LINGUIST List 15.1627

Mon May 24 2004

Confs: General Ling/Berling, Germany

Editor for this issue: Andrea Berez <andrealinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. downing, International Conference on Focus on African Languages

International conference on Focus on African Languages 
Short Title: FOCUS IN AFRICAN LANGS 

Date: 06-Oct-2005 - 08-Oct-2005
Location: Berlin, Germany
Contact: Laura Downing
Contact Email: downingzas.gwz-berlin.de 
Meeting URL: TBA 

Linguistic Sub-field: General Linguistics 


Meeting Description:

The theme of the conference is the expression of information structure
in African languages. The final program is intended to represent a
broad range of African languages and also a broad range of themes and
approaches to this topic.

FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT

 The ZAS and Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany, are pleased to
announce that they are organizing an:
 International conference on FOCUS IN AFRICAN LANGUAGES,
 to be held at the ZAS, Berlin, from 6-8 October 2005.

Invited Speakers (confirmed): Enoch Aboh, Larry Hyman, Stephane
Robert.

The theme of the conference is the expression of information structure
in African languages. Papers are particularly welcome discussing the
following aspects of Information Structure:

- Formal marking of information structure 
- Suprasegmental encoding of information structure
- The interaction of suprasegmental and segmental encoding of
information structure
- Fixed positions for the expression of topic, focus
- Focus vs. topic: how can these be distinguished? 
- Topic-focus organization vs. thetic statements 
- Types of focus 

Papers will be chosen by the organizing committee on the basis of
abstracts submitted. The final program is intended to represent a
broad range of African languages and also a broad range of themes and
approaches to this topic.


Organizing and Abstract Review Committee:
 Tom Gueldemann, Laura Downing, Sabine Zerbian (ZAS)
 Brigitte Reineke, Ines Fiedler, Katherina Hartmann, Anne Schwarz
(Humboldt)

Important Dates:
 Call for papers circulated: early October 2004
 Abstract submission deadline: early April 2005
 Program finalized: late May 2005