MIT Linguistics

10/29/2026

Job Announcement: Assistant Professor in Computational Linguistics

The Department of Linguistics and Philosophy together with the Schwarzman College of Computing (SCC) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge MA invites applications for a position in computational linguistics at the level of a tenure-track Assistant Professor, starting July 1, 2027, or as soon thereafter as possible.

We seek candidates whose research connects productively with current issues in core areas of linguistic theory as they interface with core computational questions. The successful candidate will have a PhD in Linguistics, Computer Science or a related field, and will be expected to participate in research, teaching and advising in Linguistics and in SCC. A PhD is required by the start of employment.

The successful candidate will have a shared appointment in both the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy and SCC in either the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) or the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS), depending on best fit. Faculty duties include teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in computational linguistics and related educational programs of SCC; conducting research; and advising undergraduate and graduate students. The normal teaching load is three subjects per year.

Applicants should submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, copies of research papers, evidence of teaching ability, and contact information for at least three referees. In addition, the application should include a statement outlining the applicant's research interests, previous achievements, and plans, as well as the broader questions that this research promises to engage with.

The pay range for a 9-month academic appointment at the entry-level Assistant Professor rank (excluding summer salary): $135,000 – $138,000.

MIT provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the Institute reasonably expects to pay for a position at the time of posting. The pay offered to a selected candidate during hiring will be based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience and education/training, internal peer equity, and applicable legal requirements. This pay range represents base pay only and does not include any other benefits or compensation

Please submit online applications to: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/33177

Review of applications will begin on December 11, 2026. To ensure full consideration, applications should be complete by this date, but we will consider all applications submitted until the position is filled.

MIT is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and strongly encourage applications from individuals from all identities and backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive equitable consideration for employment based on their experience and qualifications and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, s*x, s*xual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, or national or ethnic origin. See MIT's full policy on nondiscrimination. Employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check, including verifying any finding of misconduct (or pending investigation) from prior employers.

MIT Linguistics: http://linguistics.mit.edu
MIT Schwarzman College of Computing: https://computing.mit.edu

LSA announcement of position: https://www.lsadc.org/jobs_listing.asp?id=1941

Job , Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Linguistics and Philosophy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, US

10/26/2026

WHAMIT PHPed

Our sister site, the weekly newsletter WHAMIT! (What's Happening At MIT) is unavailable at the moment, as a consequence of the widely publicized PHP vulnerability. Never fear: we are posting here as always, and will produce a Whamit issue as soon as the site is upgraded by the powers-that-be at MIT.

The Weekly Newsletter of MIT Linguistics

10/26/2026

LingLunch - Maya Honda & Cora Lesure (MIT)

Speakers: Maya Honda & Cora Lesure (MIT)
Title: Take the LEAP! Linguistics Education and Pedagogy for All
Time: Thursday, October 29, 12:30-2pm
Location: 32-D461

Abstract:
Language is essential to being human and to understanding ourselves. Yet Linguistics, the scientific study of human language, remains largely unknown as a field and inaccessible to the general public in the US. LEAP—Linguistics, Education, and Pedagogy—is a departmental outreach initiative working to address this problem in two key ways: by creating and implementing teaching materials for middle school and high school students, and by creating resources to promote the accessible communication of linguistics research.

In this presentation, we will discuss our belief that studying Linguistics offers middle school and high school students the opportunity to develop scientific thinking skills and an understanding of the rule-governed nature of language, while cultivating metalinguistic awareness. We will also discuss the key challenges of making big questions in the field (and possible answers) conceptually accessible to students and also to non-linguists beyond the classroom. We will discuss the ways LEAP projects attempt to address these challenges, as well as ways for you to get involved in this important work.

Ultimately, we must all work together as a community to create access and promote awareness about Linguistics. These goals transcend the work of a single person or the LEAP initiative. We need your insight, your expertise, and your collaboration. We hope you will join us in this evolving conversation. To that end, we invite you to reflect on the following discussion questions in anticipation of our presentation:

1. What do you think is vital for middle school and high school students to know about your research area?

2. What do you find is most challenging about making your work accessible to a general audience?

about Maya: https://linguistics.mit.edu/user/mhonda/
about Cora: https://esp.mit.edu/teach/teachers/lesure/bio.html

I completed my undergrad in Linguistics and Hispanic Languages at McGill University in Montreal. I finished my PhD here at MIT in 2023 and now I work as a postdoc in the Linguistics Department. My research focuses on the word level and below, so how words are built with things like suffixes and pref...

