10.1322, Calls: Non-native Discourse, Optimality Theory
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LINGUIST List: Vol-10-1322. Thu Sep 9 1999. ISSN: 1068-4875.
Subject: 10.1322, Calls: Non-native Discourse, Optimality Theory
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1)
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 11:00:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: Olsher at ucla.edu (David Olsher)
Subject: Updated call for papers -- non-native discourse
2)
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 11:08:18 -0400 (EDT)
From: Helen de Hoop <Helen.deHoop at let.uu.nl>
Subject: Optimization of Interpretation
-------------------------------- Message 1 -------------------------------
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 11:00:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: Olsher at ucla.edu (David Olsher)
Subject: Updated call for papers -- non-native discourse
***************************************************
Call for Papers
Issues in Applied Linguistics invites submission for the
upcoming
Special Theme Issue: Non-native Discourse
*****************************************
Please note: The date has been extended!
Submissions are due on September 30, 1999.
*****************************************
We are looking for research on spoken discourse which
examines:
* naturally occurring non-native discourse (where one or all
participants are non-native speakers of the language used)
* discourse from a wide range of educational contexts (such
as classroom small group talk or tutorial interactions), but
excluding teacher fronted classroom contexts
*discourse from a wide range of non-teaching contexts (such
as workplace settings and ordinary conversation)
Research approaches may include:
* conversation analysis
* linguistic anthropology
* ethnography of communication
* other perspectives that analyze the situated use of
language within spoken interaction
Manuscripts for this Special Issue must be received by
September 30, 1999
ial is a refereed journal published by the graduate students of UCLA's
Department of TESL and Applied Linguistics. We are particularly
intereste in publishing new departures and cross-disciplinary
applied linguistic research.
For information about this special issue, please contact
David Olsher at: olsher at ucla.edu or ial at ucla.edu
Contributions should be submitted in three copies and sent to
David Olsher or Leah Wingard , Editors, Issues in Applied
Linguistics, Applied Linguistics & TESL, UCLA, 3300 Rolfe
Hall, P.O. Box 91531-1531, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1531.
Manuscripts should be printed double spaced (including
references, examples, etc.) on one side only of white 8 1/2
by 11 or A4 paper and use black printing ink. Figures and
tables should be camera ready, numbered, provided with a
caption, and printed on separate sheets. Please attach a
cover sheet with the following information: a) the full title
of your paper, b) your name, c) name and address of your
institution (or other address where you can best be reached),
d) your phone number (work and home), FAX-number and E-mail
address, and e) short title of your paper (for running head).
The first page must include an abstract of the article which
is less than 150 words. Authors should also supply a
biographical note of approximately 50 words.
-------------------------------- Message 2 -------------------------------
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 11:08:18 -0400 (EDT)
From: Helen de Hoop <Helen.deHoop at let.uu.nl>
Subject: Optimization of Interpretation
Call for Papers for the
Conference on the Optimization of Interpretation
Location: UiL OTS, Utrecht University
Date: 4-5 January, 2000
Invited speakers:
REINHARD BLUTNER (Humboldt University, Berlin)
BARBARA PARTEE (Umass, Amherst)
PAUL SMOLENSKY (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore)
Organizers:
Petra Hendriks, Helen de Hoop, Fabien Reniers, Frank Wijnen
Optimality Theory (OT) is a theory of language and grammar,
developed by Alan Prince and Paul Smolensky in the '90s. In OT
a grammar consists of a set of well-formedness constraints.
These constraints apply simultaneously to representations of
linguistic structures and they are soft, which means violable
and potentially conflicting. At least an important subpart of
these constraints is shared by all languages, forming part of
Universal Grammar. Individual languages rank these universal
constraints differently in such a way that higher ranked
constraints have total dominance over lower ranked
constraints. Possible output candidates for each underlying
form are evaluated by means of these constraint rankings. The
output that best satisfies the constraints is the optimal
candidate and will be realized.
Crucially for OT is Smolensky's idea to identify a
connectionist notion of well-formedness (harmony) with
linguistic well-formedness. In principle, OT is not restricted
to any specific aspect of language. Whereas OT syntax
optimizes syntactic structure with respect to a semantic
input, OT semantics, on the other hand, optimizes the
interpretation of a syntactically well-formed input. By
testing candidate interpretations against the ranked
constraints in a parallel fashion, interpretation can attain
the high speed that is typical of normal language processing.
Constraints that play a role can be semantic, pragmatic,
syntactic or intonational in nature. The constraints that have
been proposed within OT semantics so far are usually not new,
but have been linguistically motivated in the literature. What
is new is the conception of these constraints as soft. The
interpretation that arises for an utterance within a certain
context maximizes the degree of constraint satisfaction and is
as a consequence the best alternative (hence, optimal
interpretation) among the set of possible interpretations.
The aim of this workshop is to bring together theoretical and
empirical considerations on the optimization of
interpretation. Questions that might be addressed during the
conference include the following:
- How do markedness constraints (that penalize complex
structures and hence may favour ambiguity) and
faithfulness constraints (that actually favour structural
variety and thus disfavour ambiguity) interact?
- Can we account for cross-linguistic variation in
interpretation as a result of different rankings among
the different types of constraints that relate form and
meaning? That is, can we account for typological splits
between languages by rerankings of universal constraints,
as predicted by the theory?
- Can we maintain a modular view of grammar, and if so, should
we rank these modules instead of individual constraints
or not? What is the role of "interface" constraints?
- What is the influence of the pragmatic roles of speaker and
hearer in discourse interpretation?
- With respect to the study of interpretation as it evolves in
real time: does an increase of information (available
clues that activate constraints) results in a faster
settlement on the optimal interpretation (as we would
expect in accordance with the basic principles of
connectionist processing)?
The conference includes four presentations by invited speakers
as well as a forum with invited participants.
Invited forum participants:
Renate Bartsch (University of Amsterdam)
Ken Drozd (University of Groningen)
Wietske Vonk (MPI, Nijmegen)
Henk Zeevat (University of Amsterdam)
The conference has additional room for 10 selected talks of 40
minutes, including discussion. Authors should submit five
copies of an anonymous abstract of no more than two pages and
one camera-ready copy indicating the author's name,
affiliation, address and e-mail address. Please send your
abstract to:
Optimization of Interpretation
c/o Fabien Reniers
Utrecht Institute of Linguistics OTS
Trans 10
3512 JK Utrecht
The Netherlands
The DEADLINE for submission is October 1, 1999.
Authors will be notified of acceptance by October 17.
For more information, e-mail: fabien.reniers at let.uu.nl
Helen de Hoop
UiL OTS, UU, Trans 10
3512 JK Utrecht, The Netherlands
email: helen.dehoop at let.uu.nl
tel: 030-2536189/033-4622637
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