LINGUIST List 11.2612

Sat Dec 2 2000

Calls: Natural Language Argument, Chinese Linguistics

Editor for this issue: Jody Huellmantel <jodylinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Floriana Grasso, Computational Models of Natural Language Argument
2. International Assn of Chinese Linguistics - 10, Chinese Linguistics

=============================================================================

 International workshop on

 Computational Models of Natural Language Argument

 to be held in conjunction with ICCS'2001

 San Francisco, May 28-30, 2001

 http://www.csc.liv.ac.uk/~floriana/CMNLA.html

 CALL FOR PAPERS

Abstract
========
Natural language argument represents both a challenge and an opportunity
for computational modelling, from both understanding and generation points
of view. Argumentation is typically rich with rhetorical devices
interacting at many different layers of abstraction, and is heavily
dependent upon extra-linguistic context if it is to be successful. On the
other hand, there is a well developed literature on both argumentation
theory and rhetoric which offers great potential for exploitation in
computational models. This workshop aims to gather together the current
state of the art in the interdisciplinary area between argumentation and
computational linguistics, and to provide a forum in which to develop new
cross-disciplinary collaborations and new lines of inquiry.

Areas of Interest
=================
Abstracts are invited on the following topics:

 * The linguistic characteristics of argumentative texts, including
 discourse markers, sentence format, referring expressions, and style.
 * The generation of natural language arguments: techniques in natural
 language generation to account for argumentation and persuasion
 (including techniques for handling discourse goals and structure,
 speaker/hearer models, content selection, etc.)
 * The use of models from informal logic and argumentation theory in NLP,
 and in particular, approaches to specific schools of thought developed
 in informal logic and argumentation.
 * Corpora based studies of argumentative texts.
 * Rhetoric and affect: the role of emotions, personalities, etc. in
 argumentative discourse.
 * Computational approaches to the similarities and differences between
 dialogic and monologic argumentation.
 * Issues of domain specificity, and in particular, the independence that
 argumentation techniques have from the domain of discourse, and the
 extent to which generic NLP systems can be applied to the domain of
 argumentation itself.
 * Language dependence and multilingual approaches to argumentation.
 * The ethical implications of implemented systems demonstrating, for
 example, licentiousness and deceipt.
 * Applications of argumentation based NLP systems, including, for
 example, the pedagogical, health-related, political, and promotional.

The organisers encourage submission from researchers in both computational
linguistics and the philosophy of argument, and related fields, in order to
stimulate cross-disciplinary fertilisation.

Submissions
===========
Papers are solicited in any of the areas of interest of the workshop listed
above. Submissions should be in English, should not exceed 5,000 words, or
a maximum of 10 pages, and should be formatted in accordance with the
Springer Verlag LNCS style, available at
http://www.springer.de/comp/lncs/authors.html . Submission implies the
willingness of at least one of the authors to attend the workshop and
present the paper.

Papers may fall into one of three categories:

 * reports on completed work
 * descriptions of current, but mature, work in progress
 * more polemic essays on burning issues

The last two, in particular, are aimed at stimulating discussion which will
form a key component of the workshop's structure.

Electronic submissions (postscript .ps or portable document format .pdf
files) are strongly encouraged. Submitted papers should be received by one
of the organisers no later than 9 February 2001.

Venue
=====
The workshop will be held in conjuction with the International Conference
on Computational Science (ICCS'2001), Hilton San Francisco and Towers, San
Francisco, USA. More information is available from the ICCS web-site at
http://www.hpcc.rdg.ac.uk/iccs (mirror site at http://www.ucalgary.ca/iccs/ ).

Publication
===========
All accepted papers will appear in a volume, to be published by Springer
Verlag, in the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series. The
organisers are currently in negotiation to arrange subsequent extended
publication as a special issue of a prominent journal.

Registration
============
Attendance to the workshop is free of charge, but all attendees of the
workshop must register for the ICCS conference (for information please
refer to the ICCS web-site).

Important Dates
===============
- Paper submission deadline 9 February 2001
- Notification of acceptance/rejection 1 March 2001
- Camera ready due to organisers 23 March 2001
- Pre-registration to ICCS 29 March 2001
- ICCS conference 28-30 May 2001

Programme Committee
===================
- Cristiano Castelfranchi, Department of Communication Science, University of
 Siena, Italy.
- Fiorella de Rosis, Department of Informatics, University of Bari, Italy.
- Floriana Grasso, (co-organiser), Department of Computer Science, University
 of Liverpool, England.
- Leo Groarke, Department of Philosophy, Wilfrid Laurier University,
 Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
- Chris Reed, (co-organiser), Department of Applied Computing, University of
 Dundee, Scotland.
- Ehud Reiter, Department of Computer Science, University of Aberdeen,
 Scotland.
- Antoinette Renouf, Department of English Language and Literature,
 University of Liverpool, England.

Contact
=======
All enquiries and submissions should be directed to one of the organisers:

 Floriana Grasso Chris Reed
 Department of Computer Science Department of Applied Computing
 University of Liverpool University of Dundee
 Peach Street Park Wynd
 Liverpool L69 7ZF Dundee DD1 4HN
 England Scotland
 Tel. (+44)(0)151 794 3680 Tel. (+44)(0)1382 348083
 Fax. (+44)(0)151 794 3715 Fax. (+44)(0)1382 345509
 florianacsc.liv.ac.uk chriscomputing.dundee.ac.uk

 The 10th Annual Conference of
 The International Association of Chinese Linguistics
 (IACL-10)
 in conjunction with
 The 13th Annual North American Conference on Chinese Linguistics
 (NACCL-13)

University of California, Irvine
June 22-June 24, 2001

Call for Papers:
Abstracts are invited for 20-minute talks in all areas of Chinese
linguistics and from any theoretical perspective.

Requirements for Submission of Abstracts:
Abstracts must be camera-ready, on a single page, single spaced, in
12-point type, with one inch margins.

Mail five(5) copies of the abstract, one of which includes name of
author(s), affiliation(s), and e-mail address(es); the other four (for
anonymous review) identified by title only.

Please include a 3x5 card detailing paper title, name of author(s),
affiliation, status (student or non-student), address, phone number, and
e-mail.

To facilitate the reviewing process, kindly identify on the card the
primary area of linguistics addressed in your paper (e.g.,
Phonetics/Phonology, Syntax, Semantics, Functional/Pragmatics,
Dialectology, Historical Phonology, Historical Syntax, Non-Han Languages
(e.g., Austronesian, etc.), Computational/Corpus Linguistics,
Psycholinguistics, or Sociolinguistics).

Please do not send abstracts by e-mail or fax.

Deadline for receipt of abstracts is December 31, 2000.

Address abstracts to:
 IACL & NACCL Conference Committee
 UCI Department of Linguistics
 3151 Social Science Plaza
 Irvine, CA 92697-5100
 USA


 Young Scholar Award
 Call for Papers

IACL offers The Young Scholar Award annually to promote, recognize, and
encourage scholarship by young scholars. The competition is open to all
scholars under 35 years of age or holding positions below associate
professor. Finalists in the competition will be awarded (partial) travel
subsidies and invited to present their papers during a special session of
this year's Conference.

For details and updates, visit our website at
http://aris.ss.uci.edu/ling/iacl/10th/home.html


**************************************************
IACL & NACCL Organizing Committee
UCI Department of Linguistics
3151 Social Science Plaza
Irvine, CA 92697-5100 USA

E-mail: iacltenuci.edu
Homepage: http://aris.ss.uci.edu/ling/iacl/10th/home.html
************************************************************