number of participants is limited. If you would like to participate, mark the date in your diary! Categories Book trave...

14/10/2025

The Linguistics Research Unit of the Institute of Language and Communication (Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium) will be hosting Stefan Gries’s next bootcamp on statistics for linguistics with R from 13 to 17 July 2026.
The ‘Statistics for linguistics with R’ bootcamp is a hands-on introduction to statistical methods for both graduate students and seasoned researchers and is loosely based on the third edition (2021) of Gries’s textbook Statistics for linguistics with R. The course is intended for linguists who already have a basic knowledge in statistics and some experience using R and who wish to improve their proficiency in statistical modeling of linguistic data. Using the open source software and programming language R, we will deal with:
• fundamental aspects of fixed effects regression modeling for both numeric and binary response variables; these include exploration of data and their preparation for modeling, model formulation and selection; numerical and visual interpretation and evaluation of models;
• more advanced aspects of fixed-effects regression modeling such as contrasts for ordinal predictors, orthogonal contrasts, curvature of numeric predictors, and maybe general linear hypothesis tests;
• the theoretical foundations of mixed-effects regression modeling;
• applications of mixed-effects modeling for both numeric and binary response variables;
• tree-based methods and random forests: 'fitting' and interpreting them with importance scores, partial dependence scores, and detecting (not just capturing) interactions.
For more info about the bootcamp, see https://www.uclouvain.be/en/research-institutes/ilc/cecl/rling2026 . Online registration will start on 2nd March 2026, 1pm CEST. The number of participants is limited. If you would like to participate, mark the date in your diary!

We will be hosting Stefan Gries’s next bootcamp on statistics for linguistics with R from 13 to 17 July 2026.Online registration will open on Monday 2nd March 2026, 1 pm CEST. The number of participants is limited. If you would like to participate, mark the date in your diary! Categories Book trav...

08/07/2025

✨ That's a wrap on VAR4LCR! ✨
We’re leaving the conference even more convinced that register and task variation in learner corpus research is a vibrant and growing field. We're excited to see how the ideas and discussions shared will spark future research and collaboration!

A heartfelt thank you to our three keynote speakers, Douglas Biber, Marije Michel, and Shelley Staples, and to all participants!

07/07/2025

VAR4LCR has officially started! 👩‍🏫

We are starting off the conference strong with a keynote lecture by Douglas Biber, "Grammatical complexity in L2 writing development: Contrasting oral versus literate complexity across registers and developmental levels"

28/05/2025

📆Second call for participation - VAR4LCR conference 2025

We would like to remind you that registration for the Register and task variation in Learner Corpus Research conference (VAR4LCR) is possible until 22 June 2025.

The conference will take place on 7 and 8 July 2025 in Louvain-la-Neuve and will feature Prof. Douglas Biber (Northern Arizona University), Prof. Marije Michel (University of Groningen) and Prof. Shelley Staples (University of Arizona) as keynote speakers.

A provisional programme as well as additional information (including a registration link) can be found on the conference website: https://www.uclouvain.be/en/research-institutes/ilc/cecl/register-and-task-variation-in-learner-corpus-research.