English Linguistics

Internships English Linguistics

 

What?

You will learn typical operations of a sociolinguist or museum curator within the framwork of an internship (for an acknowledgment within your studies, the minimal period of the internship must be three months). These include, f.e. (depending on where your internship takes place) the transcribing of interviews with the help of special software (such as ELAN, PRAAT), extracting and coding of language data and its analysis. In some internships, you will also get a chance to participate in field work (interviews etc.) teilzunehmen or to work with a team on creating new projects and ideas.

 

The internships take place in the „Sociolinguistics Labs“ of colleagues of Prof. Dr. Susanne Wagner in Scotland (Glasgow) and Canada (Toronto, ON und Victoria, BC). In addition, there is a chance of working in the laguage archive of the „British Library“  in London.

 

The colleagues there will let you know what to do, they will instruct you and be of assistance throughout your stay. You still should keep the following in mind: good or even excellent Excel skills are a clear advantage; as is a certain affinity to numbers; and furthermore, a thorough understanding of coloquial English at a mother tongue level is essential. Depending on where you will go, you should prepare yourself by reading books and texts to easen your access; Mainz linguistcs will gladly help you out with this prior to your stay abroad. A knowledge of the basics of English sociolonguistics are a given.

 

Where?

University of Glasgow (Scotland)

  • Work in the sociolinguistics lab of Prof. Dr. Jennifer Smith

University of Toronto (ON, Canada)

  • Work in the sociolinguistics lab of Prof. Dr. Sali Tagliamonte

University of Victoria (BC, Canada)

  • Work in the sociolinguistics lab of Prof. Dr. Alexandra D’Arcy (NOT between August 2019 and June 2020)

British Library (London, GB)

  • Work in the Sound Archive (director: Dr. Jonathan Robinson)

 

When?

The concrete dates of the exchange are flexible and will be negotiated with all partners (depending on wishes, responsibilities, semester times etc.). Stays of > 3 months are also possible upon request and negotiations.

 

Details about the various places

Toronto (Ontario)

Victoria (Vancouver Island, British Columbia)

Glasgow (Scottland)

  • students can audit select classes (talk to programme coordinator/Prof. Smith)
  • no formal application necessary

British Library (London)

  • to be determined

FAQs

Who can apply?

Master students of the DEL (you must be matriculated as a master at the beginning of your internship; but naturally, you can apply and make arrangements before then).

Who is my contact in Mainz?

Prof. Dr. Susanne Wagner (susanne.wagner@uni-mainz.de)

How many spots are there?

Per place, there are about 2-4 spots per year available.

What is the selesction of candidates based on?

  • Achievements in the field of linguistics (English and possibly other relevant subjects)
  • Experience in the transaction of empirical studies and sociolinguistics
  • Good and excellent computer skills (esp. Excel), experience with statistics
  • It is expected that you have written a term paper in one of Prof. Dr. Wagner's master seminars before beginning the internship
  • A motivational letter (according to DAAD/stipend giver's guidelines; max. 2 Din-A4-pages)
  • An interview

What will it cost me?

  • Important: these are NOT stipends and NO study abroad stays; you can, generally speaking, NOT get credits for your studies at JGU
  • You will NOT get a pay  for the work you do within the frame of this internship - it is the experience that counts
  • In other words: you are responsible for all costs, including travel expenses, board, food, as well as possible university or insurance fees (s. below)
  • The costs can vary quite a bit, depending on the geographical area and diverse costs of living – inform yourself well prior to application on the websites of the universities and the internet
  • Applicants for Canada can apply for PROMOS funds (https://www.studium.uni-mainz.de/promos-praktika/ - be sure to honor deadlines!)
  • Applicants can also apply for funding from the German student credit system (for foreign countries)/Auslands-Bafög (the application process will take about 6 months!) (https://www.bafög.de/de/auslandsfoerderung-384.php)
  • For Great Britain, there is also  the chance to apply for funds via Erasmus+ (still) (https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/opportunities/traineeships-students_en – pay attention to deadlines!); a Learning Agreement must be negotiated – plan accordingly!
  • Depending on the place and duration of your stay, there may be an additional cost for foreign health insurance – also inform yourself well about this point as early as possible!