PhD candidate "Metaphor in Machine Translation''

Leiden University, Faculty of Humanities, Leiden University Centre for Linguistics (LUCL) and Leiden University Centre for Digital Humanities (LUCDH), is looking for a

PhD candidate (1.0 fte, 4 years) to work on

“Metaphor in Machine Translation: Professional Users’ Perspectives”, subproject of the NWO Vidi project “Metaphor in Machine Translation: Reactions, Responses, Repercussions [MTM]”.

The PhD candidate will be responsible for the Professional Users’ Perspectives work package, one of the subprojects within the NWO Vidi project “Metaphor in Machine Translation: Reactions, Responses, Repercussions [MTM project]”, funded for 2025-2029 by the Dutch Research Council (NWO), and directed by Dr. Aletta G. Dorst (Associate Professor of Translation and Human-Centred AI at Leiden University). The PhD candidate will also collaborate with the research team on the Machine Perspectives work package.

Metaphor in Machine Translation [MTM] project

One defining characteristic of human communication that remains problematic for Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing is metaphors. Metaphors are pervasive in all forms of language use, from newspapers announcing ‘waves’ of migrants and ‘soaring’ prices to casual conversations in which we say we feel ‘down’ or ‘stuck’. They are notoriously hard to translate, even for humans, because of their linguistic and cultural embeddedness. And we do not currently know what happens to their forms, functions and effects when they are translated by machines lacking in world knowledge and cultural sensitivity. Yet people increasingly rely on machine translation websites and apps like Google Translate and SayHi for all kinds of written and spoken discourse, from tourists translating a menu or talking to the hotel receptionist to large multinationals and NGOs incorporating the technology into their standard workflow. While research shows considerable improvements in the quality of machine translation for many language combinations and text types, there is a growing concern that most machine-translated content is no longer checked or corrected by human beings. Even the best systems make mistakes and we do not know which errors lead to critical misunderstandings. The current project therefore undertakes the first comprehensive study of how machine translation may be reshaping our metaphors.

Through a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, the team will investigate (i) how metaphors are machine-translated by state-of-the-art systems in both literature and journalism, where metaphors are often used creatively and persuasively to change our minds; (ii) how literary translators and journalists react and respond to such machine-translated metaphors when revising translations for professional use; and (iii) how machine-translated metaphors affect readers’ understanding and appreciation of literary and journalistic texts. In short, the project seeks to answer the question: Which metaphors are problematic in machine translation, when, why, and for whom?

PhD project: Professional Users’ Perspectives on Metaphor in Machine Translation

This work package answers the question “How do literary translators and journalists react and respond to machine-translated metaphors and what are the repercussions for professional practice?” Determining professional users’ familiarity with and opinions on using machine translation forms an integral part of this work package. The PhD candidate will be responsible for designing two user studies with professional users of Machine Translation, one with literary translators and one with journalists. The professional users will be invited to come to Leiden and translate / revise / write texts containing metaphors for their respective fields (literature and journalism) using different architectures (e.g. Google Translate > Neural Machine Translation and ChatGPT > Large Language Models). The process of the task will be recorded using a keystroke logger and screen recorder. Both the product and the process will be analysed by the PhD candidate to determine how the professional users react and respond to the metaphors. During individual follow-up interviews, the professional users will be invited to reflect on their decisions and the repercussions of using MT and AI to translate metaphors for professional practice and society more broadly.

Omvang (fte)

1.0 fte

Key responsibilities

• Completing a PhD thesis (in English, article-based) within four years under the supervision of Dr. Dorst;
• Publishing co-authored articles in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings together with the research team;
• Presenting at least 3 papers at conferences, both in the Netherlands and internationally;
• Contributing to the organization of the events and outreach activities within the project;
• Conducting both product-based and process-based research on professional users’ (literary translators and journalists) reactions and responses to metaphor in machine translation and the repercussions for professional practice;
• Collaborating with the PI on the “Machine Perspective” work package, by evaluating the quality of the machine translation output, analysing translation procedures in the machine translation output, and designing and testing different prompts for machine translation using LLMs;
• Participating in the project research team, the Translation Lab, and the Digital Humanities Lab;
• Participating in the training programme of the LUCL Institute, the Leiden Graduate School of Humanities, and other relevant masterclasses, summer schools, seminars, workshops, and events;
• Participating in the PhD community and the intellectual life of the Institute;
• Subject to progress and demand, some teaching in the second and third years of the appointment.

