Types of Training
The LOT schools offers courses that are intended for specifically first-year Research Master’s (RM1) students or specifically for second-year Research Master’s (RM2) and PhD students.
Training for RM1 Students
RM1 students are those students that started their study in the autumn preceding the Winter School at a LOT-affiliated institute.
RM1 Courses
RM1 courses are aimed specifically at RM1 students. RM1 courses are offered in Week 1 of the LOT Winter school. The level of these courses is introductory. There are two types of RM1 courses: 1. State-of-the-art, offering a general introduction to a linguistic field; and 2. Methods in a linguistic field.
RM1 Students can earn 5 EC by participating in two RM1 courses. Each course requires a time investment of 70 hours. In order to receive these 5 EC, the student must meet the following requirements per RM1 course:
- Reading of preparatory literature (10 hours);
- Preparatory assignment to be handed in on the first day of class (10 hours);
- Attendance on all days during the school (10 hours);
- Two homework assignments during the course, to be handed in for classes 3 and 4 (5 hours);
- A final assignment to be handed in four weeks after the last day of the course (35 hours).
Reading of preparatory literature
The reading materials for each of the courses can be found via the course schedule (click on the course title). Students have to get hold of the reading materials themselves via their university library, Google Scholar, etc.
Preparatory assignment
Teachers get the list of registered students when registration closes. Four weeks before the start of the school, the teachers send the preparatory assignment to the students via email. Students hand in this assignment on day 1 of the course.
Daily attendance during the school
Students must be present for all five classes of the course. Specially appointed course assistants keep track of attendance and submission of the assignments.
Homework assignments during the course
During the week, teachers provide the students with two homework assignments due on Wednesday and Thursday. Teachers check/discuss these in class.
Final assignment
On Friday, the teacher distributes the final assignment. The deadline for handing in the final assignment by the student is four weeks after the end of the class. Students send their assignments directly to the teacher. Teachers then have two weeks to grade the final assignment. Teachers send their evaluations (pass/fail) to LOT.
Evaluation of assignments
Evaluation of the assignments is on a pass/fail basis. There are no repair exams for students who fail the course. They will have to make up for missed credits by taking another course in another LOT school.
Certificates
At most 8 weeks after the end of the course, the students who passed the course receive their LOT certificate from the LOT office. The credits are also collected at the institutional level, and sent to the contact person for the RM Linguistics program at each university. The credits are to be signed off by the student’s home university towards the completion of the MA degree.
Training for RM2 Students
RM2 students are those RM students that have already followed a year of RM education at a LOT-affiliated institute.
Regular Courses
Regular courses are aimed specifically at RM2 and PhD students. RM1 students cannot enrol in these courses. Regular courses are offered in both weeks of the LOT Winter and Summer schools.
The level of regular courses is either Intermediate or Advanced.
- Intermediate courses target participants that have previously taken a course on the topic. A number of the courses at Intermediate level are State-of-the-art, giving an overview of the most recent developments in a particular field to students who are already familiar with the course topic.
- Advanced courses target participants that have previously written a paper on the topic or conduct research relating to the topic.
RM2 students can earn 5 EC for participation in a LOT school. Each course requires a time investment of about 28 hours. In order to receive these 5 EC, the student must meet the following requirements:
- Reading of preparatory literature.
- Attendance of three regular courses over a period of two weeks.
- Presence on all five days of the course.
- (Optional) A paper about the topic of one of the regular LOT courses for an additional 2 EC. The following section provides more information about this paper.
Reading of preparatory literature
Before the school starts, the student should complete the readings for the courses. The reading materials for each of the courses can be found via the course schedule (click on the course title). Students have to get hold of the reading materials themselves via their university library, Google Scholar, etc.
Daily attendance during the school
Students must be present for all five classes of the course. Specially appointed course assistants keep track of attendance and submission of the assignments.
Certificates
At most 8 weeks after the end of the course, the students who passed the course receive their LOT certificate from the LOT office. Students receive a LOT certificate of 1 EC for each course that they complete successfully; for three classes this amounts to 3 EC. The credits are also collected at the institutional level, and sent to the contact person for the RM Linguistics program at each university. The credits are to be signed off by the student’s home university towards the completion of the MA degree.
Paper
In order to receive an extra 2 EC, RM2 students can write a paper on the topic of one of the regular courses.
Only RM2 students at a LOT-affiliated institute can write a paper in order to earn 2 EC. So this excludes PhD candidates and participants from outside of the Netherlands.
Not all RM2 students are allowed to write a paper via LOT, and the requirements for the papers differ per university. Therefore, please direct questions regarding these papers to your local RM coordinator.
