Faculty of Arts Research Master Language and Communication / Master Taalwetenschappen (research) Prospectus

Transcription

1 Faculty of Arts Research Master Language and Communication / Master Taalwetenschappen (research) Prospectus For students who started in 2014

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3 Preface Welcome to the digital prospectus of the Research Master Language and Communication, for the academic year The prospectus is only available in digital form, since the Faculty of Arts aims to keep prospectuses as up to date as possible. In this prospectus you will find all information concerning the Master, such as the objectives and final attainment level of the programme, course descriptions and practical information. In addition, the prospectus briefly informs you about the organisation of the faculty and about the facilities that are open to (arts) students. During the academic year, general announcements concerning the programme will be given on the the Student Information Point website ( or on the digital learning environment Blackboard. Course-related announcements will be given in the respective Blackboard modules.

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5 1 Introduction The Master Programme Language and Communication is an interdisciplinary research master that enrolls students with a variety of backgrounds, including linguistics, communication studies, and cultural studies. The programme is offered jointly by Radboud University Nijmegen and Tilburg University and is centred around the research carried out in Nijmegen and Tilburg. Nijmegen participates in this programme through the Centre for Language Studies (CLS), which is closely linked to the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (MPI) and the Baby Research Centre. Language and Communication is a programme with a strong emphasis on empirical study - which makes it unique in the Netherlands - and covers the numerous ways in which written and spoken language is used. Because communication and the use of language are so tightly interwoven, we take an integrated approach. That is, on the one hand it studies communication from a linguistic perspective, and on the other hand it studies linguistics with a strong emphasis on its communicative functions. This Research Master's programme, is open to all students - whether from universities in the Netherlands or abroad - with a relevant BA or one-year MA degree. Prospective students may apply for admission to the programme when they meet a number of requirements. These requirements and more information on the procedure of enrollment can be found in the section on enrollment ( The two-year MA-programme amounts to 120 EC points. Throughout the programme, students acquire a firm body of knowledge of the disciplines of linguistics and communication studies. Moreover, the students are trained in all aspects of conducting empirical studies in the field of linguistics and communication. In addition to becoming acquainted with all principles and practices in the field of linguistics and communication, students specialize in one of the research areas in linguistics or communication. The second year is largely dedicated to gaining hands-on research experience in that area. The programme will be completed with a Master Thesis (and, preferably, a publication in a scientific journal).

6 2 Programme information 2.1 Objectives The Research master Language and Communication is a two-year course of study offered jointly by Radboud University Nijmegen (RU) and Tilburg University (TiU). It focuses on the various ways language is used in real-life situations and it deals with questions such as how language and communication 'work' and cooperate in conversations and what miscommunication teaches us about the processes underlying communication. The programme aims to train students to become skilled empirical linguists with a deep understanding of language and communication. Students take obligatory courses covering the foundations of and the links between these fields, as well the methods used. In addition, they take a number of elective classes that go deeper into aspects of their chosen areas of interest. Specialization areas include Psycholinguistics, Language Acquisition, Language and Speech Technology, Language and Society, and Communication. In the course of their studies, students spend increasingly more time on getting acquainted with and participating in on-going research projects of the Centre for Language Studies (CLS, RU) and the Tilburg School of Humanities (TSH, TiU), for example in internships where they gain hands-on experience with various aspects of empirical research. During the fourth semester, students write their master's thesis on a topic of their choice in their specialization area. This Research Master's programme has a strong emphasis on academic training, which makes it ideal for those wishing to embark on a career in research. Most graduates go on to do a PhD. Besides research positions at universities, graduates may find employment in research and management positions in businesses, (non-)profit organisations, the educational sector and the government (e.g., the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science), which require extensive research skills but not a PhD degree. Language and Communication is a selective programme which accepts excellent students with a strong motivation and a keen interest in empirical research in the fields of linguistics and communication studies. 2.2 Final Attainment The programme leads to an MA degree and carries a study load of 120 credits. It focuses specifically on research careers which may involve the pursuit of a doctorate. Graduates are specialists in the area of, for example, language acquisition, persuasive communication, multimodal interaction, or psycholinguistics, to which they bring an advanced knowledge of language and language use, communication and/or behaviour. Graduates of the research master 1. can describe and apply general knowledge on the historical roots and modern developments within the fields of Language Studies and Communication Studies, and are capable of relating these fields to each other; 2. have a thorough understanding of knowledge pertaining to the theories upheld within the (sub)discipline of linguistics and communication studies in which they have specialized, while being critically aware of the current limitations of and/or new insights in these theories; 3. have a comprehensive understanding of approaches and techniques that that support corpus-based, experimental, and computational research into language and communication. Typically, in their chosen (sub)discipline, graduates of the research master will be able 4. to study independently and to evaluate critically current research and advanced scholarship; 5. to select and apply the appropriate research method(s); 6. to act autonomously in planning, organizing and implementing a research project; 7. to communicate in English, clearly and unambiguously, both orally and in writing, to the scientific community, the conclusions from their research, and the knowledge and the rationale underpinning these; communication may be in the form of a research report, a contribution to a conference proceedings, a peer reviewed article, or a presentation given at a symposium or workshop; to a lay audience, the purpose of their research, their findings and the significance of these; communication is in the form of, for example, a popularizing article, a blog, or a press interview;

