LINGUIST List 13.2787

Tue Oct 29 2002

Calls: Lingua Initiatives/Child Language

Editor for this issue: Karolina Owczarzak <karolinalinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Neden, Julie (ELS), New Lingua Initiatives
2. thomas.klee, Child Language Seminar, Newcastle, UK

New Lingua Initiatives 
 
Lingua announces three exciting new initiatives: (1) Lingua Franca -
provocative exchanges expressing strong opinions on central topics in
Linguistics; (2) The Decade In - excellent educational articles
offering the nonspecialist linguist an overview of a given area of
study, invaluable as an undergraduate teaching tool; (3) Taking up the
Gauntlet - 5 papers, 1 set of data, whose theory offers the most
insight with a minimal set of assumptions and a maximum of arguments?
 
Lingua Franca

Lingua is introducing a series of provocative articles under the
general heading of Lingua Franca. Initially, essays are invited on a
favourite topic. These essays voice strong opinions and are supported
by arguments in an entertaining manner. Obvious examples of the genre
include Geoff Pullum's Topic/Comment contributions to Natural Language
and Linguistic Theory and Neil Smith's and Elan Dresher's columns for
Glot International. Following publication of the initial provocative
essay, responses are elicited and published. The original contributor
then has their opportunity to reply. 
Where someone is an obvious target of a particular contribution, he or
she will also be sent a copy and invited to respond, usually in the
same issue of the journal. Other responses are welcome, provided new
points are being made, and will be published on an ongoing basis. The
editors retain the right to decide on publication, to edit exchanges,
and to close off the discussion.
 
The Decade In... 

The journal Lingua wishes to launch a series of survey articles called
'The decade in...'. We aim at publishing overview articles that would
give nonspecialist linguists an insight in the way in which specific
areas of expertise have developed in the last 10 years. Survey
articles will be devoted to developments in specific theoretical
schools, as well as to developments in the study of particular
languages areas and families.
 
Taking up the Gauntlet

The journal Lingua wishes to launch a series of Special Issues edited
by Guest Editors under the common title: 'Taking up the
Gauntlet'. These Special Issues are to be edited according to a format
that is considerably different from the traditional thematic issue and
will bring together a set of articles sharing a given research theme.

In order to make the intellectual debate more challenging, we borrowed
an idea from the book edited by Moravcsik & Wirth (1980). The core
idea is to invite 4-6 researchers to contribute an article each about
an identical set of data. Each contributor will be challenged to
explain how his/her theory deals with the proposed set of data. The
contributor may also add a strictly limited number of additional data
that are of particular import to his/her theory.

The debate should not necessarily run along the classical theoretical
fault lines (HPSG/LFG/P&P-Minimalism/OT). It is emphatically NOT the
purpose of this series to get into bland discussions of the type
'Anything you can do in your theory we can also do in our theory'. 
The point is: who can gain most insight with a minimal set of
assumptions and a maximum of arguments?

Guest Editors are asked to do the following:

1. Edit a Special Issue around a topic of interest. You may choose to
make this topic more specific or more general after consulting with
the editors of Lingua.

2. Put together a set of data that are representative of the current
debate in this research area. Data should reflect core issues that any
theory should deal with, as well as the particularly hard nuts to
crack. The data should be chosen fairly, that is, they should not be
biased towards your favourite analysis.

3. Select and contact 4-6 researchers and invite them to participate
in this Special Issue, explaining the rules of the debate.

4. Review the contributions in collaboration with reviewers of your
choosing, as well as with Lingua Editorial Board members and Lingua Editors.

Special issues of this sort on indefinites, adverbs, and tense are in
preparation and well under way.

Child Language Seminar 2003
Short Title: CLS2003
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Date: 09-Jul-2003 - 11-Jul-2003

Web Site: http://cls.visitnewcastlegateshead.com
Contact Person: Gillian Cavagan
Meeting Email: cls2003newcastle.ac.uk
Linguistic Subfield(s): Language Acquisition


Meeting Description: 

This year's CLS is hosted by the School of Education, Communication &
Language Sciences at Newcastle University and is being organised by
Thomas Klee and Carolyn Letts. This interdisciplinary conference was
first held in 1977 and brings together researchers from all over the
world. Proposals are invited for papers and posters on issues related
to child language acquisition and disorders. Submission deadline is 31
January 2003.

http://cls.visitnewcastlegateshead.com

Newcastle upon Tyne is a coastal city in the North East of England
with excellent air, rail and road connections (3 hours from London and
1.5 hours from Edinburgh by train). Newcastle and neighbouring
Gateshead are currently bidding to be named European Capital of
Culture in 2008 and are within easy reach of the Northumbrian
countryside, County Durham and North Yorkshire as well as the Scottish
Borders.

The CLS will be held on the university campus at the Bedson Teaching
Centre. Accommodation is available at the new Jurys Inn near Central
Station and the Centre for Life in the city centre (10 mins by Metro
from the conference venue) and on campus at Castle Leazes Halls of
Residence. Accommodation may be booked through our website below.

The conference dinner will be held at St James' Park - the home of
Newcastle United Football Club. Having recently undergone a million
transformation, this is one of the most impressive venues in the North
East and dominates the Tyneside skyline. The dinner will be held in
the New Magpie Room, which has views over the pitch and stadium.

More information about submitting proposals, registration and
accommodation may be found at:

http://cls.visitnewcastlegateshead.com