Full Title: Diversity and Change in Easy German (Workshop at DGfS 2025)

Date: 05-Mar-2025 - 07-Mar-2025
Location: University of Mainz, Germany
Contact Person: Ingo Reich
Meeting Email: [email protected]
Web Site: https://sfb1102.uni-saarland.de/vielfalt-und-wandel-in-leichter-sprache/

Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics; Computational Linguistics; Psycholinguistics
Subject Language(s): German (deu)
Language Family(ies): Germanic

Call Deadline: 25-Aug-2024

Meeting Description:

Easy German, originating from the empowerment movement for individuals with learning difficulties, has been systematically developed since the 2000s to facilitate access to information and societal participation for those with limited literacy skills (see also BTHG). By avoiding linguistic complexity, Easy German aims to enhance text comprehensibility. Despite the term "Easy German" suggesting a uniform, delineated variety of German, there remains a lack of consensus within the linguistic community regarding its precise conceptualization. Over time, multiple frameworks and guidelines have emerged (e.g., BMAS & Netzwerk Leichte Sprache, Bredel/Maaß 2016, draft DIN standard Easy German SPEC 33429:2023-04). While these often converge on principles such as "one idea per sentence", they diverge on issues like the use of passives, pronouns, negation, and figurative language. Moreover, corpus linguistic studies have shown that the actual use of Easy German can significantly deviate from prescribed norms and recommendations. This working group aims to establish a platform for researchers investigating the practice of Easy German text production through corpus analysis, examining its recent evolution. The objective is to illustrate the dynamic changes in Easy German texts, assess the extent of variability, and delineate their distinctions from "Standard German". Simultaneously, we provide a space for psycholinguistic studies conducted in collaboration with the target demographic to assess the cognitive processing of Easy German, allowing for the empirical validation of the regulatory frameworks and their adaptation to the heterogeneity within the target audience. The dynamism in this field has been increasing, ideally leading to the optimisation of Easy German text production through the integration of scientific insights into practical applications. Looking ahead, AI-driven systems, currently under development at various German institutions, will play an increasingly significant role in this domain. This working group will also showcase and critically examine such projects, discussing the implications of these technologies for text production, along with the opportunities and challenges they present.

Organization:
Ingo Reich (Saarland University, Germany)
Heike Zinsmeister (University of Hamburg, Germany)
Sarah Jablotschkin (University of Hamburg, Germany)
Lena Wieland (Saarland University, Germany)

Invited Speakers:
Bettina Bock (University of Cologne)
Ted Sanders (Utrecht University)

Call for Papers:

We invite contributions on all aspects of Easy German, addressing any of the topics listed in the workshop description and beyond. While our primary focus is on Easy German, we also welcome investigations into easy-to-read variants in other Germanic languages. The workshop will include a small poster session, and therefore, we accept submissions for both talks and posters. Although we prefer contributions in English, we also accept submissions in German.

– Please submit your abstract by August 25, 2024 [EXTENDED DEADLINE!] to [email protected]
– Abstracts should not exceed one page (DIN A4, 2.5 margins, 12pt font)
– Examples, graphics or references may be included on a second page

Important workshop information:
The workshop is scheduled as part of the 47th annual meeting of the German Linguistic Society (DGfS 2025) to be hosted by Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, which will take place between 5-7 March 2025. Please note that according to the regulations of the German Linguistic Society (DGfS), workshop participants may not present two or more papers in different workshops (although their name can appear as a co-author of talk at another workshop). Participants are required to register for the DGfS conference and pay the conference fee. There are no additional fees for the workshop. For more information about the DGfS conference, please visit the conference website http://dgfs.uni-mainz.de.

Important dates:
Deadline for abstract submission: August 25, 2024 [EXTENDED DEADLINE!]
Notification of acceptance: September 2, 2024
Workshop: March 5-7, 2025, University of Mainz, Germany