Welcome to the VARIAGE research project

The linguists collaborating in the VARIAGE project aim to study educational and occupational transitions across the lifespan, emphasizing retirement as a socially determined and linguistically constructed concept shaped by changing cultural meanings and individuals’ lived experiences. In order to identify dis/continuity patterns in cognitive functioning and L1/L2 use and learning pre- and post-retirement, we bring together a range of perspectives regarding (1) original research agendas and (2) innovative methodological approaches, notably from the fields of second language acquisition, psycho-, socio-, and neurolinguistics.  We also focus on producing workable and replicable research designs in uncharted territories and identifying ways to operationalize alternatives to conventional research methodologies.

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Funding

This project receives support from:

• VELUX Foundation

• UZH Foundation (find more information on this collaboration here)

• Giving Back Initiative of the UZH Foundation

• Avenira Stiftung

• Egon-und-Ingrid-Hug-Stiftung

• Veronika und Hugo Bohny Stiftung

• W + I Kerscher Stiftung

 

Ethical clearance for the project was obtained through the Ethics Committee of the University of Zürich (no. 23.05.07).