Presentation

The Empirical Foundations of Linguistics (EFL) project is one of the world’s largest language science consortia. Led by more than 180 researchers in Paris, it studies more than 150 languages through an interdisciplinary approach combining linguistics, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and social sciences. EFL develops shared platforms to link fundamental research, practical applications, and societal impact.

EFL – A consortium of excellence for language sciences

The Empirical Foundations of Linguistics (EFL) project is one of the largest and most influential in the world in the field of language sciences. With more than 180 permanent researchers and structured around 10 major research units, it constitutes an international platform led by Université Paris Cité, in close collaboration with the CNRS and various academic partners.

An interdisciplinary approach to language

EFL draws on empirical and experimental methods (corpora, EEG, MRI, eye tracking, interviews, etc.), combined with contributions from theoretical linguistics, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, sociolinguistics, and artificial intelligence. The project covers more than 150 languages, including many rare or minority languages, and is based on a comparative, computational, and humanistic perspective.

Six major scientific areas of focus

1. Language and life cycle: study of linguistic development from early childhood to old age.
2. Multilingualism and language contact: cognitive, social, and structural impact of bilingualism and multilingualism.
3. Linguistic variation and change: detailed documentation of phonetic, syntactic, and semantic variations.
4. Language and AI: critical analysis of LLM-type models (e.g., GPT) as tools and objects of linguistic study.
5. Linguistic diversity and language theories: testing the limits of linguistic theories based on a wide range of empirical data.
6. Language and society: study of language as a vehicle for inclusion, power, and social justice.

Ambitious scientific and societal goals

EFL is not limited to fundamental research: the project develops shared experimental and computational platforms, trains a new generation of researchers through a doctoral program of excellence, and supports actions with a strong social impact (language revitalization, language disorders, inclusion, training).

Strong regional and international roots

EFL is at the heart of the Université Paris Cité ecosystem, connected to doctoral schools, Cog-Sup and Circle U programs, and in partnership with institutions such as Oslo, Berlin, and King’s College London. It aims to structure linguistics research at the European level in a sustainable manner.