7 8. to demonstrate self-direction and originality in identifying research topics/questions and casting these in a fundable research grant proposal which they can successfully present and defend in an interview before a review committee; 9. to contribute to societal or public debate in a meaningful way and to create scientific and societal value through the application and utilization of the outcome of scientific research. In their work, graduates uphold the standards of academic life, i.e. they show curiosity, a critical mind, and an openness with regard to new or deviant views, while they at all times adhere to ethical standards. 2.3 About the programme As the name of the research master indicates, the programme focuses on two areas: linguistics and communication. The programme comprises a number obligatory courses and a range of elective courses through which students can specialize in their area of interest. In addition, the programme offers training in various skills (for example academic writing and programming) and methods (including data analysis and statistics), and students are expected to make a selection of what is on offer that best fits their needs in view of their specialization. Lab rotations/internships form an integral part of the programme, while also due attention is given to writing research papers and grant proposals, and to valorization. All the research skills acquired earlier in the programme are used in an integrated manner when students go on to carry a research project and write their master's thesis. There students demonstrate their ability to conduct independent scientific research in their chosen area of interest. Each student in the research master is paired off with a tutor, a principal investigator active in the chosen specialization area. The role of the tutor is to put the student wise in the research environment. The tutor helps the student find his/her way by suggesting relevant courses and seminars, providing information on ongoing research projects, and bringing the student into contact with the right people. In Nijmegen the research master Language and Communication is closely linked to the Centre for Language Studies (CLS; the research institute of the Faculty of Arts at Radboud University Nijmegen. CLS is the home for nationally and internationally renowned researchers who study language with the aim to gain a deeper understanding of the architecture of the language system and its interactions with processes at the individual and the social cultural level. Through their lab rotations students have the opportunity to participate in ongoing CLS research. Students in the research master may also take part in activities organized by the Graduate School for Humanities (GSH; of which they are informed through the monthly GSH Newsletter. 2.4 Schematic outline The two-year programme (120 EC) is taught on a full-time basis and starts once a year, around 1 September. In the programme overview below, the courses marked in bold are only open to and compulsory for all students of the research master. Year 1, Fall semester Credits (EC) Foundations of Language and Communication 6 Corpus and Experimental Methods 6 Two specialization courses 12 Skills/methods 6 Total 30 Year 1, Spring semester Lab Rotation I 12 Term Paper 6 Two specialization courses 12 Total 30 Year 2, Fall semester Lab Rotation II 6 Grant Proposal Writing 6 Valorization A 3 Master Thesis 3 One specialization course 6 Skills/methods 6 Total 30

8 Year 2, Spring semester Master Thesis (cont.) 27 Valorization B 3 Total Specialization Within the Research Master Language and Communication five specialization areas are distinguished, viz. Psycholinguistics Language acquisition Language and speech technology Language and society Communication Each area offers a number of courses from which students can choose those that best fit their interests. In the course of the programme students are required to take a minimum of 5 elective courses (together worth at least 30 EC) from the courses that are offered as part of the Research Master s programme Language and Communication; the courses should form a coherent set. Students may combine courses from different areas. They may wish to do so for example if they are interested in studying a particular theme (e.g. multilingualism) from different perspectives (for example, combining a psycholinguistic with a computational linguistic approach). Students are expected to plan and organize their own study programme. Note that the number of specialization courses to be chosen differs per semester/year: First year, first semester (Fall): select 2 courses, equaling at least 12 credits. First year, second semester (Spring): select 2 courses, equaling at least 12 credits. Second year, first semester (Fall): select 1 course, equaling at least 6 credits. Students enrolled in the Language and Communication programme may also consider taking courses from the Cognitive Neuroscience (CNS; track Language and Communication ) programme or Tilburg University (TiU, ReMa Language and Communication). Students can opt to replace one specialization course (max. 6 EC) with a course from a regular Master s programme (for example the Nijmegen Linguistics or Artificial Intelligence programme, or the Tilburg Communication and Information Sciences programme). However, if they wish to do so, this must be approved by the examination board before taking the course. Psycholinguistics For students who want specialize in psycholinguistics, the programme offers various courses that deal with how humans comprehend spoken and written language, how language learners learn a second language, what the role is of gestures and signs, and how non-verbal communication takes place. In many courses, the relation between language and cognition is a central topic. Furthermore, attention is paid to the structure of language. Knowledge about how humans deal with information via language is essential for understanding inter-human communication. Relevant courses include Course title Credits (EC) Course code Period Language and Thought 6 LET-REMA-LCEX Multimodal Language, Cognition and 6 LET-REMA-LCEX the Brain Speech Comprehension 6 LET-REMA-LCEX Word Recognition and Production 6 SOW-DGCN Structural Aspects of Language 6 SOW-DGCN Multilingualism 6 SOW-DGCN19 2

