LINGUIST List 8.235

Wed Feb 19 1997

Calls: Chinese Processing, Sociolinguistics

Editor for this issue: Susan Robinson <suelinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Ping Li, CFP International Symposium on Chinese Processing
2. Euan Reid, 12th UK Sociolinguistics Symposium

International Symposium on Cognitive Processes 
of the Chinese Language:

The Inaugural Conference of the
Chinese Language-Cognitive Science
Joint Research Centers, The
Chinese Academy of Sciences & 
The University of Hong Kong

August 29 - September 2, 1997
Hong Kong

Circular 1

Call For Abstracts
	
	Chinese is one of the oldest and perhaps the most widely
used language in the world. The unique properties of the Chinese
writing system in its phonology, morphology, and semantics are
critical to the understanding of the universal as well as specific
aspects of language processing. Research into Chinese has
fundamental significance for developing general theories of language
processing through the exploration of the cognitive mechanisms
underlying Chinese reading, writing and speech.

	The last two decades since 1977 have witnessed growing
interest in scientific studies of Chinese from the prospective of
psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, computer science and speech
and hearing science. Greater interdisciplinary endeavors are needed
from these disciplines to foster future research with special
reference to its unique properties and scientific implications, as
well as its application and technological development for language
learning and communication. The University of Hong Kong has played
an instrumental role in the research as well as promotion of
academic activities in this emerging field. Last year a Chinese
Language-Cognitive Science Research Center has been established at
the University of Hong Kong as a joint venture with the Chinese
Academy of Sciences (CAS) in order to enhance and co-ordinate
scientific study of the Chinese language.

	This Symposium is organised as an inaugural function of the
Chinese Language-Cognitive Science Joint Research Centers, Beijing &
Hong Kong, and is jointly sponsored by the Department of Psychology
and the Cognitive Science Center of the Hong Kong University. The
aim of this conference is to bring together researchers from various
fields - including character/word recognition, speech perception,
sentence and discourse comprehension, handwriting, graphonomics,
language acquisition, reading ability/disability, bilingual
processing, neuropsychological processes, Chinese learning and
instruction - who hold a common goal: Understanding the nature of
processing in Chinese.

	The Symposium is soliciting abstracts for spoken
presentations. Abstract must be no more than 300 words in length,
excluding references, and should arrive by March 20, 1997. It
should be written in English with a double-line space. For
empirical research, please concisely express the research questions,
the method used, the main findings and theoretical and/or applied
significance. Review papers are welcomed and should focus on one
major topic in the field, stressing its theoretical significance as
well as implications for practical applications. Acceptance of
submission will be notified by April 15.

	To stimulate future research, the Symposium will include six
invited keynote speeches describing recent advances. These speeches
will not only hold general interest to the Chinese cognitive science
community but also include areas not well represented at the
previous relevant conferences.

	Submissions should include your name, affiliation, mailing
address, fax number and email address. Authors should send a hard
copy of the abstract to:

		Henry S.R. Kao (Ph. D.)
		Department of Psychology
		University of Hong Kong
		Pokfulam Road
		Hong Kong
	
		Fax No.: 2858 3518
		Tel No.: (852) 2859 2383; (852) 2859 2375

	Authors are also welcomed to submit abstracts via email.
Our email address is: dpsycholhkucc.hku.hk; or hrnyksrhkucc.hku.hk

	We hope you will join us for an exciting symposium. If you
have any questions or suggestions about the symposium, please send
email to Professor Henry S.R. Kao at the above address.

Keynote Speakers

Charles A. Perfetti (University of Pittsburgh)
Ovid Tzeng (Chung Cheng University, and Salk Institute at San Diego)
Che Kan Leong (University of Saskatchewan)
Laurie B. Feldman (SUNY at Albany and Haskins Laboratories)
In-Mao Liu (Chung Cheng University)
Ping Li (University of Richmond)

Preliminary Organizing Committee

Henry R. Kao (HKU - CLCS Center, Hong Kong)
Chen Lin (CAS - CLCS Center, Beijing)
John Spinks (Dept. of Psychology, HKU)
Alonso Vera (Cognitive Science Center, HKU)

'SS12' - the 12th UK Sociolinguistics Symposium, will be held in London
from March 26th -28th, 1998.

The Programme for SS12 will combine invited speakers, half-day
'mini-seminars' on special themes, 40-minute paper sessions, 20-minute
'work-in-progress' sessions, posters, book exhibitions & social events.
Contributions across the whole range of sociolinguistics are invited, and
the Organising Committee would be especially glad to consider proposals
both for focused mini-seminars on particular topics, and your ideas about
appropriate overall meeting themes: send details by March 14th please.

Registration & other administrative aspects of the event will be dealt with
by the Conference Office of the Institute of Education, where the meeting
will be based. Accommodation will be handled by a hotel reservation service
offering discounted hotel accommodation within a few minutes walk in
Bloomsbury, ranging from about 20 pounds per night in a student hall of
residence
to about 85 pounds per night in first class hotels. We expect the full
non-residential conference fee to be around 140 pounds for the 2-day meeting,
with a discount for early booking, a surcharge for last minute booking, and
a substantial student discount. We also plan to offer a limited number of
competitive studentships to applicants presenting papers. Exact charges
will be confirmed in our second circular.

Further Information: If you are not sure that you are already on either our
postal or our email distribution list (inherited from the SS11 September 96
meeting organisers), please send your contact addresses to the Conference
Officer - email address at end of this message. We shall distribute the 2nd
circular in late May.

Abstracts deadline will be 31st August, 1997, and details of refereeing
procedures will be given in the May circular: Speakers will be told in
early November whether their papers have been accepted.

Organising Committee : Jenny Cheshire, Linguistics Dept, Queen Mary &
Westfield College, University of London; Jennifer Coates, English Language
& Linguistics, Roehampton Institute London; Penelope Gardner-Chloros, Dept
of Applied Linguistics, Birkbeck College, University of London; Ben Rampton
& Celia Roberts, Centre for Applied Linguistic Research, Thames Valley
University; Euan Reid, Culture, Communication & Societies Group, Institute
of Education, University of London.; Brian Street, Education Department,
King's College, University of London.

Send all correspondence please to: Conference Officer (SS12), Institute of
Education, 20 Bedford Way, LONDON WC1H OAL, UK. email:
c.birdioe.ac.uk

Messages for the organisers will be forwarded.

Euan Reid
Culture, Communication and Societies
Institute of Education
University of London
20 Bedford Way
LONDON WC1H 0AL
Tel: + 44 171 612 6524/Fax: + 44 171 612 6177