LINGUIST List 26.129
Fri Jan 09 2015
Support: English; Sociolinguistics / Switzerland
Editor for this issue: Danuta Allen <danutalinguistlist.org>
Date: 08-Jan-2015
From: David Britain <david.britain
ens.unibe.ch>
Subject: English; Sociolinguistics: PhD Student, University of Bern, Switzerland
E-mail this message to a friend Web Address:
http://www.ens.unibe.ch/content/index_eng.html Level: PhD
Institution/Organization: University of Bern
Duties: Research,Teaching
Specialty Areas: Sociolinguistics
Required Language(s):
English (eng) Description:
Prof. David Britain is looking to select two graduate students (with an MA or equivalent degree) interested in pursuing their PhDs under his supervision while working part‐time as teaching‐cum‐research assistants in the Department of English at the University of Bern, Switzerland.
These positions are in addition to another recently advertised PhD position linked to a specific research project:
http://www.linguistlist.org/support/get-supports.cfm?SupportID=22583&SubID=35991337 Two 50% PhD assistantships starting August 2015 (or negotiable).
A 50% appointment is equivalent to 21 hours per week.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The duties of a 50% PhD assistant typically include:
- Teaching - one and a half courses per year, at BA level (i.e. three classes over two years with the fourth semester teaching‐free). Courses are either organized as a lecture series or as a seminar, meeting once‐a‐week for 90 minutes.
- Service - research support for Prof. Britain; modest administrative / service duties for the department. The rest of the working week is allocated for your own doctoral research and studies.
Salary:
A minimum salary of circa CHF 39,437 per year (about (as of 7th January 2015) £25,740/ 32,830/ A$48,240/ C$46,200/ NZ$50,200/ US$38,950).
Annual renewal of contract is dependent on satisfactory progress with your doctoral studies/research project, and on the fulfilment of your core teaching/service duties.
Requirements:
- You should be interested in undertaking research in one of Prof. Britain's own areas of interest (see
http://davebritain.weebly.com/research.html).
- You must hold an MA (or equivalent) in Sociolinguistics, English Linguistics, or a closely related and relevant discipline.
- You will need to demonstrate a track record of successful academic study and a commitment to the investigation of Sociolinguistics.
- You should already have a reasonably well‐developed research proposal (it may be something that extends or develops an MA thesis). Projects must engage with some aspect of Prof. Britain's own current research priorities.
- You should have an outstanding command of written and spoken English; your PhD thesis should be written in English.
- While the administrative (and teaching) language of the Department of English is English, the administrative language of the Faculty and the rest of the University is German, and Bern is a (Swiss)German-speaking city. You should either already have some competence in German, or actively commit to learning German when you arrive. The University of Bern provides courses for learners of German.
- To be eligible for these doctoral assistantships, you must meet the University of Bern's basic admission criteria for doctoral study.
For details, please visit:
http://www.zib.unibe.ch/content/internationals/bewerbung/doktorat/index_eng.html How to Apply:
Please submit by 28th February 2015, the following materials as a single PDF:
- a cover letter, motivating your application;
- full Curriculum Vitae (CV) / Résumé;
- the names and email addresses of two academic referees (no letters needed at this point);
- a research proposal (at least four pages).
In addition, please send a representative sample of your academic writing in English (e.g. your MA thesis or a substantial stand‐alone paper / essay).
Your materials should be emailed to Prof. Britain (david.britain
ens.unibe.ch).
Please feel free to contact Prof. Britain in advance of the deadline if you have any questions about these positions.
Applications Deadline: 28-Feb-2015
Mailing Address for Applications:
Attn: Prof David Britain
Department of English, Laenggassstrasse 49
Bern Bern 3009
Switzerland
Contact Information:
Prof David Britain
david.britain
ens.unibe.ch
Page Updated: 09-Jan-2015