Overview

About the programme

From automated translation to intelligent voice assistants, from personalization to large-scale search systems, AI-driven investigation of language and technology is having a transformative impact on society. Yet, despite such advances, this technology is often designed without involvement of language researchers, all too often leading to projects which fail to deliver to end users.

Regardless of what has been achieved, many of the most complex challenges of modelling language and communication remain seemingly intractable. In the School of LAL, several engagements are underway attempting to address these challenges, and to increase the representation of language researchers in building language technology.

By examining real-world applications across industries and domains, we aim to investigate new avenues for advancing human-machine interaction and enhancing communication across languages and cultures. This Language and Technology degree is offered at The Open University UK.

Programme Structure

Potential research projects:

Use of language technology (e.g. dialogue systems, machine translation, etc.) to enhance teaching and learning
Investigating how to work with domain experts, particularly in highly technical domains (such as law, science, etc.) with their own distinct forms of communication, to improve the applications of language technology
Using technology to support linguistic analysis, especially in areas where there is very little data available (such as minority languages, non-standard language varieties, face-to-face conversation, etc.)
The role of social knowledge (e.g. norms, morals, conventions, etc.) in improving language technology for highly specialised areas (such as the legal sector, STEM, etc.)
The limits of technology in modelling language use and communication
Using language technology to model patterns in spoken or signed languages

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 36 months
Part-time
- 72 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-10-01 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-01-01 00:00:00

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

87

Schedule TOEFL®

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

Disciplines

Language Studies Linguistics View 147 other PhDs in Language Studies in United Kingdom

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Academic requirements

GPA

Upper Second Class

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

87

Schedule TOEFL®

Other requirements

General requirements

Entry requirements:

Minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) and an MA or research methods training at MA level (or equivalent). If you are not a UK citizen, you may need to prove your knowledge of English.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

12705 GBP / year

≈ 12705 GBP / year
Domestic Applies to you

Applies to you

Citizens or residents

5006 GBP / year

≈ 5006 GBP / year

Living costs

Milton Keynes

United Kingdom

848 - 1345 GBP / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Language and Technology.

Available Scholarships

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