10/26/2026

LF Reading Group - Kai von Fintel (MIT)

Speaker: Kai von Fintel (MIT), presenting joint work with (An)Thony Gillies (University of Arizona)
Title: Yo-yo conditionals and counterfactual supposition
Time: Wednesday, October 28, 1-2pm
Location: 32-D461

Abstract:
There are two ways of articulating counterfactual thought experiments about what would have been the case if some (specific) things had been the case: counterfactual supposition and counterfactual conditionals. We introduce a novel puzzle about a class of iterated counterfactual thought experiments, the problem of yo-yo conditionals like If it had rained then if it hadn't rained the seats would be wet. We show that yo-yo conditionals raise serious issues for all extant theories of counterfactual conditionals. There are some fixes we can and will consider, but lurking there's a hard problem that we find both intriguing and infuriating.

https://www.kaivonfintel.org/about/

10/26/2026

Syntax Square - Zachary Feldcamp (MIT)

Speaker: Zachary Feldcamp (MIT)
Title: Fragment answers in subject positions
Time: Tuesday, October 27, 1-2 PM
Location: 32-D461

Abstract:
Whereas the syntax of fragment answers is typically discussed in root contexts, it has been observed that they may also occur as complements of bridge verbs (Temmerman 2013) and as predicates in a copular clause (Weir 2017). In this work-in-progress talk I consider the distribution of fragments in subject position, such as the PP fragment in (1B).

(1) Q. Where should we put the pie?
B. On the table would be a good idea.
Approximately means: For us to put the pie on the table would be a good idea.

I show that such “fragment subjects” present a paradox. On the one hand, fragment subjects behave like fragments elsewhere in exhibiting connectivity for case and binding, indicating covert clausal structure. On the other hand, they are more like gerunds than clauses (i) in freely allowing embedding and (ii) disallowing it-extraposition. The puzzle is that gerunds in DP-selecting complement positions do not generally permit fragments, indicating that ellipsis of gerunds is not a freely available operation. Various approaches to this puzzle are discussed.

https://zacharyfeldcamp.com

10/26/2026

MIT @ Algonquian Conference

MIT Linguistics was well represented at the recent Algonquian Conference, held at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Elora Cromarty (current student in the MITILI program), Peter Grishin ('23, postdoc '23-'25), Elise Newman ('21, current faculty), Norvin Richards ('97, current faculty), and Cooper Roberts (current student in the doctoral program) all presented at the conference.

Elora gave a poster, and participated in a co-authored talk (with Joel Jansen, Grace Yang, and Antti Arppe), on her work with Swampy Cree – and also participated in a keynote panel discussion on "Youth in Leadership". The other MIT-related participants presented their work with Passamaquoddy-Wolastoqey. Peter and Elise co-presented both a paper and a poster, and Norvin and Cooper each gave talks.

Norvin Richards writes: “The conference was both inspiring and educational, and we're looking forward to putting what we've learned into practice.”

conference website: https://algonquianstudies.org/algonquian-conference/

10/19/2026

Colloquium - Paloma Jeretič (University of Pennsylvania)

Speaker: Paloma Jeretič (University of Pennsylvania)
Title: “Studies on Conceptual Alternatives“
When: Friday, October 23rd, 3:30-5pm
Where: 32-141

Abstract:
Any current theory of pragmatic meaning relies on reasoning over alternatives, i.e. sentences that could have been uttered instead. However, recent work points to the need for ‘Conceptual Alternatives’, which are alternative meanings that are built from concepts that do not have a corresponding linguistic form (Buccola, Križ and Chemla 2021). In this talk, I discuss the Conceptual Alternative hypothesis from the point of view of three studies I have done on the topic: two of them are on the implicated presupposition of anti-duality of “all”, which look at data from French and Ecuadorian Siona, which are two languages without a word for “both”, but differ with respect to whether the word for “all” is anti-dual. The third is a language acquisition study, which looks at whether children can derive implicatures that exclude an alternative meaning M before they have learned the words that mean M.

Home I am a linguist, specialized in semantic theory and fieldwork. I study how meanings are expressed within and across languages, and what this reveals about language in general. My recent work has mostly been on Ecuadorian Siona, French, Spanish, Turkish. I am an Assistant Professor at the Univer...

10/19/2026

The MIT Linguistics community helps celebrate our School's 75th anniversary!