9 Example-based Models of Language 6 LET-REMA-LCEX Sign Language and Bilingualism 6 LET-REMA-LCEX The Syntax-Semantics Interface 6 LET-REMA-LCEX Sentence Production and 6 SOW-DGCN Comprehension For the course descriptions, see under Course Information. For courses offered by Tilburg University, see the online study guide at Language acquisition For students who want to specialize in language acquisition, the programme offers various courses that focus on how children learn their mother tongue and how people of all ages acquire a second (or third) language. Children the world over learn language in similar ways, and the explanation of this basic fact is the site of intense theoretical debate. Second Language Acquisition has certain things in common with learning a mother tongue, but there are also differences, which in turn feed more empirical data into the theoretical debate alluded to. Learning a second language is often done in school, with a standard variety as the target, which means testing a student's knowledge is an important topic. Relevant courses include Course title Credits (EC) Course code Period Word Recognition and Production 6 SOW-DGCN Multimodal Language, Cognition and 6 LET-REMA-LCEX the Brain Speech Comprehension 6 LET-REMA-LCEX Language and Thought 6 LET-REMA-LCEX New Ways of Analyzing Syntactic 6 LET-REMA-LCEX Variation Structural Aspects of Language 6 SOW-DGCN Language Acquisition 6 SOW-DGCN18 3 Non-nativeness in Communication 6 LET-REMA-LCEX14 3 Sign Language and Bilingualism 6 LET-REMA-LCEX The Syntax-Semantics Interface 6 LET-REMA-LCEX For the course descriptions, see under Course Information. For courses offered by Tilburg University, see the online study guide at Language and speech technology The fields of language and speech technology study the computational modeling of language and speech production, understanding, and learning in context. More than any other field in linguistics, the fields are driven by technology, and are at the forefront of computational modeling, big data, and machine learning. The fields have produced everyday products such as Google Translate, Apple Siri and autocorrection. None of these technologies are perfect, yet their potential is universally recognized, and with more training data and faster computers they get better each year. This technological drive does not mean the fields have lost their connection to their linguistic and cognitive roots. Datadriven models of language (i.e. the patterns and regularities that computers discover when confronted with massive amounts of language or speech) can shed new light on how language is structured and stored in the cognitive systems. These discoveries connect well with developments in e.g. usage-based linguistics, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, and communication studies. Relevant courses include Course title Credits (EC) Course code Period Introduction to Language and Speech 6 LET-REMA-LCEX Technology Text Mining 6 LET-REMA-LCEX Speaker Recognition 6 LET-REMA-LCEX (Automatic) Speech Recognition 6 LET-REMA-LCEX Example-based Models of Language 6 LET-REMA-LCEX The Syntax-Semantics Interface 6 LET-REMA-LCEX For the course descriptions, see under Course Information. For courses offered by Tilburg University, see the online study guide at

10 Language and society Language use varies between different groups in society, and this variation has implications for language change in the long run. As many people in the world are bi- or multilingual, issues of language contact are also on the agenda, particularly in relation to globalization and related phenomena (migration, post-colonialism, etc.). This includes the distribution of languages in the world, issues of language choice in particular communicative settings. Relevant courses include Course title Credits (EC) Course code Period Language Contact and Language 6 LET-REMA-LCEX13 1 Description Text Mining 6 LET-REMA-LCEX Language and Thought 6 LET-REMA-LCEX New Ways of Analyzing Syntactic 6 LET-REMA-LCEX Variation Multilingualism 6 SOW-DGCN19 2 Non-nativeness in Communication 6 LET-REMA-LCEX14 3 Sign Language and Bilingualism 6 LET-REMA-LCEX The Syntax-Semantics Interface 6 LET-REMA-LCEX For the course descriptions, see under Course Information. For courses offered by Tilburg University, see the online study guide at Communication Communication is a very broad field of study, covering both aspects of cognition and social structure. For students interested in specializing in this field, there are courses that investigate aspects of the communication process itself, particularly the role of social media and digital media, and there are courses that investigate the social-psychological, or cognitive, effects of different communication patterns. Relevant courses include Course title Credits (EC) Course code Period Language and Thought 6 LET-REMA-LCEX New Ways of Analyzing Syntactic 6 LET-REMA-LCEX Variation Multilingualism 6 SOW-DGCN19 2 Non-nativeness in Communication 6 LET-REMA-LCEX14 3 Communication and Persuasion 6 LET-REMA-LCEX12 4 For the course descriptions, see under Course Information. For courses offered by Tilburg University, see the online study guide at Skills and methods The programme offers training in various skills (for example academic writing and programming) and methods (including data analysis and statistics), and students are expected to make a selection of what is on offer that best fits their needs in view of their specialization. Skills/methods courses offered by RU as part of the research master s programme Language and Communication are Course title Credits (EC) Course code Period Academic Writing 3 LET-REMA-LC Explorative Data Analysis 6 LET-REMA-LC For the course descriptions, see under Course Information. NOTE: If you do not have a basic knowledge of statistics, you are required to take the course Methods in language research (RU; LET-TWML05). Apart from the courses above, students can take skills/methods courses offered elsewhere on campus or from what is

