Funded PhD Studentship : Linguistic Integration in Quebec

Programme length: 3 years full-time (due to the project only lasting 3 years, part-time is not possible)

Prospective starting date: 16 September 2024

Award summary

The studentship is funded by the Leverhulme Trust and will cover 100% of home tuition fees and an annual tax-free maintenance allowance at the UKRI London rate (£20,622 for 2023/24; 2024/25 rates TBC) for three years. Due to funding restrictions, this scholarship is unfortunately only open to applicants eligible to pay tuition fees at the UK home rate. Additional funds will be made available to cover four weeks of fieldwork in Quebec in the second year and some conference attendance in the second and third years.

Overview

Forming an independent project in its own right, this PhD studentship in applied linguistics or French (applied/sociolinguistics) will contribute to a broader Leverhulme-funded project on the ethics of linguistic integration in England, Quebec and Wales, by providing the empirical data on Quebec and contributing to the development of an innovative interdisciplinary approach that combines insight from applied/sociolinguistics and political theory/philosophy. Informed by theoretical debates on linguistic integration from these and other disciplines, your project will focus on the following specific research questions: a) How is linguistic integration conceived, practised and experienced by different parties in Quebec? b) What language-related expectations result from these conceptions and experiences? c) What is the relative legitimacy of these expectations when assessed against core liberal democratic values and principles (e.g. justice, equality, inclusivity, solidarity)? To address these questions, you will undertake a qualitative analysis of a broad sample of documentary materials in Quebec (e.g. legislation, policy documents, media debates, speeches, campaign pamphlets) and conduct (in French) semi-structured interviews and/or focus groups with policymakers, second-language teachers and adult immigrant language learners during a fieldtrip.

You will be based at Queen Mary University of London and supervised primarily by Professor Leigh Oakes of the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film. You will also benefit from input from political philosophy/theory through additional supervision by Professor Yael Peled of the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity and the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, and from participation in a rich set of group activities (e.g. four meetings per year, reading groups, conference participation, joint publications) involving the other members of the research team: Dr Huw Lewis (Aberystwyth), Dr Gwennan Higham (Swansea) and another PhD student based in Aberystwyth. This is a unique opportunity to be part of an innovative, collaborative research project and a new generation of scholars committed to interdisciplinary approaches to the politics of language.

Eligibility criteria

You will require a sound ability in written and spoken French and have achieved Merit or higher in a Master’s degree in a relevant field before commencing the project. Some prior knowledge of qualitative methods (e.g. content analysis, thematic analysis, interview techniques) would be advantageous. Due to funding restrictions, this scholarship is unfortunately only open to applicants eligible to pay tuition fees at the UK home rate.

Application process

For details on how to apply, please click the 'Apply' button above. Interviews for the position will be held online in July 2024.

Contact information

For informal enquiries, please contact Professor Leigh Oakes at l.oakes@qmul.ac.uk. For practical queries about the submission process, please contact sllf-pg@qmul.ac.uk.

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