LINGUIST List 7.1526

Tue Oct 29 1996

Calls: Afro-Asiatic ling, Computer-assisted lang learning

Editor for this issue: Ann Dizdar <dizdartam2000.tamu.edu>

Directory

1. David D. Testen, Afro-Asiatic Linguistics
2. John Nerbonne, CFP for CALL Conference

Call for Papers: NACAL 25
The twenty-fifth annual meeting of the North American Conference on
Afro-Asiatic Linguistics

March 21-23, 1997

(Abstract deadline 15 January, 1997)

The 1997 meeting of the North American Conference on Afro-Asiatic
Linguistics will be held in *Miami, Florida*, on *March 21-23*, prior
to the annual meeting of the American Oriental Society (March
23-26). NACAL deals with the structure and history of the languages of
the Afro-Asiatic ("Hamito-Semitic") linguistic group, which
encompasses the Berber, Chadic, Cushitic, Egyptian, and Semitic
families.

Communications dealing with the linguistic investigation of these
languages are solicited. Please send three copies of a one-page
abstract to the following address by *15 January, 1997*:

David Testen-NACAL 25
Department of Linguistics
University of Pennsylvannia
Williams Hall 619
36th and Spruce Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA 19104

Abstracts may also be submitted via electronic mail to
"ddtestensas.upenn.edu"

Please feel free to post or distribute this announcement for the
benefit of interested parties.

Language Teaching and Language Technology
Groningen (The Netherlands)
28-29 April 1997
CALL FOR PAPERS/PARTICIPATION




 Language Teaching and Language Technology
 28-29 April 1997
 University of Groningen
 Groningen, The Netherlands
 Call for Papers


Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) is enjoying a revival of
interest after a disappointing first flurry of activity in the
seventies. This is undoubtedly due to the broader range of tasks
computers can now be put to, but it is also due to the practical
success recent systems have been demonstrating. We hope that the
conference may provide answers to some of the following questions:

 1. How can language technology (speech recognition/synthesis,
 morphological and syntactic parsing/generation, semantic
 classification) be further harnessed in support of language learning?
 2. How good is CALL compared to language learning without benefit
 of computer assistance? Can one measure improvements, and do
 these involve speed, proficiency or enthusiasm of CALL students?
 3. Is computer-assisted learning always computer-assisted instruction?
 Isn't virtually all language-learning done under instruction?
 4. What and where is the market for CALL products? How does one
 reach it?
 5. What are the results of large-scale use of CALL in language
 education programs? When can it be effective?
 6. What are the opportunities for long-distance learning?
 7. What is the role in CALL for traditional support tools such as
 (analog) language labs, paper dictionaries, or hand-held grammars?
 8. What are the pedagogical consequences of exploiting this
 technology? Are there mixed and/or partial options?
 9. How may results of Corpus Linguistics be incorporated into CALL?
 10. Are the different subfields of language instruction differently
 amenable to computer assistance--viz., reading, writing, speaking,
 listening, testing, translation?

Although we solicit papers on all aspects of CALL, we are
particularly interested in the question of matching technology to
educational needs. The perspective of the program committee comes
from language teaching and language technology. Language learning
takes place primarily in classroom instruction, so that CALL therefore
needs to convince language teachers of its value if it's to be used
widely. The self-instruction market is relatively small, and CALL
packages will need to allow language teachers a good deal of
flexibility. On the other hand, language technology can automate
irrelevant, tedious tasks in much the same way software for math
education does, providing value to the language learner above drill
and record-keeping.


Invited Speakers (themes tentative)
- --------------

 Frank Borchardt, Executive Director, CALICO (Computer-Assisted
Language Instruction Consortium). On Current Didactic Issues in CALL
 Stephen Heppell, ULTRALAB/Anglia Polytechnic University, Essex.
On Educational Policy and CALL
 Lauri Karttunnen, Rank Xerox, Grenoble. On the Technological Horizon.
 Joke van der Ven, Wolters-Noordhof, Groningen. On the
Publisher's Perspective.

Abstracts
- -------

We solicit papers of 20 min (plus 10 min discussion). Abstracts of not
more than 8 pp. (A4) including figures and references should be marked
"Attention: CALL Conf." and submitted by Jan 15, 1997 to:

 Arthur van Essen, Applied Linguistics
 Postbus 716
 Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
 NL 9700 AS Groningen
 The Netherlands

Email submissions are likewise welcome. They must meet the same length
requirement, must be either in plain ASCII or in postscript. Include
"Attention: CALL Conf" in the subject line and send to call-conflet.rug.nl

Publication
- ---------

Proceedings will be published by CSLI press, Stanford University.
Papers of not more than 12 pp. in length must be submitted (on paper
and on disk) at the time of the conference.

Demonstrations
- ------------

Proposals for demonstrations of existing work are likewise welcome. A
demonstration time will be reserved. We suggest prepared
demonstrations of ten minutes (which might be extended privately).
Please be specific about hardware/software requirements. GLOSSER
and HOLOGRAM, two Groningen programs, will be demonstrated.

Program Committee (still tentative)
- ---------------

Paul Bogaards (Computer-Assisted Instruction, Leiden)
Arthur van Essen (Applied Linguistics, Groningen, co-chair)
Erhard Hinrichs (Computational Linguistics, Tuebingen)
Sake Jager, (English & Computer Assisted Instruction, Groningen, co-chair)
Franziska de Jong (Linguistics, Utrecht & Computer Science, Twente)
Tibor Kiss (IBM, Heidelberg)
John Nerbonne (Computational Linguistics, Groningen, co-chair)

Local Arangements: Sake Jager, call-conflet.rug.nl.