11 available in Tilburg. There are many courses (many of them 3 EC worth each) on a wide variety of methods and techniques relevant to empirical research in the fields linguistics and communication, for example eye tracking, web analytics, conducting interviews, online data collection, ethnographic research methods, design and analysis of questionnaires, machine learning, and data processing. For an overview of RU courses, see For an overview of courses offered by Tilburg University, go to

12 3 Course information Within the programme Language and Communication there are essentially three types of courses: I. Compulsory courses; these are obligatory for all students enrolled in the research master Language and Communication. II. Specialization courses; these are electives courses that are offered at Radboud University as part of the Language and Communication programme. Students enrolled in the Language and Communication programme may also consider taking courses from the Cognitive Neuroscience (CNS) programme or Tilburg University (TiU, ReMa Language and Communication). For an overview of relevant courses see under CNS courses and TiU courses respectively Students can opt to replace one specialization course (max. 6 EC) with a course from a regular Master s programme (for example the Nijmegen Linguistics or Artificial Intelligence programme, or the Tilburg Communication and Information Sciences programme). However, if they wish to do so, this must be approved by the examination board before taking the course. Finally, students can participate in courses offered during the summer and winter schools organized, for example, by one of the national research schools (e..g. the Landelijke Onderzoekschool Taalwetenschap LOT; III. Skills and methods courses; these are courses offered at Radboud University as part of the Language and Communication programme. In these courses students acquire or develop particular skills, or gain experience in applying specific methods or techniques that are relevant to their specialization. NOTE: Students enrolled in the Language and Communication programme may also consider taking skills and methods courses offered elsewhere. Courses must be approved by the examination board before taking the course. Requests for approval must be made through the secretariat (secr.researchmastershlcs@let.ru.nl) 3.1 Compulsory courses Foundations of Language & Communication Period Period 1 Lecturers Prof. W.P.M.S. Spooren & prof. A.M. Backus LET-REMA-LC1401 Research master Pre-requisite(s) Credits 6 The course is available only to students admitted to the research master s programme Language and Communication. In this course, we focus on language as a uniquely human instrument and introduce various perspectives on how it is studied. We start with the state of the art on what has made human communication possible and why and how it has probably come about. Next, we survey the various different traditions in linguistics and the communication sciences, concentrating on how they are could be seen as natural and complementary counterparts. However, we also look at explanations of the language faculty in the domain of linguistics in which the communicative function of language plays no role, and approaches to communication that do not privilege language as the primary vehicle for conveying meaning. Finally, we discuss recent debates with special attention for a discussion triggered by an article by Evans and Levinson (2009) in Behavioral and Brain Sciences. Students are brought up to date on the range of theories in linguistics and communication studies, their points of overlap and differences among them, and current debates. The course is the entry class for the Research Master program Language & Communication; it aims to provide students with an explanation for why these two fields are best