MIT’s School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS) celebrated its 75th anniversary a few weeks ago with a three-day symposium (apologies for the late post!) — and it wouldn’t be a celebration without linguists, would it? Two of our faculty colleagues, Norvin Richards (PhD 1997) and Elise Newman (S.B. 2016, PhD 2021), and one of our most eminent alums, Jessica C**n (PhD 2010), participated in different panels of the symposium.

Norvin talked about the MIT Indigenous Language Initiative (MITILI), which he leads — what it has meant to us as a community, what we have learned about language from it, and what it has meant to its graduates and their communities — the communities for which the entire initiative was created in the first place.

Elise, who double-majored in physics and linguistics at MIT, spoke about the moment she realized that languages can be studied in much the same way physicists have studied the rest of the natural world — and then exemplified this with her own research discovering and explaining some universals of argument structure.

Jessica, a specialist in Mayan languages (and more recently, Iroquoian as well), spoke eloquently about the paths that her graduate study at MIT opened up for her, some things she has discovered in her fieldwork and theoretical investigations, and the paths that she herself now opens up for others through her own teaching and research.

These were intellectually challenging and often moving events, with talks by our colleagues and friends interspersed meaningfully with talks highlighting all the SHASS fields, followed by unusual and fascinating group discussions and Q&A. Happy birthday, SHASS!

SHASS site: https://shass.mit.edu/
Symposium site: https://shass.mit.edu/news-events/shass-75th-anniversary-symposium/

Norvin's site: https://linguistics.mit.edu/user/norvin/
MITILI: https://linguistics.mit.edu/mitili/
his talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MNOClQP5UI - go to 30m40s

Elise's site: https://esbnewman.github.io/
her talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5fxny-MloY - go to 1m54s

Jessica's site: https://jessica.lingspace.org/
her talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7nSoQN93AU - go to 13m18s

10/19/2026

Fox Fest celebrates our colleague Danny Fox!

On September 26, our department and colleagues from around the world gathered to celebrate the 60th birthday of our wonderful colleague and section head, Danny Fox!

Fox Fest, organized by his former students — themselves now eminent researchers in their own right — attracted speakers, commentators, poster presenters, and audience from just about everywhere. The Dean of our School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, philosopher Agustin Rayo, began the proceedings with ten full minutes of praise for Danny as not only a brilliant and influential researcher (which we already knew) but as a selfless and wise advisor and colleague to others across the School and Institute. Five talks with commentary followed the Dean’s introduction, and ten posters, along with lots of discussion — and of course the day was concluded with a party.

Capping the celebration was the publication and presentation of a 518-page Festschrift for Danny Fox, full of excellent papers by his peers and colleagues influenced by his work in semantics, pragmatics, syntax, and how all these areas of our field reveal the workings of the human mind.

Apologies for the delayed announcement of the great day!

Workshop site: https://linguistics.mit.edu/foxfest/

Danny's site: https://linguistics.mit.edu/user/fox/

Festschrift: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HJXL3375

Photo credits: Jiamu Zhu and social media accounts of Yale Linguistics and Salzburg Linguistics

10/19/2026

LF Reading Group - Seva Masliukov (MIT)

Speaker: Seva Masliukov (MIT)
Title: Selective access to atoms and a gap in the theories of the mass/count contrast
Time: Wednesday, October 21, 1-2pm
Location: 32-D461

Abstract:
Most theories of the mass vs count contrast assume some version of a three-way split between count nouns like ‘apple’, object-level mass nouns like ‘furniture’ that refer to discrete entities but are number-neutral and not directly «countable», and substance-level mass nouns like ‘water’ that do not have clear minimal parts in their denotation.

The goal of this talk is to bring attention to another subgroup of nouns that rather stably map to mass crosslinguistically — granular nouns like ‘sand’, ‘salt’, ‘rice’ etc. Ontologically speaking, they clearly have natural atoms in their denotation, which can be «extracted» both lexically, as in ‘a grain of sand’, or morphologically, as in tywod ‘sand’ tywod-yn ‘a grain of sand’ (Welsh).

I aim to show, mostly building on data from Welsh and Russian, that despite having atomic reference on some level, these nouns severely restrict access to the minimal parts in their denotation. I will further argue that this behavior of granular nouns generally presents a problem for existing accounts of the mass/count distinction and suggest ingredients for a solution.

Speaker: Seva Masliukov (MIT) Title: Selective access to atoms and a gap in the theories of the mass/count contrast Time: Wednesday, October 21, 1-2pm Location: 32-D461 Abstract: Most theories of the mass vs count contrast assume some version of a three-way split between count nouns like ‘apple’...