Call for papers: (In)determinism in language acquisition

[Annette Hohenberger]

Call for papers:
(In)determinism in Language Acquisition

Date: 23-Feb-2005 - 25-Feb-2005
Location: Cologne, Germany
Contact: Annette Hohenberger
Contact Email: hohenberger at cbs.mpg.de
Meeting URL: http://www.dgfs.de/cgi-bin/koeln2005.pl

Linguistic Sub-field: Language Acquisition
Call Deadline: 05-Sept-2004

Meeting Description:

The purpose of this workshop is to present and discuss dynamical
approaches to language acquisition. This workshop is part of the 27th
Annual Conference of the German Linguistics Society (DGfS)
http://www.dgfs.de/cgi-bin/koeln2005.pl

Title: (In)determinism in Language Acquisition

Conveners:
Annette Hohenberger (MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences,
Munich)
Annemarie Peltzer-Karpf (University of Graz)
Carolina Plaza Pust (University of Frankfurt)

Invited Keynote speaker: David Lightfoot, University of Maryland

In this workshop, we will be concerned with the role of determinism
and indeterminism in language acquisition.

In the course of the past 15 years, various dynamical approaches have
penetrated language acquisition research and accumulated evidence that
(i) language is a non-linear dynamical system and (ii) its development
is poised between deterministic and indeterministic processes. Thus,
language development does not take a linear path but comes in phases
of intermittent turbulence, fluctuation, and stability. It seems,
where determinism and indeterminism meet, complex order emerges
through self-organization.

Topics of the workshop may include, but are not limited to:
- theoretical and empirical approaches to first and second language
acquisition (L1, L2+) as well as multilingual acquisition, referring
to any language module (phonology, morphology, syntax,
lexicon/semantics, pragmatics)
- dynamical approaches to language development on different time
scales (evolutionary, phylogenetic, ontogenetic, microgenetic)
- non-linear phenomena in language acquisition: self-organization,
self-similarity, bifurcation, bootstrapping, triggers, critical mass,
emergence
- the interplay between language acquisition and the neurocognitive
development of the brain
- tools and methods of dynamical language acquisition research
- macro- and micro-variation, inter- and intra-individual differences
in language acquisition

In this workshop, we want to bring together scholars of language
acquisition from various theoretical backgrounds, who share a common
interest in non-linear models and self-organization. We explicitly
encourage an interdisciplinary discourse by embracing concepts and
insights from neighboring disciplines like biology and physics. We
cannot fully predict the outcome of this workshop but expect a
stimulating discussion - (in)determined by you and us.

Presentations will be 20 minutes + 10 minutes for discussion

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Abstracts should not exceed 1 page (1 inch margins, 12 pt) and include
title, name of the author(s), affiliation, e-mail address. Please
submit your abstract in English or German and send it as an attachment
in word or rtf to hohenberger at cbs.mpg.de

DATES:

CALL DEADLINE: 05-SEPT-2004
Notification of acceptance: 15-SEPT-2004

CONFERENCE: 23 to 25 FEB 2005

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

Participants are expected to register for the Conference of the German
Linguistics Society. There will be a moderate fee.