13 combined. At the end of the course, the student can - understand the relationship between language and communication; - describe recent theorizing on the origin of language as a means of human communication; - describe the contribution of linguistic and communication sciences to the description and explanation of language and language use; - evaluate contributions to the academic debate and defend positions. Lectures Teaching hours/week 4 Written exam (60%) and paper (40%) Reading List Tomasello, M The origins of human communication, MIT Press. Contacts Prof. W. Spooren (w.spooren@let.ru.nl) and prof. A.M. Backus (a.m.backus@uvt.nl). Corpus and Experimental Methods Period Period 2 Lecturers Prof. R.W.N.M. van Hout & dr. M.B. Goudbeek LET-REMA-LC1402 Research master Pre-requisite(s) Credits 6 The course is available only to students of the research master s programme Language and Communication. The course offers a mixture of research methodology, research design and statistical data analysis, focusing on the experimental approach (first half of the course) and the corpus linguistic approach (second half of the course). Both approaches are widely used in research on language and communication. We want to look at different aspects of the research cycle, with an emphasis on strengthening the research and analytical skills of the student. In addition, a cursory overview of the methodological approaches available in Nijmegen and Tilburg will be provided. The student will acquire basis skills in using statistical software SPSS. The design and statistical analysis of several research methods (such as lexical decision experiments, picture naming, and classification experiments) will be analyzed in detail. In addition, several recent topics in the field of methodology and statistics (replication, null hypothesis significance testing, confidence intervals, effect sizes, data management, research ethics) will be touched upon. At the end of this course - students will have acquired basic skills in using relevant research tools; - students will be proficient in the use of statistical packages; - students will also have acquired knowledge in statistics, particularly in relation to the analysis of experimental designs and corpus analysis; - students will have developed a critical thinking style with respect to statistical methods and procedures. A mix of lectures and practicals.

14 Teaching hours/week 4 Written exam (open book) at the end of the course. During the course, there will be assignments to monitor the student s progress. Reading List Field, A Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics (fourth edition). London, etc.: Sage. NOTE: Many students will already be familiar with Andy Field s book on statistics. We will use it for explaining statistical techniques. For experimental designs and data, we focus on analysis of variance, chapters 5, 9, 11, 12, 13 14, and 15. We start by resuming the t test (chapter 9). Additional information will be given on topics specific to psycholinguistics, such as the use of F1 and F2 and random and fixed factors. For corpus analysis, we focus on Chapter 18 and Chapter 8 (preceded by resuming the core concepts in Chapters 6 and 7). Part of Chapter 19 will be used for analyzing binomial data and to explain recent developments in the analysis of corpus data, including a discussion of random versus fixed factors. Contacts Prof. R. van Hout (r.vanhout@let.ru.nl) and dr. M.B. Goudbeek (m.b.goudbeek@uvt.nl) Term Paper Period Period 3 and 4 Lecturers Dr. O.A. Crasborn & prof. A.M. Backus LET-REMA-LC1404 Research Master Pre-requisite(s) Credits 6 The course is available only to students of the research master s programme Language and Communication. Students select a research topic that is related to their (provisional) main subject. They collect published articles addressing this theme, and write a critical review based on their reading. This review (size indication: approximately pages) summarizes the state of affairs in the selected field. The paper must include a number of open research questions and a discussion of proposed/possible ways to address these questions. If the research field has implications for non-academic applications (language technology, teaching, etc.) that are touched upon in the articles, this should also be included in the paper. The term paper is supervised by a member of staff from Radboud University Nijmegen or Tilburg University, whose own field of expertise is related to the theme addressed in the term paper. Individual supervision consists of at least three meetings, though additional meetings can be scheduled if desired. During the first meeting a theme and a preliminary list of readings are defined. When a first version has been written, the supervisor and student discuss it and revisions are agreed upon. The final version is discussed and evaluated. In addition to the individual supervision, there are up to five group meetings, in which all students of a cohort come together. These meetings are led by one of the course coordinators and have two goals. The first is to guard progress on the Term Paper; the other is to give the students the opportunity to practice explaining scientific topics to others. In round table meetings, students present their topic, explain what is interesting about them, what findings are reported in the articles they read, how the researchers have come by these findings, and what they mean in the broader context of linguistics and communication studies. At the end of the course, students know how to write a coherent review article on the basis of a collection of articles addressing a common theme. Students identify a research topic and gather relevant literature. Based on the literature, they write a critical review. Individual supervision will in principle consist of a minimum of 3 meetings: (1) during the first meeting a theme is

