LINGUIST List 7.171

Fri Feb 2 1996

Calls: Lg Acquisition, ROCKY MOUNTAIN AMERICAN DIALECT

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

Directory

1. Frank Wijnen, Last Reminder: WCHTSALT
2. Xiaozhao Huang, Call for Papers (RMADS)

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 WCHTSALT conference, Utrecht (NL), 28-30 June 1996

 L A S T R E M I N D E R
 call for papers
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 WHAT CHILDREN HAVE TO SAY ABOUT LINGUISTIC THEORIES

 An Acquisition Symposium on June 28th-30th
 at the Research Institute for Language and Speech (OTS),
 Utrecht University


 CALL FOR PAPERS

Much of the research on language acquisition in the generative grammar
tradition addresses the general question "How is an adult grammar acquired?"
This directly affects methodology: An innateness hypothesis of one form or
another is set as the experimental hypothesis, while the supposition that
language acquisition is driven by nonlinguistic learning mechanisms is taken
as the null hypothesis. Although this paradigm has proven to be extremely
fruitful over the years, it has also precluded, of necessity, an additional
important potential function for language acquisition research. Since the
beginning of theoretical linguistics, it has been well-known that theories of
UG can be numerous, and that a criterion of "explanatory adequacy" is needed
to distinguish the empirically adequate from the insightful. In this regard,
language acquisition research can play an important role. A good test of the
explanatory adequacy of a given hypothesis about some aspect of UG is its
ability to predict the linguistic performance of children learning an adult
grammar. In this regard, language acquisition research offers a potentially
rich source of additional information useful for answering the theoretical
linguist's question "What exactly does UG consist in?" This symposium is
focused on this second potential function of language acquisition research.

Therefore, to be accepted, submitted abstracts must meet the following basic
requirements:

(i) Two (or more) distinct hypotheses in the literature, in any theoretical
 framework, about any linguistic phenomenon (e.g. weak cross-over, clitic
 climbing, stress, weak WH-islands, specificity, metalinguistic negation,
 case, whatever), are presented and compared;

(ii) The competing hypotheses are shown to make different predictions about
 children's linguistic performance, under a given set of conditions,
 given some set of general assumptions about language processing and
 first language acquisition;

(iii)Acquisition evidence argues in favor of one, and against the other,
 hypothesis

Abstracts, for a 40-minute presentation on any topic in syntax, semantics or
phonology, may be no longer than 1000 words (excluding references, diagrams
and examples), must be postmarked no later than February 20, 1996 (no e-mail;
no fax; no extensions), and should be sent to:

 WCHTSALT
 OTS/Utrecht University
 Trans 10
 3512 JK Utrecht
 The Netherlands.

Final selection will be determined by an international panel of experts, some
of whom will attend the symposium as commentators. For more information:
WCHTSALTlet.ruu.nl. Symposium organizers: Peter Coopmans, Nina Hyams,
William Philip and Frank Wijnen.

 +-------------------------------+
 | Frank Wijnen |
 | Utrecht University -- OTS |
 | Trans 10 |
 | 3512 JK Utrecht (NL) |
 | tel. ++ 31 30 253 6052 |
 | fax. ++ 31 30 253 6000 |
 +-------------------------------+

			CALL FOR PAPERS

		ROCKY MOUNTAIN AMERICAN DIALECT SOCIETY


	The RMADS welcomes proposals for 15-minute presentations at the 
	50th Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association Annual meeting in 
	Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 24-26, 1996. Authors may submit
 	abstracts of 300 words or less dealing with any aspect of dialects 
	in the United States (both English and other languages) to:

	Xiaozhao Huang
	Department of English
	University of North Dakota
	Grand Forks, ND 58202-7209
	Attn: RMADS Session

	DEADLINE: March 15, 1996.


	For additional information:
	telephone: (701) 777-6393
	e-mail: xhuangbadlandss.nodak.edu