2025 Summer School > Summer School

Summer school: Theories and Data in Linguistic Research

Embark on an immersive exploration of language at the Summer School on Theories and Data in Linguistic Research! This program invites young researchers and students to explore the interface between linguistic theories and empirical methodologies, led by leading experts across diverse fields of linguistics.

This summer school offers a unique opportunity for in-depth reflection on two fundamental aspects of linguistic research: building a robust theoretical framework and selecting the most appropriate methodological approaches to guide research work.

The instructors will address these aspects across various linguistic domains:

• Theoretical linguistics and the history of linguistic theories
• Corpus linguistics
• Cognitive linguistics, multimodality, and language acquisition
• Experimental linguistics

By intersecting these approaches, we aim to provide participants with theoretical and practical tools to enrich and refine their own research within a stimulating and dynamic environment.

Instructors

Jean-Michel Fortis — CNRS HTL, Paris, France

Gaëtanelle Gilquin — UCLouvain, Belgium

Fanny Meunier — CNRS BCL, Nice, France

Cornelia Müller — European University Viadrina, Germany

Program highlights

From the expressive world of gestures and languages with Cornelia Müller, you’ll investigate how gestures shape and interact with language(s). Through hands-on analyses and the innovative "Toolbox of Methods for Gesture Analysis," participants will examine the mimetic, spatial, and temporal dynamics of gesture in multimodal communication.

Explore the cognitive architecture of the mental lexicon with Fanny Meunier, unraveling the role of morphology in language processing. This course bridges theory and practice, offering direct experience with experimental techniques like EEG and fMRI, empowering students to interpret neural and behavioral data through interactive experimentation.

Take a guided journey through corpus linguistics with Gaëtanelle Gilquin, discovering how corpora can inform linguistic theory and language pedagogy. From compiling and analyzing corpora to hands-on training with tools like AntConc and Sketch Engine, this course equips participants to harness corpus data to answer complex research questions.

Finally, with Jean-Michel Fortis, navigate the landscape of contemporary theoretical linguistics, exploring major approaches, current debates, and future challenges. This course encourages broad theoretical reflection, inviting participants to engage critically with methodological choices and their impact on evolving linguistic theories.

Each instructor offers three 90-minute sessions blending theory, data analysis, and practical workshops. Whether you're refining your own research, testing hypotheses, or rethinking linguistic paradigms, this Summer School provides a vibrant space to develop cutting-edge insights at the intersection of theory and data.

For more information on the program, click here.

Applications 

The school can accommodate up to 60 participants. We welcome applications from young researchers (e.g., PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers).

• Deadline for the submission of your application: April 20, 2025.
• Notifications of acceptance will be sent by May 15, 2025, along with a link for registration.
• Registration will be open until June 10, 2025. 

To apply, you can use this link, in French: https://enquetes.univ-lille.fr/index.php/825395?lang=fr  

Or this one, in English: https://enquetes.univ-lille.fr/index.php/825395?lang=en

Registration fee

• General registration fee: €170 (for researchers, faculty members, and post-docs)
• Student registration fee: €130 (requires proof: a certificate from the doctoral school/administration of your institution or a copy of your valid student card for the current academic year, 2024–2025)