15 defined, and a preliminary list of readings is defined, (2) when a first version has been written supervisor and student discuss it and revisions are agreed upon, (3) the final version is discussed and evaluated. Group meetings: round table meetings with other students. Written paper (literature review), to be judged by the appointed supervisor and 2 nd reader Contacts Dr. O. Crasborn (o.crasborn@let.ru.nl) and prof. A. Backus (a.m.backus@uvt.nl) Lab Rotation I Period Period 3 and 4 Lecturers Dr. N.H.J. Oostdijk & prof. A.M. Backus LET-REMA-LC1405 Research master Pre-requisite(s) Credits 12 The course is available only to students of the research master s programme Language and Communication. Students become interns in a research environment at Tilburg or Radboud University (such as a PI group, a department, or an ad-hoc combination of related research projects), become familiarized with the research being done and the local research culture, and carry out a small project under the supervision of one or more senior researchers within the group. The class consists of four components, i.e. four research activities students carry out in the context of their internship. Together they are credited with 12 ECTS; taken together with Lab Rotation II, in which the internship is rounded off, students take part in one or more local research projects for 18 ECTS. At the end of the course, the student has learned various practical research skills and has acquired knowledge of the contents of ongoing research. The 12 ECTS for Lab Rotation I are broken down into the following activities: 1) Attending seminars (2 ECTS); 2) Orientation on current research in the focal group and related groups (2 ECTS); 3) Preparing a proposal for a small project (2 ECTS); and 4) Carrying out this project (6 ECTS). While there is a natural progression to these tasks, the first three are basically carried out simultaneously: seminars and research meetings take place throughout the time period, and students may begin straight away with the preparation for their own project, or in any case as soon as it is clear in which specific group it will be carried out. Students start their Lab Rotation with an intake conversation with a senior researcher within the group of their choice. The first goal here is to delineate the environment within which the internship takes place. This may be obvious in the case of a well-defined PI group or externally funded large-scale project, but it may also be a collection of related projects that lacks a formal status; in that case the intake process is to define the research context for the duration of the internship. At this point this environment is preferably not defined too narrowly, in order to get the student exposed to a relatively wide range of research cultures. The second goal is to identify the student s initial goals for the internship, decide on the most optimal supervision structure, and assign the student to the most suitable supervisor(s). In consultation with the supervisor, the student then carries out the four different activities. As familiarization with research culture is one of the goals of this class, students are required to attend a minimum of 10 seminars, workshops or other kinds of research meetings (not necessarily limited to the focal research group). Both activities are summarized in a short written report that lists the seminars that were attended and also includes a short memo or essay that summarizes the ongoing research in the research environment, including, if any, that in related groups at the two universities. The bulk of the work, however, is taken up by the student s own research project. This project will be carried out within the context of the larger group, and will often be in close collaboration with one or more researchers, such as senior researchers, postdocs and graduate students. Often, projects will address a relevant aspect of the overall group s central topic that is not addressed in great detail by other members of the team. In many other cases, the student assists one or other members, often a PhD student, in carrying out the research. While the student is responsible for his or her

16 own project, every step will be carried out under close supervision from experienced researchers. At the start of this stage (roughly two months after starting the Lab Rotation), there is a planning meeting with minimally the student and the senior supervisor present, and the purpose is twofold: to discuss the planned project in general terms, and to redefine the research environment for it. In most cases, the team the student will be part of for the next stage is smaller and more focused than it was for the first stage. The student now first prepares a fairly detailed research proposal; the rest of the time is spent carrying out as much of the project as possible, focusing on data collection and first analyses. At the end of the class, the student puts together a portfolio containing the list of seminars attended, the essay (see above), the research proposal, a description of the work done on the research project so far, and a log of meetings attended and activities carried out. The student will submit a portfolio containing a general summary of the activities undertaken, a list detailing each individual activity, and an Appendix containing samples of the work. This portfolio forms the basis of the assessment by a senior researcher who is a member of the research group and has been able to form an idea of the student s functioning throughout the internship. Additional Information Before the start of their internship, students should formally register their lab rotation. They can do so by filling out the Application Form Internship in Master that can be found following this link: Contacts Dr. N.H.J. Oostdijk (n.oostdijk@let.ru.nl) and prof. A.M. Backus (a.m.backus@uvt.nl) Lab Rotation II Period 1 Lecturer Dr. N.H.J. Oostdijk & prof. A.M. Backus LET-REMA-LC1501 Research master Prerequisites Credits 6 The course is available only to students of the research master s programme Language and Communication. Students continue their internship as described in Lab Rotation I, in a research environment at Tilburg or Radboud University (such as a PI group, a department, or an ad-hoc combination of related research projects). The small project they have carried out under the supervision of one or more senior researchers within the group is now finished by finalizing the analyses, and reporting about the findings through a written paper and at least one presentation. Lab Rotation II is credited with 6 ECTS, but should be seen as integrated with Lab Rotation I (12 ECTS), forming an internship credited with 18 ECTS in total. At the end of the course, the student has learned to report on own research. Lab Rotation II starts with an assessment meeting involving the student, a senior researcher, and where appropriate other co-workers within the project, to see what still needs to be done to bring the student s project to completion. If any analyses still need to be carried out, these are planned and executed first. Then the focus shifts to reporting the findings. A suitable venue for an oral presentation is found first: this may be an internal presentation in the research group, but it may also be a conference or workshop presentation. It may be billed (and prepared) as a joint presentation with other members of the group, but it is important that the student is responsible for some or all of the actual presentation. Finally, the student prepares a written version in the form of a paper that could either be submitted to a journal in its present form or function as the basis for a submission, by the student alone or by two or more writers including the student. As for Lab Rotation I, the student will submit a portfolio containing a general summary of the activities undertaken, a list detailing each individual activity, and an Appendix containing samples of the work, including the presentation and

