Student Assistant: Natural Language Processing/Corpus Linguistics (Spanish)

Modelling Word Order and Cognitive Constraints

The languages of the world show a wide range of variety, but this variety is often constrained. It has been hypothesized that various cognitive biases shape these constraints. In the case of differential object marking, this includes factors such as animacy and definiteness, but there has never been a comprehensive multifactorial investigation across languages on natural language data to empirically confirm this. We are looking for someone with excellent organizational skills and attention to detail who also has substantive experience with natural language processing and (corpus or cognitive) linguistics, and has an excellent command of the Spanish language. The ideal candidate will be familiar with NLP methodology for automatic linguistic annotation in Python, and will have a practical understanding of methods for multifactorial linguistic studies on experimental or corpus data. Knowledge of statistical analysis of such data also helps.

Working at the UvA

Modelling Word Order and Cognitive Constraints

The languages of the world show a wide range of variety, but this variety is often constrained. It has been hypothesized that various cognitive biases shape these constraints. In the case of differential object marking, this includes factors such as animacy and definiteness, but there has never been a comprehensive multifactorial investigation across languages on natural language data to empirically confirm this. We are looking for someone with excellent organizational skills and attention to detail who also has substantive experience with natural language processing and (corpus or cognitive) linguistics, and has an excellent command of the Spanish language. The ideal candidate will be familiar with NLP methodology for automatic linguistic annotation in Python, and will have a practical understanding of methods for multifactorial linguistic studies on experimental or corpus data. Knowledge of statistical analysis of such data also helps.

All about this vacancy

This is what you will be doing

You will contribute to a systematic quantitative corpus study of differential object marking in Spanish. There are two main tasks. The first is to investigate and implement methods that automatically annotate relevant linguistic properties that predict the use of differential object marking in Spanish, such as animacy and definiteness. A previous research assistant has already developed a method to automatically identify instances of differential object marking in Spanish, but this can be further developed. The second is to perform manual or semi-automatic annotation of sentences containing differential object marking and the features that predict its use. After doing these two tasks, depending on the remaining time, another task may be to statistically analyse the data that was collected.

Part of the research has already been carried out by a previous student assistant, so you will be following up on existing work.

This is what we ask of you

You have an interest in academic research and are familiar with quantitative methods in linguistics. You have experience with text processing in Python as well as a high level of Spanish proficiency. You are familiar with relevant linguistic concepts, such as animacy, givenness and differential object marking, and are able to identify them in empirical data.

This is what else we offer you

As an UvA employee, you'll be able to work in the employee areas of Lab42 (the building of the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation at Science Park). Through weekly update meetings, you will gain practical experience with how research projects develop. If you are interested, you can join us to relevant academic events such as the Computational Linguistics Seminar and the Corpus-based and/or Computational Approaches to Language and Literature (CCALL) events.

This is a unique opportunity to work at the Faculty of Humanities. The duration of the employment contract is from 1 February - 30 June 2026, for 8 hours per week. Your salary will be between € 3.084 - € 3.141 gross per month based on a full time employment of 38h per week. This is exlcuding 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% percent end of the year bonus. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

All about this vacancy

This is what you will be doing

You will contribute to a systematic quantitative corpus study of differential object marking in Spanish. There are two main tasks. The first is to investigate and implement methods that automatically annotate relevant linguistic properties that predict the use of differential object marking in Spanish, such as animacy and definiteness. A previous research assistant has already developed a method to automatically identify instances of differential object marking in Spanish, but this can be further developed. The second is to perform manual or semi-automatic annotation of sentences containing differential object marking and the features that predict its use. After doing these two tasks, depending on the remaining time, another task may be to statistically analyse the data that was collected.

Part of the research has already been carried out by a previous student assistant, so you will be following up on existing work.

This is what we ask of you

You have an interest in academic research and are familiar with quantitative methods in linguistics. You have experience with text processing in Python as well as a high level of Spanish proficiency. You are familiar with relevant linguistic concepts, such as animacy, givenness and differential object marking, and are able to identify them in empirical data.

This is what else we offer you

As an UvA employee, you'll be able to work in the employee areas of Lab42 (the building of the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation at Science Park). Through weekly update meetings, you will gain practical experience with how research projects develop. If you are interested, you can join us to relevant academic events such as the Computational Linguistics Seminar and the Corpus-based and/or Computational Approaches to Language and Literature (CCALL) events.

This is a unique opportunity to work at the Faculty of Humanities. The duration of the employment contract is from 1 February - 30 June 2026, for 8 hours per week. Your salary will be between € 3.084 - € 3.141 gross per month based on a full time employment of 38h per week. This is exlcuding 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% percent end of the year bonus. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

Your place at the UvA

This is where you'll be working

You will join the "Modelling Word Order and Cognitive Constraints" project, which is an interdisciplinary collaboration between Dr. Marieke Schouwstra (Cognitive Science), Dr. Jelke Bloem (Natural Language Processing) and Dr. Eva van Lier (Linguistics). You will work with Maria Tepei, PhD candidate in this project, whose focus is on differential object marking in Romanian. The project combines theoretical insights from linguistics and cognitive science with advanced methods from Natural Language Processing.

