[Corpora-List] CFP: Contrastive and learner corpus workshop

[Gaetanelle Gilquin]

*******************  CALL FOR PAPERS  *******************

---Linking up contrastive and learner corpus research---

Workshop to be held in conjunction with the
4th International Contrastive Linguistics Conference

Monday, September 19, 2005
Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Conference home page: <http://www.usc.es/iclc4/>http://www.usc.es/iclc4/


BACKGROUND

While the term ‘contrastive linguistics’ is traditionally used to refer to 
the comparison of two (or more) different languages, the goals and methods 
of the contrastive approach can also be applied to the comparison of 
different varieties of language, such as original language vs. translated 
language, child language vs. adult language or native language vs. learner 
language (also known as ‘interlanguage’).

The field of ‘contrastive interlanguage analysis’ (CIA) aims to come to a 
better understanding of language as it is used by non native speakers. It 
can involve two types of comparison, viz. between native speech and non 
native speech (NS vs. NNS) and between two or more varieties of non native 
speech (NNS vs. NNS). While the former type of comparison highlights the 
features of nativeness and non-nativeness of learner language, the latter 
determines whether the non native features are limited to one group of non 
native speakers (in which case it is most probably a transfer-related 
phenomenon) or whether they are shared by several groups of learners with 
different mother tongue backgrounds (in which case the most likely 
explanation is a developmental difficulty). On the basis of carefully 
designed corpora representing both native and non native varieties of a 
language, such comparisons can be drawn easily and with reliable results.

Interestingly, CIA can also be combined with ‘pure’ contrastive analysis 
(CA), in a model that has been called the ‘integrated contrastive model’ 
(see Granger 1996 and Gilquin 2001). Thanks to representative bilingual and 
learner corpus data and constant to-ing and fro-ing between CA and CIA, it 
is possible to evaluate the predictive power of the CA data (can the 
differences between L1 and L2 predict the problems encountered by 
learners?), as well as their diagnostic power (can learners’ difficulties 
be explained by the influence of the mother tongue?), and so give a precise 
description of the place of the mother tongue in the acquisition of the 
target language.

Gilquin, G. 2001. ‘The Integrated Contrastive Model. Spicing up your data’. 
Languages in Contrast 3.1: 95-123.

Granger, S. 1996. ‘From CA to CIA and back. An integrated approach to 
computerized bilingual and learner corpora’. In K. Aijmer, B. Altenberg & 
M. Johansson (eds) Languages in Contrast. Papers from a Symposium on 
Text-based Cross-linguistic Studies. Lund 4–5 March 1994 (pp. 37–51). Lund: 
Lund University Press.


WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

The aim of the workshop is to bring together researchers whose work links 
up contrastive and learner corpus research, either in the form of 
contrastive interlanguage analysis or using the integrated contrastive 
model. The research can concern any aspect of language (syntax, semantics, 
pragmatics, discourse, etc.), provided it is based on corpus data. Papers 
describing theoretical and/or methodological issues related to the 
combination of CA and CIA are also welcome.


SUBMISSION PROCEDURE

Abstracts for 20 minute presentations (plus 10 minutes for discussion) can 
be submitted using the abstract proposal form found at 
<http://www.usc.es/iclc4/callforpapers-def.htm>http://www.usc.es/iclc4/callforpapers-def.htm. 
The guidelines are the same as for the submission of a regular ICLC paper 
(10 line long abstract plus additional information). Under ‘panel’, make 
sure you mention the name of the workshop. Abstracts should be sent before 
Easter (preferably by email) to:

Gaetanelle Gilquin
Department of Linguistics
Stanford University
Margaret Jacks Hall, Bldg 460
Stanford CA 94305-2150, USA
Email: ggilquin at stanford.edu

Participants submitting an abstract for the general conference are allowed 
to submit one for the workshop too. Abstracts accepted for the workshop 
will be included in the proceedings of the conference.


LANGUAGE

All papers should be submitted and presented in English.


REGISTRATION

The fee to attend the workshop is included in the conference fee. Those who 
wish to attend the workshop without delivering a paper are asked to 
indicate their interest to Gaetanelle Gilquin (ggilquin at stanford.edu) to 
receive their own copy of the final programme.


ORGANISERS

Maria Belen DIEZ-BEDMAR, Universidad de Jaen, Spain
Gaetanelle GILQUIN, Universite catholique de Louvain, Belgium / Stanford 
University, USA
Szilvia PAPP, University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom


IMPORTANT DATES

Submission deadline: March 25, 2005
Notification of acceptance: April 18, 2005
Workshop date: September 19, 2005
Conference dates: September 20-23, 2005