Funding

Funded (UK/EU and international students)

Project code

SLAL4420619

Department

School of Education, Languages and Linguistics

Start dates

June 2019

Application deadline

Applications close midnight 30 June 2019

This project is now closed. The details below are for information purposes only.

The PhD will be based in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics and will be supervised by Dr Glenn Hadikin, Dr Lee Oakley and Dr Marie McCullagh. 

The scholarship covers tuition fees only at the UK/EU rate (for three years). Successful candidates must ensure they have adequate funds to cover their own living expenses for the duration of the project.

The work on this project will:

  •  help develop a better understanding of how international students use language to express their own wellbeing as well as related feelings and motivations.

  • help develop our understanding of how research into the wellbeing of international students differs from home students.

  • provide a model for future research into this area and related issues.  

The project is a 3-year project (September 2019-September 2022) that will investigate and potentially improve the wellbeing of international students in any English-language speaking institution or a number of institutions. Work that focuses on a UK higher education setting will be particularly welcome.

Candidates are free to draw on a range of theoretical perspectives and methods as they develop this project. Discourse analysis techniques such as discursive psychology will be given priority.  

Findings from this research project will be disseminated through conference presentations/publications and will have an impact on international student wellbeing around the world. Candidates are encouraged to consider the impact of their work as part of the application.

Dr Glenn Hadikin will be the first supervisor of this project and the research project will be part of the research activities of the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics (SLAL).
 

Entry requirements

You'll need a good first degree from an internationally recognised university (minimum upper second class or equivalent, depending on your chosen course) and a Master’s degree in linguistics, communication, psychology  or a related area. In exceptional cases, we may consider equivalent professional experience and/or Qualifications. English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.

You should have a strong interest in the education and welfare of international students and, ideally, experience of collecting and analysing spoken interview data. Experience of discourse analysis (such as discursive psychology) and/or corpus linguistics is desirable.

 

How to apply

Please contact Dr Glenn Hadikin (glenn.hadikin@port.ac.uk) to discuss your interest before you apply, quoting the project code SLAL4420619.

When you are ready to apply, you can use our online application form and select ‘Languages and Applied Linguistics’ as the subject area. Make sure you submit a personal statement, proof of your degrees and grades, details of two referees, proof of your English language proficiency and an up-to-date CV.  

Please also submit a research proposal (up to 1000 words), detailing how you would develop this project:

  • What research questions would you pose?

  • How would you design the project?

  • What research methods would you use?

  • How would you engage with/ build on existing research?

Our ‘How to Apply’ page offers further guidance on the PhD application process.

Please note: to be considered for this funded PhD opportunity you must quote project code SLAL4420619 when applying.