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
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
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
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
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

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