Hi, I’m Alicia Burga, a Computational Linguist and NLP researcher based in Barcelona. I specialize in corpus annotation, linguistic data pipelines, and multilingual NLP, with experience supporting multilingual European projects and freelance work for AI companies to test and train large language models. I know how to build or adjust resources such as dictionaries, annotation guidelines or conversation flows for guiding virtual agents. In general, I enjoy turning linguistic insights into robust language technologies. I'm fluent in Spanish and English, professional in Catalan, and I actively mentor students and collaborate across academia and industry. My work spans research, education, and hands-on data work, always aiming to make language technology more accurate, accessible, and useful.

Alicia Burga

Hi, I’m Alicia Burga, a Computational Linguist and NLP researcher based in Barcelona. I specialize in corpus annotation, linguistic data pipelines, and multilingual NLP, with experience supporting multilingual European projects and freelance work for AI companies to test and train large language models. I know how to build or adjust resources such as dictionaries, annotation guidelines or conversation flows for guiding virtual agents. In general, I enjoy turning linguistic insights into robust language technologies. I'm fluent in Spanish and English, professional in Catalan, and I actively mentor students and collaborate across academia and industry. My work spans research, education, and hands-on data work, always aiming to make language technology more accurate, accessible, and useful.

Available to hire

Hi, I’m Alicia Burga, a Computational Linguist and NLP researcher based in Barcelona. I specialize in corpus annotation, linguistic data pipelines, and multilingual NLP, with experience supporting multilingual European projects and freelance work for AI companies to test and train large language models. I know how to build or adjust resources such as dictionaries, annotation guidelines or conversation flows for guiding virtual agents. In general, I enjoy turning linguistic insights into robust language technologies.

I’m fluent in Spanish and English, professional in Catalan, and I actively mentor students and collaborate across academia and industry. My work spans research, education, and hands-on data work, always aiming to make language technology more accurate, accessible, and useful.

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Experience Level

Expert
Expert
Expert
Intermediate
Intermediate

Language

Spanish; Castilian
Fluent
English
Fluent
Catalan; Valencian
Advanced
French
Intermediate

Work Experience

Computational Linguist, Freelance at Various clients including Quillbot, TELUS International, Appen, TransPerfect, Lionbridge, Accexible Analysis
January 1, 2018 - Present
Analysis, annotation and supervision of linguistic data for testing and training LLM-AI models; development and/or update of dictionaries; feeding and adjusting dialogue flows for conversational agents; creation and maintenance of guidelines
Lecturer at Pompeu Fabra University, Department of Information and Communication Technologies
January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2015
Lecturer (teaching and supervision); 2013-2015, 2018, 2022-present
Computational Linguist, Researcher at Natural Language Processing Research Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona
January 1, 2010 - January 1, 2018
Person in charge of corpora annotation and maintenance, and responsible for the linguistic analysis pipeline (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics), framed within multilingual European projects
Evaluator of English-Spanish translations at Hablamos Juntos, UCSF Fresno Center for Medical Education
January 1, 2007 - December 31, 2007
Evaluator of English-Spanish translations within the Translation Quality Assessment project, Language Policy and Practice in Health Care
Metaphor coder in fiction books at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
January 1, 2006 - December 31, 2006
Metaphor coder in fiction books, within a project that analyzed cultural differences in the use of language
Lecturer at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese
January 1, 2001 - December 31, 2008
Lecturer
Lecturer at Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP), Department of Arts and Humanities & Department of Education
January 1, 2000 - December 31, 2001
Lecturer

Education

M.A in Natural Language Processing and Human Language Technology at Autonomous University of Barcelona / University of Wolverhampton (Erasmus Mundus Programme)
January 1, 2008 - January 1, 2010
Ph.D in Romance Linguistics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
January 1, 2003 - January 1, 2008
M.A in Romance Linguistics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
January 1, 2001 - January 1, 2003
B.A in Linguistics Summa cum Laude Honors at Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP), Lima, Peru
January 1, 1995 - January 1, 2000

Qualifications

Erasmus Mundus Fellowship
January 1, 2008 - January 1, 2010
Conference Travel Grant
January 1, 2003 - December 31, 2003
Tinker Field Research Grant
January 1, 2003 - December 31, 2003
Complete Fellowship
January 1, 1995 - December 31, 1996

Industry Experience

Education, Software & Internet, Media & Entertainment, Professional Services, Government