Student Assistant Acoustics of Child Speech

Student Assistant Acoustics of Child Speech

Working at the UvA

Help us acoustically analyse how children become fluent speakers!

As part of a project investigating children’s developing planning and control of their speech, in a team also consisting of Dr. Titia Benders and local and international researchers, you will be responsible for making the acoustic annotations of children’s speech. You will do the individual annotation work in the UvA Speech Lab using the Praat software and you will also join group meetings about the progress and project.

Working at the UvA

Help us acoustically analyse how children become fluent speakers!

As part of a project investigating children’s developing planning and control of their speech, in a team also consisting of Dr. Titia Benders and local and international researchers, you will be responsible for making the acoustic annotations of children’s speech. You will do the individual annotation work in the UvA Speech Lab using the Praat software and you will also join group meetings about the progress and project.

All about this vacancy

This is what you will be doing

Your primary task will be to acoustically annotate the speech of young children (and some adults), distributed across multiple, flexibly scheduled sessions per week. You will receive training for the specifics of the task and will be part of a team that shares ongoing feedback. You may also be training others in this role.

This is what we ask of you

  • You have received initial, university-level training in speech acoustics, including working with Praat. For example, you have successfully completed the course “Phonetics” in the BA Linguistics. After a refresher, you can identify events in a waveform and spectrogram and recognize deviations from the usual patterns.
  • When you work on a task alone and for an extended period, you know how to stay motivated and focussed on the details. You organize your schedule to ensure that project goals and your other responsibilities are fulfilled.
  • You welcome feedback as an opportunity to learn and better meet project goals. During teamwork, you give others space, make yourself heard, and aim to arrive at the shared best possible outcome. You let others know what you need and respond constructively to others. You will celebrate each person’s contribution as well as team efforts.
  • You speak one or more of the following languages: Dutch (for communication within the University of Amsterdam), French (for communication with team members in Cameroon), English (for communication with other international team members and work on English data), Basaa (for work on Basaa data).
  • You expect to be enrolled at the University of Amsterdam for the academic year 2025-2026 and are available to start the position around December 15 (or a later date in consultation). You are available for individual annotation sessions as well as regular meetings on weekdays in the Speech Lab in the Bushuis (scheduling is flexible, the location is not).

This is what we offer you

This position offers the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in being part of an international research team, with ample opportunities for expanding your hard and soft research skills.

The start date is to be discussed but preferably between December 15 and January 1. Depending on relevant experience, the salary at the start of the contract is €3,084.00 to €3,141.00 gross per month based on full-time employment (38 hours per week), according to salary scale SA. This does not include 8% holiday pay and 8.3% end-of-year bonus. The Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities applies. 

All about this vacancy

This is what you will be doing

Your primary task will be to acoustically annotate the speech of young children (and some adults), distributed across multiple, flexibly scheduled sessions per week. You will receive training for the specifics of the task and will be part of a team that shares ongoing feedback. You may also be training others in this role.

This is what we ask of you

  • You have received initial, university-level training in speech acoustics, including working with Praat. For example, you have successfully completed the course “Phonetics” in the BA Linguistics. After a refresher, you can identify events in a waveform and spectrogram and recognize deviations from the usual patterns.
  • When you work on a task alone and for an extended period, you know how to stay motivated and focussed on the details. You organize your schedule to ensure that project goals and your other responsibilities are fulfilled.
  • You welcome feedback as an opportunity to learn and better meet project goals. During teamwork, you give others space, make yourself heard, and aim to arrive at the shared best possible outcome. You let others know what you need and respond constructively to others. You will celebrate each person’s contribution as well as team efforts.
  • You speak one or more of the following languages: Dutch (for communication within the University of Amsterdam), French (for communication with team members in Cameroon), English (for communication with other international team members and work on English data), Basaa (for work on Basaa data).
  • You expect to be enrolled at the University of Amsterdam for the academic year 2025-2026 and are available to start the position around December 15 (or a later date in consultation). You are available for individual annotation sessions as well as regular meetings on weekdays in the Speech Lab in the Bushuis (scheduling is flexible, the location is not).

This is what we offer you

This position offers the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in being part of an international research team, with ample opportunities for expanding your hard and soft research skills.

The start date is to be discussed but preferably between December 15 and January 1. Depending on relevant experience, the salary at the start of the contract is €3,084.00 to €3,141.00 gross per month based on full-time employment (38 hours per week), according to salary scale SA. This does not include 8% holiday pay and 8.3% end-of-year bonus. The Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities applies. 

Your place at the UvA

This is where you will be working

You will become part of a research project team at the University of Amsterdam Speech Lab, where you will have a (shared) desktop to complete your work. You will work together with and receive all the help you need from your direct supervisor (Titia Benders), the members of the (international project) team, and the Speech Lab technician. The local and the international project teams will meet on a regular basis to share ideas, challenges and feedback, and to celebrate productive failures and successes alike.

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 will be working

You will become part of a research project team at the University of Amsterdam Speech Lab, where you will have a (shared) desktop to complete your work. You will work together with and receive all the help you need from your direct supervisor (Titia Benders), the members of the (international project) team, and the Speech Lab technician. The local and the international project teams will meet on a regular basis to share ideas, challenges and feedback, and to celebrate productive failures and successes alike.

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

For questions about the position or department, you can contact us during office hours at: ​​Titia Benders, Assistant Professor in Linguistics and Project Lead.

If you recognize yourself in the profile and are interested in the position, we look forward to receiving your application. Please send your cover letter and CV as a single PDF file.

In the cover letter, please address the following:

  • your interest in the position in the context of your current education and future interests
  • a point-by-point response to the requirements listed under “this is what we ask of you”. For the requirements that you do not (yet) fulfil, please outline why you are enthusiastic about developing in this direction
  • your comprehensive availability for a one-hour trial session in the Speech Lab (Bushuis) on 10, 11 or 12 November in the afternoon

The vacancy closes on November 3, 2025. The interview/trial will take place on November 5 or 6, 2025.

Selections for this position will be based on:

  • a combination of how the role matches the candidate’s current abilities, interests, and experiences, while also providing scope for development that the candidate is enthusiastic about;
  • (if a candidate is invited to the interview/trial) the candidate’s ability to learn and respond to feedback in a trial task that closely resembles the research assistant work. It is expected that candidates similarly use the trial task as an opportunity to assess whether the work will be of interest and suitable to them.

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.
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

For questions about the position or department, you can contact us during office hours at: ​​Titia Benders, Assistant Professor in Linguistics and Project Lead.

If you recognize yourself in the profile and are interested in the position, we look forward to receiving your application. Please send your cover letter and CV as a single PDF file.

In the cover letter, please address the following:

  • your interest in the position in the context of your current education and future interests
  • a point-by-point response to the requirements listed under “this is what we ask of you”. For the requirements that you do not (yet) fulfil, please outline why you are enthusiastic about developing in this direction
  • your comprehensive availability for a one-hour trial session in the Speech Lab (Bushuis) on 10, 11 or 12 November in the afternoon

The vacancy closes on November 3, 2025. The interview/trial will take place on November 5 or 6, 2025.

Selections for this position will be based on:

  • a combination of how the role matches the candidate’s current abilities, interests, and experiences, while also providing scope for development that the candidate is enthusiastic about;
  • (if a candidate is invited to the interview/trial) the candidate’s ability to learn and respond to feedback in a trial task that closely resembles the research assistant work. It is expected that candidates similarly use the trial task as an opportunity to assess whether the work will be of interest and suitable to them.
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.

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