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EFNIL Master’s Thesis Award Competition 2025

Rok za prijavo: 15. 1. 2025
Published on: November 6, 2024

EFNIL (European Federation of National Institutions for Language) is once again inviting students to participate in the competition for the best master’s theses in Europe in the fields of language use, language policy, and multilingualism.

Three outstanding master’s theses will be awarded.

The prize includes:

  1. An EFNIL monetary award for the best master’s thesis (€1500);
  2. An invitation for the awardees to present their thesis at EFNIL’s annual international conference (all expenses covered);
  3. The opportunity to publish an article based on the thesis in the proceedings of the EFNIL annual conference;
  4. The option to publish the full thesis on EFNIL’s website (http://www.efnil.org).

Eligible submissions are master’s theses defended in 2024 and up to 15 January 2025.

You can read, watch, or listen to previous winning theses and presentations on the website: https://efnil.org/projects/masters-thesis-award/

At the first competition in 2020, the top prize was awarded to Nastja Slavec for her thesis “To have” Irish in Corca Dhuibhne: Language ideologies and practices in a minority language community, developed under the co-supervision of Prof. Dr. Bojan Baskar and Prof. Dr. Steve Coleman at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana.

The results of the most recent (fifth) competition were announced at this year’s EFNIL conference in Budapest, where the winners — Joana Pena-Tarradelles, Welmoed Sjoerdstra, and Lisza-Sophie Neumeier — presented their work.

What is EFNIL?

EFNIL is an independent organization that brings together representatives of central language institutions and other bodies responsible for national languages in EU member states and associated countries. It promotes linguistic diversity with a particular emphasis on national languages within the European Union.

EFNIL’s goals are:

  • To promote European linguistic diversity as a means of preserving and spreading the richness of European culture and fostering a sense of shared European identity;
  • To support European national languages as a foundation for ensuring language equality within member states;
  • To support European language institutions as centers of excellence for linguistic analysis and as advisory bodies for policy-making in language matters;
  • To enable information exchange and collaborative development among language institutions and promote joint European linguistic projects;
  • In all member states, to promote:
    • Instruction in the national language(s) at all educational levels to strengthen literacy and oral proficiency as a basis for full societal participation;
    • Foreign language instruction within education systems (aligned with common European language standards) from the earliest years;
    • Opportunities for non-native speakers (children and adults) to learn the national language of their country of residence while maintaining proficiency in their own language;
    • Student and teacher exchange programs within the European Union.

Important Themes

Studies eligible for awards will relate to the above topics, such as:

  • Bilingual language learning;
  • Language teaching strategies;
  • Language use in multilingual settings;
  • Aims and effects of language policies;
  • Comparative studies of language policies;
  • Language technology and multilingualism;
  • Translation and interpretation.

The master’s thesis may concern any European language, but it must be written in one of the official languages of the European Union (English is still one of them).

Priority will be given to theses that analyze or discuss political measures or policies.

In the framework of the European Language Monitor (ELM) project, EFNIL has collected detailed information on language policies and practices in most European countries. This information is available at: http://www.efnil.org/projects/elm. Students are encouraged to make use of these resources and contact the EFNIL Secretariat or EFNIL member institutions for additional information.

Selection Process

The selection committee will evaluate theses based on:

  1. Content of the thesis;
  2. University grade;
  3. A 3–5 page summary;
  4. Supervisor’s recommendation.

The jury consists of five members appointed by the EFNIL Executive Committee.

Conditions for Participation

Participants must submit the following documents in electronic form:

  1. A one-page statement of application (in English);
  2. A copy of the master’s thesis (in one of the official EU languages);
  3. A 3–5 page summary of the thesis (in English);
  4. A copy of the official university grade/evaluation (in one of the official EU languages);
  5. A recommendation letter from the thesis supervisor addressed to EFNIL (in English).

All documents must be submitted electronically (PDF, ODF, or Word format) via email to: efnil@nytud.hu

Notification of Results

Winners will be notified within two months after the submission deadline. Their names will be published on EFNIL’s website. They will be invited to present a paper based on their thesis at the next EFNIL annual conference and later publish it in the conference proceedings. They may also publish their full thesis on the EFNIL website.

Deadline for Submission

The deadline for applications is 15 January 2025.

Only master’s theses defended in 2024 or by 15 January 2025 are eligible.

Contact Information

For more information, contact: efnil@nytud.hu
or visit: http://www.efnil.org/master-thesis-award