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. 

Scrabble letters

Morphological effects on syntactic variation

Research

In the literature on syntactic variation, several correlations between syntactic and morphological variation have been identified. In this project, we explore the possible correlation by evaluating existing generalisations and arguing for new ones.

The main researcher and Dulcie Nanala while cooking kangaroo tail for the celebration of the publication of the Kukatja Learner's Guide

Language variation and change in the Upper Amazon: a new koiné?

Research

The study examines language levelling in Peru's Alto Amazonas and the influence of indigenous languages on Spanish.

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. 

Infographic meertaligheid in beeld

Bilingualism in the picture

Research

Bilingualism is a hot topic, one which is increasingly the subject of conversation in many primary schools. To facilitate this conversation, we have created three short animations about bilingualism for primary school children and their teachers.

Young pupil learning on laptop

ASTLA

Research

This project investigates speech diagnostic output and how that data can be used to personalise learning-to-read trajectories.

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. 

Teacher reading to children. Yan Krukau. Pexels

Learning Dutch for Ukrainians

Research

This research project at Radboud University aims to bring insight into the link between learners' psychological well-being and learning Dutch.

Rainbow reflection on a wall

Navigating uncertainty in gender incongruence and differences in sex development (DSD)/intersex conditions

Research

This project investigates how uncertainty in gender incongruence and differences in sex development (DSD) is displayed in interaction among healthcare professionals (HCP), among peers (adolescents/parents) and between HCP and adolescents/parents.

Research groups

Researchers are associated with a research group, and they actively collaborate both within their own group and across different groups whenever feasible.

Participate in our research!

We are always looking for participants. Sign up as a participant in the Radboud SONA system to take part in our lab or online experiments. For further information, please send an e-mail to clslab [at] let.ru.nl (clslab[at]let[dot]ru[dot]nl).

Information for EEG/fEMG participants

Please read this information before coming to the appointment. 

Information EEG Information fEMG 

 

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:

Show CLS Talks

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 Radboud University.

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.