We are delighted to announce the launch of the first annual Oxford Test of English Learner Corpora (OTELC) Research Competition, hosted by Oxford University Press. The application deadline has now been extended, and the eligibility criteria expanded.
This is an exciting opportunity for master’s and PhD students, as well as recent master’s graduates in linguistics, corpus linguistics, language assessment, English language teaching/TESOL, or a closely related field to conduct original research using authentic test taker responses.
Why participate? • Free access to the Oxford Test of English Learner Corpora • An opportunity to base a dissertation/thesis, coursework, or independent/pilot research projects on real learner data • Winner’s prize: a 13-inch iPad Air • Winning research published on the Oxford English Assessment Research webpage
Eligibility Applicants must be either: • Currently enrolled in a master’s or PhD programme, or • A recent master’s graduate (within the past 12 months)
How to apply Applicants should submit a research proposal using the official application form, outlining their aims, research questions, and how they plan to use the OTELC, along with a letter of reference from a tutor/professor supporting their application and confirming their academic suitability for the project. We especially welcome proposals exploring the intersection of corpus linguistics and second language assessment, as well as work that develops pedagogical materials or other applications of research-based findings. Full competition details are available on the competition page: https://elt.oup.com/feature/global/learner-corpora
Extended Deadline: Friday, 31 July 2026
For any queries, please contact: OTELC@oup.com Please feel free to share this opportunity widely with colleagues and students.
Best wishes, The Oxford Test of English Corpus team