More about the UvA

The University of Amsterdam is ambitious, creative and committed. An inspiration to students since 1632, a vanguard player in international science and a partner in innovation.

The University of Amsterdam is the largest university in the Netherlands, with the broadest range of courses on offer. An intellectual hub with 42,000 students, 6,000 staff and 3,000 PhD students. Connected by a culture of curiosity.

Your place at the UvA

This is where you will be working

This is where you'll be working

You will join the "Modelling Word Order and Cognitive Constraints" project, which is an interdisciplinary collaboration between Dr. Marieke Schouwstra (Cognitive Science), Dr. Jelke Bloem (Natural Language Processing) and Dr. Eva van Lier (Linguistics). You will work with Maria Tepei, PhD candidate in this project, whose focus is on differential object marking in Romanian. The project combines theoretical insights from linguistics and cognitive science with advanced methods from Natural Language Processing.

More about the UvA

The University of Amsterdam is ambitious, creative and committed. An inspiration to students since 1632, a vanguard player in international science and a partner in innovation.

The University of Amsterdam is the largest university in the Netherlands, with the broadest range of courses on offer. An intellectual hub with 42,000 students, 6,000 staff and 3,000 PhD students. Connected by a culture of curiosity.

Important to know

Your application & contact

Questions?For questions about the position or department, you can contact us during office hours at:

Jelke Bloem

Assistant Professor in Computational Humanities

ApplicationIf you recognize yourself in the profile and are interested in the position, we look forward to receiving your application. To apply, please fill in the questionnaire below and send it to Jelke Bloem ( [email protected] ). The vacancy closes on 23-1-2026.

Please answer the questions below to apply for the research assistant position:

1. Personal data

Name:

E-mail address:

Current degree programme:

University where you are currently enrolled:

Study plans for 2025-2026:

Have you ever worked as a research assistant at the UvA before? If so, was that under the "compensation other than wages"?

2. Motivation

Why do you want to participate in this research project? Why does it seem interesting or useful to you? What do you hope to learn from it? Are there aspects of the project that particularly interest you?

3. Relevant prior knowledge and experience

What relevant prior knowledge or experience have you gained in your studies, activism or volunteer work, paid work, or personal life? What courses have you taken that are relevant to this topic? This can be about the task itself (Spanish syntax and semantics) or its research context (corpus linguistics, cognitive linguistics, automatic annotation using natural language processing).

4. Availability

Are there periods in the period Feb 2026 - Jun 2026 when you are not or less available?

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

As an employer, the UvA maintains an equal opportunities policy. We value diversity and are fully committed to being a place where everyone feels at home. We nurture inquisitive minds and perseverance and allow room for persistent questioning. With us, curiosity and creativity are the prevailing culture.

Read more

Studies show that women and members of underrepresented groups only apply for jobs if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Do you meet the educational requirements but not yet all of the requested experience? The UvA encourages you to apply anyway.

Important to know

Your application & contact

Questions?For questions about the position or department, you can contact us during office hours at:

Jelke Bloem

Assistant Professor in Computational Humanities

ApplicationIf you recognize yourself in the profile and are interested in the position, we look forward to receiving your application. To apply, please fill in the questionnaire below and send it to Jelke Bloem ( [email protected] ). The vacancy closes on 23-1-2026.

Please answer the questions below to apply for the research assistant position:

1. Personal data

Name:

E-mail address:

Current degree programme:

University where you are currently enrolled:

Study plans for 2025-2026:

Have you ever worked as a research assistant at the UvA before? If so, was that under the "compensation other than wages"?

2. Motivation

Why do you want to participate in this research project? Why does it seem interesting or useful to you? What do you hope to learn from it? Are there aspects of the project that particularly interest you?

3. Relevant prior knowledge and experience

What relevant prior knowledge or experience have you gained in your studies, activism or volunteer work, paid work, or personal life? What courses have you taken that are relevant to this topic? This can be about the task itself (Spanish syntax and semantics) or its research context (corpus linguistics, cognitive linguistics, automatic annotation using natural language processing).

4. Availability

Are there periods in the period Feb 2026 - Jun 2026 when you are not or less available?

As an employer, the UvA maintains an equal opportunities policy. We value diversity and are fully committed to being a place where everyone feels at home. We nurture inquisitive minds and perseverance and allow room for persistent questioning. With us, curiosity and creativity are the prevailing culture.

Studies show that women and members of underrepresented groups only apply for jobs if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Do you meet the educational requirements but not yet all of the requested experience? The UvA encourages you to apply anyway.