If an RM2 student is allowed to write a paper via LOT, the student can contact the teacher of the course during the LOT school to discuss the content and set-up of the paper. This should then be checked by your local RM coordinator. The paper has a minimum length of 10 pages. For further requirements, ask your local RM coordinator.
Papers can only be marked by a teacher from your home institute, which is affiliated with LOT. If you need help in finding a teacher to mark your paper, please contact your RM coordinator. Please ask the marking teacher to inform the LOT office of the outcome (pass/fail).
The deadline for submitting a paper is set at 4 weeks after the end of the LOT school. Papers must be sent directly to the marking (LOT-affiliated) teacher. The teacher then has 2 weeks to assess the work, and informs the LOT office of the outcome (pass/fail). If the paper fails, there is no possibility for the student to revise and resubmit. If the paper passes, the LOT office sends a certificate for 2 EC to the student and the student’s RM coordinator.
RM1 courses
RM2 students can enrol for RM1 courses, but participation cannot be guaranteed. RM1 students have priority for these courses, so the number of spots is limited. RM2 students cannot register for these courses via the registration form. Instead, they should email the LOT office to be put on the waiting list (lot@uva.nl). When registration closes, LOT will inform them whether they can be placed.
Please note: If RM2 students participate in RM1 courses, they must follow all requirements outlined for RM1 students in order to earn 2.5 EC (see Training for RM1 students). It is not possible to take the RM1 courses as a Regular course. Participants who do not submit the preparatory assignment, or the homework assigned during the week of the LOT school can be refused entrance to the class, and will not receive credits.
Training for PhD Students
Regular Courses
Regular courses are aimed specifically at RM2 and PhD students. RM1 students cannot enrol in these courses. Regular courses are offered in both weeks of the LOT Winter and Summer schools.
The level of regular courses is either Intermediate or Advanced.
- Intermediate courses target participants that have previously taken a course on the topic. A number of the courses at Intermediate level are State-of-the-art, giving an overview of the most recent developments in a particular field to students who are already familiar with the course topic.
- Advanced courses target participants that have previously written a paper on the topic or conduct research relating to the topic.
PhD students are advised to take no more than two courses a week. Each course requires a time investment of about 28 hours (1 EC). In order to receive the credits the student must meet the following requirements:
- Reading of preparatory literature.
- Presence on all five days of the course.
Reading of preparatory literature
Before the school starts, the student should complete the readings for the courses. The reading materials for each of the courses can be found via the course schedule (click on the course title). Students have to get hold of the reading materials themselves via their university library, Google Scholar, etc.
Daily attendance during the school
Students must be present for all five classes of the course to earn a certificate. Specially appointed course assistants keep track of attendance and submission of the assignments.
Certificates
At most 8 weeks after the end of the course, the students who passed the course receive their LOT certificate from the LOT office. Students receive a LOT certificate of 1 EC for each course that they complete successfully.
RM1 courses
PhD students can enrol for RM1 courses, but participation cannot be guaranteed. RM1 students have priority for these courses, so the number of spots is limited. PhD students cannot register for these courses via the registration form. Instead, they should email the LOT office to be put on the waiting list (lot@uva.nl). When registration closes, LOT will inform them whether they can be placed.
Please note: If PhD students participate in RM1 courses, they must follow all requirements outlined for RM1 students in order to earn 2.5 EC (see Training for RM1 students). It is not possible to take the RM1 courses as a Regular course. Participants who do not submit the preparatory assignment, or the homework assigned during the week of the LOT school can be refused entrance to the class, and will not receive credits.
Research Discussion Groups
PhD students can register for a Research Discussion Group (RDG) in addition to the LOT courses. RDGs are two-hour sessions, which take place on Tuesday and Wednesday during a LOT school week. The main focus of a RDG is on the participants’ current research projects. The goal is to provide them with feedback to enhance their research and to prepare their work for publication. A maximum of 12 PhD students are accepted for each RDG. The lecturer decides which students are accepted.
The RDGs consist of presentations and discussions provided by the participants and regulated by the lecturer. Participants are asked to give a presentation on their own research. Topics can be: research ideas/questions, methodology, experiments, specific problems, results (if obtained), progress, etc. Please note that it is not necessary to present research that is in an advanced stage.
Registering for a RDG requires participants to submit a brief description of their research (this is part of the registration form). Please describe the main question of your PhD, your method and the questions you would like to address during the RDG.
The lecturer will select the participants on the basis of their description. The most important criterion will be whether the topic of the participants’ presentation corresponds to the research interests of the lecturer.
After registration has closed and you have been accepted into the RDG, the lecturer or LOT coordinator will contact you about your participation.