Your profile

• You hold a ResMA/MRes or MA in Linguistics, Computational Linguistics, Translation or Machine Translation, awarded by time of appointment, and an average grade of at least 8.0 on a ten-point scale (or equivalent);
• You have well-developed research skills, including the ability to formulate creative research questions, descriptive and analytical skills, and a clear and persuasive style of writing;
• You have a personal affinity for Metaphor Studies and/or Machine Translation;
• You have experience with or are willing to learn about (i.e. take courses on) metaphor studies, translation studies, linguistic analysis, corpus linguistics, and/or reception studies.
• You have experience with or are willing to learn about (i.e. take courses on) computational linguistics, machine learning, and programming;
• You have full professional working proficiency (speaking, writing, reading) in both English and Dutch (working knowledge of other languages would be an added value);
• You have proven time-management skills;
• You have proven communicative skills and are able to engage with professional users;
• You are a team player and an independent thinker;
• You have the ability to finish the proposed PhD research in 4 years.

International candidates are encouraged to apply but must be willing to relocate to the Netherlands for the duration of the project.

The organisation

The Faculty of Humanities at Leiden University is a unique international centre for the advanced study of languages, cultures, arts, and societies worldwide, in their historical contexts from prehistory to the present. Our faculty is home to more than 6,000 students and 800 staff members.

Leiden University Centre for Linguistics (LUCL) is one of seven Institutes that falls under the Faculty of Humanities. With over 120 linguists working at the Institute, it is a rich research environment that prides itself on fostering scientific excellence. LUCL has a longstanding tradition in the study of the world’s languages and features unique linguistic expertise. Current theoretical insights are combined with modern experimental methods in its research profile area ‘Language Diversity in the World’. Researchers from our six umbrella research groups are experts in their respective fields but equally find innovative ways of collaborating with other fields and disciplines.

The Leiden University Centre for Digital Humanities (LUCDH) is an interdisciplinary centre that brings together students and faculty from across the Leiden community. Together, we are committed to the study of human cultures using computational approaches and to rethinking the role of the humanities in a digital age. The Leiden University Centre for Digital Humanities (LUCDH) promotes the informed and critical uses of digital technology and computational approaches in art, literature, history, area studies, linguistics, philosophy, religion, AI and other disciplines of the Humanities.

The Translation Lab hosts research and training activities in various aspects of translation, including audiovisual translation, machine translation and AI, translation process research and user’s reception. The Translation Lab is equipped with the latest computer-assisted translation tools, subtitling software, corpus processing tools, and AI/MT applications, freely available to all Leiden researchers and students. The Translation Lab runs the Leiden Translation talks and other events, inviting distinguished scholars to share their research on translation, localization, and technology.

Through research, teaching and outreach, we aim to deepen our understanding, both inside and outside academia, of the cognitive, historical, cultural, creative, and social aspects of human life. As an academic community, we strive to create an open and welcoming atmosphere, stimulating everyone to get involved and contribute, and connecting scholars from different fields and backgrounds.

Terms and conditions

PhD project, 4 years (1.0 FTE, 38 hrs per week), starting date 1 September 2025. We offer a fixed term appointment of four years (first a contract of 12 months with an extension of 36 months after positive evaluation of capabilities and compatibility) that must lead to the completion of a PhD thesis (in English, article-based). Appointment will be under the terms of the Collective Labour Agreement of the Dutch Universities. The gross monthly salary is set on €2.901 in the first year up to €3.707 gross per month in year four, based on fulltime employment (pay scale P). You are expected to work in Leiden.

Leiden University offers an attractive benefits package with additional holiday (8%) and end-of-year bonuses (8.3%), training and career development. Our individual choices model gives you some freedom to assemble your own set of terms and conditions. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break.

Diversity & inclusion

Fostering an inclusive community is a central element of the values and vision of Leiden University. Leiden University is committed to becoming an inclusive community which enables all students and staff to feel valued and respected and to develop their full potential. Diversity in experiences and perspectives enriches our teaching and strengthens our research. High quality teaching and research is inclusive.