LINGUIST List 9.1648

Thu Nov 19 1998

Calls: Cognitive Ling, Semitic Syntax & Morphology

Editor for this issue: Karen Milligan <karenlinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. alan harris, Cognitive Linguistics
2. Abbas Benmamoun, Semitic Syntax and Morphology

Theme Session Call for Papers

6th International Cognitive Linguistics Association (ICLA) Conference
(Stockholm, July 1999)

Typological Research on Signed Languages: Cognition and Discourse
Structure

Session Coordinators: Sherman Wilcox and Terry Janzen


Several hundred signed languages are known to exist in the world, used
within communities in which the signed language is the primary language.
Most grammatical description of these languages, however, is not extensive,
and is confined to no more than a handful of these languages. There is
speculation that signed languages may share a significant number of
linguistic features even when such languages are genetically unrelated, due
in part to their common use of the hands and body as articulators and the
eyes, rather than ears, as perceptual organs. Very little actual work,
however, has been carried out with respect to which specific grammatical
features are shared, and which may differ.

Many questions surrounding the relationship between cognition and signed
language structure involve the cross-linguistic typology of structural and
semantic categories. It is not yet clear, however, whether certain
linguistic features of signed languages emerge cross-linguistically because
users of these languages employ similar articulatory and perceptual
systems, and how much variation between and within particular categories
exists.

The purpose of this session is to focus on information processing and
discourse structure as typological features among signed languages. A
cognitive approach to this topic assumes that signers will structure
their discourse to best represent and convey what is cognitively salient,
and that the grammar that emerges within a community of language users will
reflect this cognitive motivation.

We invite papers which focus on cognition and features of discourse 
structure in
a variety of signed languages, with the intention of facilitating
discussion among researchers regarding typological features.

Abstracts (700 to 1400 words) are invited, and should be submitted
by November 31 to each of the following:

	wilcoxunm.edu
	tjanzenpost.rrcc.mb.ca



===========================

Sherman Wilcox, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Dept. of Linguistics
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131

http://www.unm.edu/~wilcox

CALL FOR PAPERS

Conference: THE SYNTAX OF SEMITIC LANGUAGES (June 26-27)
Workshop: THE MORPHOLOGY OF SEMITIC LANGUAGES (June 23)

After a very successful first Semitic Syntax conference at USCin May 1998,
the Department of Linguistics at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign invites abstracts for the second Semitic Syntax conference
to be held June 26-27, 1999. The conference will be preceded by a
workshopon Semitic Morphology to be held June 23, 1999. Both events will
take place during the Linguistic Society of America Summer Institute
(June21-July 30) which will be held at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign (website: http://www.beckman.uiuc.edu/linginst).
Participants will be selected on the basis of refereed anonymous abstracts,
to be judged by a selection committee. Each talk will be 40 minutes long
with an
additional15 minutes for discussion.

Please send 10 copies of an anonymous abstract, at most 2-pages long
(including examples and references). Please enclose a 3x5 card
withsubmission stating name of paper, name of author, affiliation and
address,including e-mail address, phone number, and indicate clearly
whether thepaper is for the conference or the workshop. The name of the
author SHOULDNOT appear on the abstract. Submissions by e-mail or fax will
not be accepted. Abstracts should be postmarked NO LATER THAN MARCH 15,
1999, and sent to:ABBAS BENMAMOUN. DEPARTMENT OF LINGUISTICS, 4088 FLB.
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN. URBANA, IL 61801USA

Conference website:
http://www.beckman.uiuc.edu/groups/cs/linginst/Conferences/semitic.html
Please check out the Semitic Linguistics archives where unpublished papers
on Semitic languages can be posted and downloaded. The address
is:http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/linguistics/semitic/
Please direct all inquiries about the conference and workshop to:

Abbas Benmamoun
Email: e-benmauiuc.edu
Tel: (217) 333-7129
Fax: (213) 333-3466


Organizing Committee
Joseph Aoun (USC)
Abbas Benmamoun (UIUC)
Hagit Borer (USC)