LINGUIST List 7.116

Thu Jan 25 1996

Calls: Am. Dialect, Gesture, Argumentation

Editor for this issue: T. Daniel Seely <dseelyemunix.emich.edu>

Directory

1. Ann Dizdar Nelson, American Dialect Society
2. Lynn Messing, final CFP: WIGLS (gesture and language workshop)
3. Ingrid Zukerman, ECAI96 workshop on argumentation for agent communication

Call For Abstracts
AMERICAN DIALECT SOCIETY, MMLA, Nov. 7-9, 1996

Abstract submission deadline: March 25, 1996, for

 American Dialect Society session
 "Current Trends in American Dialectology"
 Midwest Modern Language Association
 November 7-9, 1995
 Minneapolis, MN
 Minneapolis Marriot City Center


(Whatever you are working on is a current trend.)

Send 500 word (max) abstracts on any topic to

 Beth Lee Simon
 Department of English and Linguistics
 Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne
 Fort Wayne, IN 46805

 simoncvax.ipfw.indiana.edu

 Final Call for Papers
 Workshop on the Integration of Gesture in Language and Speech (WIGLS)
		in Newark, Delaware and Wilmington, Delaware
		 October 7-8, 1996

Keynote speakers: Thomas Huang (on computers and gestures)
		 David McNeill (on spoken languages and gestures)
		 Sherman Wilcox (on signed languages and gestures)

WIGLS will be an interdisciplinary workshop examining the relationship
between gesture and language, both spoken and signed.

Presentations can be up to 25 minutes, plus five minutes for discussion.
Papers have a 10 page maximum. Additionally, presenters have the option of
submitting videotaped material (five minutes maximum). A compilation of
all submitted videotapes will be distributed to the workshop's attenders.
Copies of the videotapes and papers will be mailed to all registrants
approximately 3 weeks prior to the workshop. The possibility of publishing
the proceedings in book format is being investigated.

Abstract format: Abstracts should be a maximum of one single-sided page in
a font no smaller than 10 point. They should clearly indicate the title of
the proposed paper, the name(s) of the author(s), a clear indication of
who is presenting the paper, the phone number (voice or TDD) and address(es)
(preferably both postal and e-mail) of a contact person, A/V equipment desired
for presentation, and a brief description of the paper. If the presenter does
not wish a full 25 minutes, the amount of time desired should be indicated. If
sent by post, submit four copies of the abstract.

Possible topics for papers include: gesture and spoken language, gesture and
signed languages, gesture and computer interfaces, aphasia/apraxia, gesture and
language acquisition, and gesture and people with disabilities.

Send abstracts to:
Lynn Messing, WIGLS chair
Applied Science and Engineering Laboratories
Alfred I. duPont Institute
P.O. Box 269
Wilmington, Delaware 19899
e-mail: messingasel.udel.edu

WIGLS is a satellite workshop of the Fourth International Conference on
Spoken Language Processing (ICSLP 96), which will be held October 3-6, 1996,
in Philadelphia, PA

WIGLS Registration information: The fee for early registration is $50. Late
registration is $60. On-site registration fee is $100 per day. The
registration fee covers workshop proceedings and videotape, lunches, and
transportation from the housing location on the University of Delaware's
campus to the workshop location on the second day of the workshop.

The first day of the workshop will be on the University of Delaware's campus
in Newark Delaware. The second day will be in Wilmington, Delaware.

The precise format for the paper and more complete registration and housing
information will be made available shortly at:

http://www.asel.udel.edu/~messing/WIGLS.html.

The information at this web site will be available via e-mail or postal mail
upon request.

Deadlines:
February 1, 1996: Receipt of abstracts
March 15, 1996: Notification of acceptance
May 1, 1996: Receipt of papers and videotapes
June 21, 1996: Early registration
September 1, 1996: Late registration

 CALL FOR PAPERS


 ECAI-96, Budapest (Hungary), August 12th, 1996


 ``Argumentation for Agent Communication''


With the increased sophistication of the tasks performed by computers and
the increased use of computers in collaborative settings, argumentation
has become an important component of the interaction between computers and
users. For example, Knowledge-based Systems must present arguments to
justify their recommendations, Intelligent Tutoring Systems need to
explain why a particular proposition is or isn't true, and negotiation
systems need to justify why a particular course of action is better than
some alternative.

Different disciplines, such as AI, Linguistics, Cognitive Science and
Philosophy, have provided models of argumentation that differ in their
approach and objectives. In this workshop we propose to examine how we can
make use of different viewpoints and insights from diverse disciplines.
In particular, we propose to address the following issues:

Computational models of argumentation --
Several computational models of argumentation have been presented in the
literature. Is there a generic computational argumentation model? If not,
what are the parameters that differentiate one model from another? Are
certain parameters more significant in one application than another?

Ways of presenting an argument --
An argument may be deductive or inductive. It may be presented by means of
text, graphics or a combination of modalities. Textual arguments may be
presented in different styles, e.g., counterfactual or illustrative. What
is the relationship between the style of the argument and the line of
reasoning used to reach a conclusion? Why should a particular line of
reasoning or a particular style be chosen in preference to another? How
does the type of argument affect the appropriateness of a modality and
vice versa?

Parameters that affect argumentation --
An argument may be presented to a software agent or a person, a novice or
an experienced user, an adult or a child. Arguments may be used in a
variety of contexts, where the context is characterized by parameters such
as the setting of the interaction, e.g., negotiation, instruction and
information providing, its urgency, and the relative standing of the
interacting agents. Arguments are also generated to achieve different
goals, e.g., convince an agent to perform an action, justify the
correctness of a proposition, and support a claim. How is the
argumentation model influenced by these (and possibly other) parameters?

Submissions are invited on original and substantial research that
addresses one or more of the above questions. In addition to AI
researchers, we would like to encourage researchers from allied
disciplines such as Linguistics, Psychology and Philosophy to present
their points of view. Accepted submissions will be published in workshop
notes that will be distributed to workshop attendees. After the workshop,
we intend to solicit revised versions of selected high-quality papers for
publication in a book.


SUBMISSION INFORMATION
- --------------------
Attendance at the workshop will be limited to 30 participants.
Participants will be selected on the basis of submitted papers (10 pages
maximum in postscript, point size no less than 12). Electronic submissions
will be accepted for papers generated from latex source. Papers generated
from other sources, e.g., Word, must be submitted by mail. Papers must
include in the first page: the title, author's name(s), affiliation,
complete mailing address, phone number, fax number, e-mail, an abstract of
300 words maximum, and up to five keywords.

Submissions should be sent to:

Ingrid Zukerman
Department of Computer Science		Phone: +61 3 9905-5202
Monash University			Fax: +61 3 9905-5146
Clayton, VICTORIA 3168
AUSTRALIA				Email: ingridcs.monash.edu.au


ORGANIZING COMMITTEE:
- ------------------

 Patrick Brezillon, University Paris 6 (France)
 Sandra Carberry, University of Delaware (USA)
 Graeme Hirst, University of Toronto (Canada)
 Cecile Paris, University of Brighton (UK)
 Katia Sycara, Carnegie Mellon University (USA)
 Ingrid Zukerman, Monash University (Australia)


WORKSHOP SCHEDULE AND PRELIMINARY AGENDA:
- --------------------------------------

 Papers received: March 1, 1996
 Author notification: April 1, 1996
 Final papers received: May 1, 1996
 Preprints distributed: May 20, 1996