Prospective Students

Information for students interested in pursuing a PhD or MA thesis with me.

I am always interested in supervising motivated students who want to conduct research in my areas of expertise. This page provides guidance for prospective PhD candidates and MA thesis students interested in working with me.

Research areas

My research focuses on conversational AI for language learning, at the intersection of second language acquisition (SLA), task-based language teaching (TBLT), computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and natural language processing (NLP).

More specifically, I am interested in:

  • Dialogue systems and chatbots for L2 learning and practice
  • Effectiveness and evaluation of conversational AI for language learning
  • Vocabulary acquisition and vocabulary size assessment
  • Spoken and written L2 fluency development
  • Longitudinal assessment of L2 proficiency

I am also interested in research linked to the main challenge in French as a second/foreign language (FLE) in French-speaking Belgium, which I believe to be the linguistic and social integration of foreign-speaking, newly-arrived migrant students (NAMS) in school contexts (DASPA). I am interested in:

  • Longitudinal assessment of the language proficiency of newly-arrived migrant students
  • Curriculum and assessment in school integration contexts (DASPA, in French-speaking Belgium, in particular).

If your research interests align with these areas, I would be happy to hear from you.

For PhD candidates

What I am looking for

I am looking for PhD candidates with:

  • Academic background in applied linguistics, language education, educational technology, computational linguistics, French as a foreign language (FLE), or related fields
  • Genuine interest in research at the intersection of language learning and technology
  • Basic skills in statistics or a wish to quickly learn quantitative analysis
  • An ability to work independently while being open to feedback and collaboration
  • Good written and oral communication skills in English (and, ideally, some in French)
  • A motivation to publish in peer-reviewed journals and present at international conferences

The requirements for starting a PhD in the Faculty of Arts at UCLouvain include having obtained a Master’s degree in related fields (for a PhD in Linguistics/Languages, letters and translation studies) with at least an academic distinction such as cum laude (fr. distinction, nl. onderscheiding, ≥70%).

Steps to apply

  1. Explore my research
    • Read my publications to understand my research focus
    • Check if your interests genuinely align with my expertise
  2. Prepare your materials
    • A CV including your academic background, research experience, and publications (if any)
    • An email including:
      • Your research interests and how they connect to my work
      • A preliminary research idea or question you would like to explore
      • Your relevant skills and experience
    • Academic transcripts
    • A writing sample (e.g., MA thesis, published paper, or course/research report)
  3. Contact me
    • Send an email with your materials and a brief introduction
    • Use a clear subject line (e.g., “Prospective PhD candidate - [Your name] ϕ”)
    • Include “ϕ” in the subject line, so I know you have consulted this page
    • Explain why you want to work with me specifically
  4. Discussion and admission

Funding

PhD positions at UCLouvain can be funded through various mechanisms:

  • Research assistant positions (funded by the university or research projects) – these are advertised when available
  • FNRS fellowships (Aspirant·e) – competitive national funding for excellent candidates with a recently obtained Master’s degree from a Belgian university (and a couple of other countries) and high marks
  • External scholarships from your home country or international organizations
  • Teaching assistantships combining research and teaching duties – advertised when available, but very limited opportunies in my domain

I encourage prospective candidates to explore funding opportunities proactively. I am happy to support strong applications for competitive fellowships.

For MA thesis students

I supervise Master’s thesis projects at UCLouvain in:

  • Français langue étrangère (FLE)
  • Langues et littératures françaises et romanes, ou générales
  • Linguistics
  • Education

in topics related to my research areas.

If you are a student at UCLouvain and would like me to supervise your thesis:

  1. Check alignment: Make sure your topic fits my research areas and approaches
  2. Check the UCLouvain platform for dissertations for topics and research proposals I offer to supervise,
    OR Prepare a proposal: Come with a preliminary idea of what you want to research, closely aligned with my research areas
  3. Contact me early: Ideally one semester before you plan to start your thesis
  4. Be autonomous and proactive: I expect MA students to take initiative in their research while seeking guidance when needed

What to expect

If we work together, you can expect:

  • Regular meetings to discuss your progress, challenges, and next steps
  • Constructive feedback on your work (research design, writing, presentations)
  • Support for professional development (conferences, publications, networking)
  • Collaborative environment with other researchers in my network
  • Honest communication about expectations, timelines, and quality standards

I expect from you:

  • Commitment to your research project and deadlines
  • Proactive communication about your progress and any issues
  • Openness to feedback and willingness to revise your work
  • Academic integrity in all aspects of your research
  • Collegiality with other team members and collaborators

Contact

If you are interested in working with me, please get in touch. I look forward to hearing from you.