2025 Summer School

The summer school features three courses representing a coherent theoretical to practical progression from theories of grammar to the implementation of experiments:

1. From linguistic theory to psycholinguistic and aphasiological testing

Prof. dr. Kasper Boye, University of Copenhagen

The course opens with an introduction to the concept of grammar, addressing fundamental questions about what grammar is and how it emerges. It then delves into two central topics: the lexical-grammatical distinction and accounts of grammaticalization, highlighting challenges encountered by traditional accounts, as well as proposing new perspectives and theories. The final sessions demonstrate how these theories can be tested using psycholinguistic and aphasiological methods, drawing on relevant experimental studies and clinical case reports. The overall aim is to illustrate how linguistic theories of grammar can be developed to explain observed language patterns while also seeking psychological and neuroscientific grounding.

2. Experimental studies in linguistics: From understanding research papers to running your own experiments

Dr. Laura Vilkaitė-Lozdienė, Vilnius University 

This course will broadly introduce experimental methods across many linguistic subdisciplines, then review the main experimental techniques (reaction time studies, priming, eye-tracking, elicitation tasks, etc.), the main steps and choices of designing an experiment, ways of dealing with confounding factors and participant variation, and selected considerations of experimental ethics. The introduction will include group exercises and discussions of published papers to link the theory to actual research. The class will also discuss practical issues of administering experiments, from finding participants to conducting the testing sessions. Finally, the students will design and program their own experiments. They will have a choice of replicating a published paper or asking their own research question, using PsychoPy to create a simple lexical decision task or phrase acceptability task. The students will be able to pilot their experiment with their peers. After finishing the course, the students will be more confident in evaluating other experimental studies or creating their own experiments in linguistics.

3. Handling experimental data with R

Dr. Alena Witzlack-Makarevich, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem/University of Cologne

This hands-on course will allow students to gain experience with data wrangling and statistical analysis of experimental data with R (a software for statistical computing and data visualization). The course will closely follow the methods discussed in Experimental studies in linguistics and will replicate a number of case studies discussed there. It will cover a range of topics including the technicalities of hypothesis testing in R, effect size, type I/II errors, regression and modelling, as well as aspects of data wrangling including transformations.

4. Tutoring / group work

An important complement to the three courses is the tutoring and group work sessions. These sessions are designed to reinforce and solidify the knowledge gained during the lectures and to clarify any remaining questions. Participants will have the opportunity to work on their assignments individually or in groups, with the added benefit of consulting with lecturers who will be present during the tutoring sessions. This format fosters peer-to-peer learning, collaboration and exchange among linguists  diverse fields and career stages. 

Additionally, the summer school will feature a poster session on the first day of the event, which will provide an opportunity for the participants to  present their research to their peers and the lecturers and learn about each other’s research projects.

While primarily designed for early-career researchers with a strong theoretical background—such as PhD students, advanced Master’s students, and postdocs—we also welcome scholars at different career stages who share an interest in integrating experimental approaches into their work. The summer school fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and accommodates participants from all linguistic frameworks, promoting an exchange of ideas that advances linguistic research.

The summer school will take place at the “Inovatorių slėnis” (Innovators’ Valley) cultural hub in Antalieptė, a small charming village in northeastern Lithuania. Attendants of the summer school will be accommodated in one of two distinctive locations, each offering its own special appeal: 

• The “Medus” (“Honey”) laboratory: Spacious and cozy rooms (4-5 beds each) ensure a comfortable rest after a day of engaging lectures. This area is located in the same building where the lectures and coffee breaks take place, meaning it will be a lively and dynamic environment throughout the day.
• The Discalced Carmelites Monastery: More basic accommodation with rooms for 4–8 people. It provides an unforgettable atmosphere as it is a fascinating historic site which has served various purposes over the years. Besides having been a monastery, throughout history it has also served as an orphanage, a school, a military base, and an agricultural technical school. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served in the monastery.

As you’ve probably gathered, participants will share rooms. Although this might make you remember times in a summer camp, this experience fosters a strong sense of community and creates opportunities for late-night linguistic discussions—if your roommates are up for it, of course! And if you are a fan of an active lifestyle, a morning swim in the pond might be just the thing you didn’t know you needed. There is also a lake 2 km away.

While there is a café in the monastery, full board (i.e. breakfast, lunch, and dinner) is provided by the organizers and included in the attendance fee. The food is hearty and tasty, rooted in the local cuisine and prepared with care and dedication by the Antalieptė locals. Vegan and vegetarian options will be available. If you have special dietary needs, please let us know in the registration form, and our cooks will do their best to accommodate you. There is also a shop in the village where you can buy basic food items, sweets, snacks, and drinks.

The uniqueness of the summer school is also connected to its venue. The event takes place in a historic monastery complex in the small village of Antalieptė in North-Eastern Lithuania. Participants get away from all other distractions and spend a week solely in the company of nature and other linguists. They live in the monastery complex, share meals, and spend evenings by the lakeshore or around the campfire, engaging in lively discussions and singing along in a variety of languages. The pond right beside the monastery (or a lake 20 minutes away by foot) offers the possibility for a swim – even during the break between the lectures. One of the available evening activities is a traditional sauna session.

The summer school traditionally has been accompanied by other cultural events: concerts, theater performances, village fairs. This year is also set to include a range of activities which are usually attended not only by linguists, but also by the locals from Antalieptė.

The number of participants is limited, so a selection process will be in place in the event of a large number of applicants. To assist us in this process, we ask that you provide a brief statement of your motivation for wanting to participate in the summer school. Apply before the 15th of April by filling out this questionnaire.

We will let you know if you have been selected on the 20th of April at the latest.

Participation fee amounts to 250 Euros (200 Euros for members of the “Academia Salensis” association). The fee covers: 

• 3 courses (5 lectures each) and daily tutoring/groupwork sessions
• accommodation at the monastery
• full board (three meals per day)
• coffee breaks 
• opening & closing receptions
• transportation by bus from & to Vilnius (20 and 26 July).

A bus will be provided for those heading to Antalieptė from Vilnius. It will depart from Vilnius University on Sunday, July 20, and return to Vilnius on Saturday, July 26.

You can contact us by sending an email to info@academiasalensis.org. Follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram), where we post news, photos and impressions from the summer school and conference.