Research at CLS
The Centre for Language Studies (CLS) aims to achieve a deeper understanding of the cognitive and social processes underlying language systems, language processing, and language use. We aspire to optimise human communicative interaction. Our approach is to investigate language from single sounds to discourse, including modalities from speech and text to gestures, signs, and images. In our research projects, we examine the three Big Questions presented below.
1) How are language systems structured and how do they evolve?
We study typological, regional, and historical differences between languages and their varieties, and how social and cognitive factors contribute to language structure, variation and change. View more projects with this theme.
2) How do humans and machines acquire languages?
We examine the factors and processes underlying language acquisition in first, second, foreign and multi-language contexts by human learners of all ages in naturalistic and educational settings, and we examine the possibilities and boundaries of computers in simulating these processes. View more projects with this theme.
3) How do human communication and cognition interact?
We investigate the structure, meaning, functions, and modalities of language in social interaction. We examine language processing and communication effects on cognition and behavior in healthy persons and individuals with an impairment, in interpersonal, organizational, and digital contexts. View more projects with this theme.
Research groups
Researchers are associated with a research group, and they actively collaborate both within their own group and across different groups whenever feasible.
- Cognitive and Developmental Aspects of Multilingualism
- Discourse and Pragmatics
- First Language Acquisition
- Grammar and Cognition
- Language and Communication Effects
- Language Learning, Teaching and Testing
- Language and Social Interaction
- Language and Speech, Learning and Therapy
- Language and Speech Technology
- Language Variation in 4D
- Non-nativeness in Communication
- Speech Production and Comprehension
CLS Talks
CLS Talks take place once a month on Thursdays at 4 pm. These colloquia showcase research done within the CLS, with the aim to increase awareness of the ongoing research in our institute, and to facilitate discussions and collaborations between researchers. In addition, we invite a number of external speakers to share their work with us. If you would like to suggest names for speakers (someone else or yourself), please get in touch with us via clstalks [at] ru.nl (clstalks[at]ru[dot]nl).
CLS Talks are open to all interested researchers. If you are not on the CLS mailing list but would like to receive notice about an upcoming talk, please send a message to clstalks [at] ru.nl (clstalks[at]ru[dot]nl).
CLS Talks are organised by Janine Berns, Sybrine Bultena, Kars Ligtenberg, Katharina Pabst & Laura Speed.
The most recent overview of upcoming CLS Talks can be found here:
Education
The Centre for Language Studies (CLS) is involved in language education and in the Research Masters Linguistics and Communication Sciences and Historical, Literary and Cultural Studies at the Faculty of Arts of uu77.
Networks
Networks facilitate research past the borders of our institute. Many researchers of CLS founded and collaborate in networks, of which an overview is presented below.