Post-Doctoral Research Assistant

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A position is available for a highly motivated Post-Doctoral Research Assistant to work on a research project at the University of Oxford. The project is led by Professor Elizabeth Wonnacott. The project investigates how AI-powered tools can be used to optimise foreign language learning. As learners increasingly turn to such pools, there is an urgent need to understand not simply whether these technologies are effective, but how they can be designed to maximise learning. This project brings together insights from cognitive science, psycholinguistics and AI to investigate how the structure of language input influences vocabulary learning.

The focus of this initial project is on adult learners of Mandarin Chinese. Using a bespoke AI-powered language learning platform, we will investigate how different types of linguistic input – ranging from decontextualised vocabulary practice to exposure in diverse sentence contexts – affect vocabulary learning, retention and the ability to use words flexibly in new situations. The project will also develop novel computational methods using large language models (LLMs) to generate, control and quantify language input, enabling a level of experimental precision not previously possible in this area.

The successful applicant will contribute to both the computational and experimental aspects of the project. They will help develop AI-assisted methods for creating experimental materials, design and run behavioural studies with language learners, analyse learning data, and contribute to publications and dissemination. The project offers an exciting opportunity to work at the intersection of language acquisition, cognitive science and artificial intelligence within a collaborative research environment committed to open science.

The project is funded by St John's College and the appointee will be a member of the College. The post is for 12 months with a proposed start date of 1st October 2026 or soon after.

For further details and how to apply please see here

Closing date for applications is 12 Noon 22nd August 2026.