17 the written paper. This portfolio forms the basis of the assessment by a senior researcher who is a member of the research group. Additional Information Before the start of their internship, students should formally register their lab rotation. They can do so by filling out the Application Form Internship in Master that can be found following this link: Contacts Dr. N. Oostdijk (n.oostdijk@let.ru.nl) and prof. A.M. Backus (a.m.backus@uvt.nl) Grant Proposal Writing Period Period 2 Lecturer Prof. A.M. Backus & prof. R.W.N.M. van Hout LET-REMA-LC1508 Research master Pre-requisite(s) Credits 6 This course is available only to students of the research master s programme Language and Communication. This course consists of 4-5 workshop-style meetings. During these meetings, students give short presentations about the ideas they are developing for a research project. All students hand in text material before each meeting, and each text is looked at by two other students and at least one of the teachers. The texts roughly follow the timeline of writing a grant proposal, from generating ideas to writing it down in an accessible and convincing way. Throughout, students learn about various topics and sub-disciplines, and to comment upon the work of their fellow students. The activities in this course look ahead to a further career in research. In raising awareness of and practicing research skills, it follows up on the Term Paper (literature review) and the Lab Rotations (participation in research seminars, observation of and participation in on-going research). In this course, the focus is on the integration of all elements of the research cycle, on writing and presentation skills, and on strategic aspects of managing an academic career, particularly on how to write a grant proposal. The cohort meets two or three weeks, sometimes in Nijmegen and sometimes in Tilburg. Other people involved in students work, such as tutors, supervisors, postdocs and PhD students, may join occasionally. In this course the following aspects will be addressed: - how to give peer review - how to identify research questions and how to turn (some of) them into a grant proposal - how to write a good grant proposal - understanding the landscape of research grants - how to build a network - how to apply for jobs At the end of the course, - students will have learned how to write a grant proposal, a text genre with its own conventions and characteristics - students are capable of reflecting on the various research skills they have picked up in the course of the Research Master programme and of applying them in an integrated way. The course prepares students for the next steps in their (academic) career. The course is taught in the form of workshop-style meetings. Students are given various assignments. These include writing a cv, identifying and formulatingthe research question(s), presenting the contours of a research proposal, explaining a research proposal to relative outsiders, writing up a draft proposal. Students are teamed up with two other students in a kind of buddy system where one student is relatively knowledgeable about the topic while for the other the topic lies far removed from his/her interests. The role of the buddies and the lecturers is to provide a mix of expert and lay feedback, mimicking what happens in the real world of grant competitions (time permitting, there will be some mock interviews).

18 Teaching Hours/Week Three hours every two or three weeks. (Draft) grant proposal to be assessed by the lecturers with a pass/fail. Contacts Prof. R. van Hout r.vanhout@let.ru.nl) and prof. A. Backus (a.m.backus@uvt.nl) Valorization A Period 2 Lecturer(s) Dr. N.H.J. Oostdijk and prof. A.M. Backus LET-REMA-LC1503 Research master Pre-requisite(s) Credits 3 The course is available only to students of the research master s programme Language and Communication. Valorization, also known as knowledge utilization, has become an increasingly important aspect of scientific research. The Dutch research Foundation, NWO, defines knowledge utilisation as: a process that facilitates the use of scientific knowledge outside of academia and/or by other scientific disciplines. The process often requires interaction between the researcher and the intended knowledge user, and this contact can take place in all phases of the research: from formulating the research question through to disseminating the research results. For research proposals, a paragraph on the potential knowledge utilization is obligatory, and plays an increasingly important role in the evaluation of such proposals. At least partly this is the result of the wish of research foundations such as NWO to show the general public the relevance of scientific research and the need for funding of such research. In a number of meetings led by the course coordinators, experts (incl. policy officers, senior researchers, GSH valorization laureates) are invited to elaborate on various issues pertaining to valorization and also to share their experiences. In the successive meetings the following issues are addressed (a) What is valorization? Why/how is it relevant? Different forms of valorization, potential stakeholders, partnerships, push vs pull. (b) What possibilities are there for valorization? A number of showcases are presented that together illustrate the wide range of possibilities for valorization of arts and humanities research. (c) The valorization/knowledge utilisation paragraph in research grant applications: What is expected? How to arrive at a competitive plan. Students will be given various assignments in which they are challenged to translate and apply what they have learned through the meetings to their specific research focus. At the end of the course students are familiar with the concept of valorization. They can identify relevant knowledge users of the research they plan to conduct and are aware of possible strategies to reach these intended knowledge users. Students reach out to potential users and develop a plan in which they describe how they will go about presenting the results of their research both to the general public and more specific target groups that may be interested in their research. The course is taught in the form of a series of workshop-style meetings. To each meeting experts such as a policy officer, senior researchers, and GSH valorization laureates are invited to talk about various aspects of valorization and how to go about it. Students prepare for the meetings by reading relevant materials and completing assignments. Student participation in the meetings is through discussions and presentations.

19 Teaching Hours/Week 3 hours every other week Each student develops a plan in which s/he charts (a) the possible parties that may be interested in the research featuring in the student s grant proposal or the research the student aims to conduct within the context of his/her master thesis, and (b) ways to disseminate the research results. In addition, the student identifies an outlet that could be used to do so. At the end of the course, the plan is presented in an oral presentation. The course coordinators will grade a student s participation in the course and the oral presentation with a pass/fail. The written version of the plan is part of the portfolio that the student submits for the Valorization B course. Reading List Selected publications including: Benneworth, P., E. Hazelkorn, & M. Gulbrandsen HERAVALUE. Measuring the societal impacts of universities research into arts and the humanities. Van Drooge, L., R. Vandeberg, et al Valuable: Indicators for Valorisation. The Hague: Rathenau Insitute. Contacts Dr. N. Oostdijk (n.oostdijk@let.ru.nl) and prof. A. Backus (a.m.backus@uvt.nl) Valorization B Period 4 Lecturer(s) Dr. N.H.J. Oostdijk and prof. A.M. Backus LET-REMA-LC1504 Research master Pre-requisite(s) Credits 3 The course is available only to students of the research master s programme Language and Communication. This course is the follow-up to Valorization A, in which the student has learned about the concept of valorization and about the various ways in which valorization can be achieved, and is planned to be done while the student is also engaged in the final stages of thesis writing. The thesis will provide input for the content of what is to be written as the end product of this course: a text that presents the findings and conclusions to a non-specialist audience. In a number of meetings led by the course coordinators, students gradually work on this text. They do this in the form of two activities. First, they select examples of valorization, both within their field and outside it. These may be, e.g., opinion pieces in newspapers, scientific newspaper reports, science blogs, or websites. Each student selects one such example and discusses its merits in class. Second, students discuss a problem or a breakthrough they have experienced in their own on-going effort at valorization. Typical issues include which results to focus on, how to avoid jargon, how much to simplify, how to make connections to current societal interests, how to differentiate between opinion and fact, and how to write effectively. Each student works toward a text in which they present the findings of their own research to the general public. As a first step, they identify an appropriate outlet (newspaper contribution, blog, website, etc.); as a second step they produce the required text. At the end of the course students have learned how to communicate their research findings to a non-specialist and nonacademic audience. They can identify relevant knowledge users of the research they plan to conduct and are aware of possible strategies to reach these intended users. They have also learned how to write effectively for a non-academic audience. The course is taught in the form of a series of workshop-style meetings. At each meeting, students discuss one example of valorization they have selected, and their own effort at valorization.

20 Teaching Hours/Week 3 hours every other week Each student hands in a portfolio that includes at least two parts. The first is a collection of 3-5 samples of other people s attempts of communicating their work to a more general audience, and short comments on each regarding effectivity and quality. The second obligatory part is the student s own attempt at valorization. The course coordinators will grade a student s participation in the course and the portfolio with a pass/fail. Reading List Contacts Dr. N. Oostdijk (n.oostdijk@let.ru.nl) and prof. A. Backus (a.m.backus@uvt.nl) Master Thesis LET-REMA-LC1407 Research master Pre-requisite(s) Credits 30 The course is available only to students admitted to the research master s programme Language & Communication. All the research skills the student has learned earlier in the programme need to be integrated in a mature academic study. Under the supervision of two senior researchers, students perform a research project in which they have to show their ability as a junior researcher. Ultimate grading depends on the quality of the literature review, the originality, clarity and feasibility of the research questions, the suitability and quality of the methodology, the quality of the analysis and discussion, and the clarity of the presentation. Thus, the student has to show competence in all three learning outcomes targeted by the programme: disciplinary knowledge, methodological expertise, and research skills. In most cases the Master thesis should result in a submitted conference or journal paper or a PhD research proposal. Students carry out an individual research project under the supervision of an experienced researcher, and write down the results in the form of a Master thesis. Individual supervision. Thesis, to be assessed by the appointed supervisor and 2 nd reader Additional Information Students and supervisors/assessors are required to draw up and sign a thesis agreement. The template for such an agreement can be found as a pdf- file at There you may also find the assessment form that will be used. 3.2 Specialization courses (Automatic) Speech Recognition Period Period 3 and 4 Lecturers Dr. ir. L.I.J. Cranen & dr. L.F.M. ten Bosch LET-REMA-LCEX10 Research master Pre-requisite(s) Knowledge of statistics and scripting/programming Credits 6