CFP: Language Acquisition and Interfaces of Cognitive-Linguistic Modules

Wed Jul 16 20:13:07 UTC 2008

http://www.uiowa.edu/interfaceworkshop/#call

Mind-Context Divide 

Language Acquisition and Interfaces of Cognitive-Linguistic Modules

The University of Iowa

April 30-May 2, 2009

Conveners: Jason Rothman and Roumyana Slabakova

Purpose: The purpose of this workshop is to discuss current issues on the interfaces between phonology and syntax, syntax and semantics, syntax and discourse, syntax and the lexicon and their first and second language acquisition. Assuming the division between integrative and interface linguistic processes (Jackendoff, 2002) and a language architecture along the lines illustrated below (from Reinhart 2006), we are interested in demonstrable differences between the various interface properties and timing/rates/accuracy of their acquisition. It is no longer sufficient to maintain that properties at the interfaces are "harder" and take longer to acquire as compared to integrative properties within the modules (especially within the computational system) (Sorace, 2003). New empirical research and theoretical generalizations are invited refining and specifying the research program outlined above.

Questions addressed: The questions to be addressed include, but are not restricted to, the following: 

How do children and L2 learners acquire the properties of lexical items (lexicon-syntax interface)?

What role does prosody play in the acquisition of morphology (prosody-morphosyntax interface)?

How are semantic concepts (e.g., definiteness, specificity, genericity, tense, aspect, among others) acquired, and how does this affect the use and interpretation of the dedicated morphological markers of these concepts (semantics-syntax and pragmatics-syntax interface)? 

Is context and discourse information (focus, topic) readily integrated and marked by language learners? 

In addition to focusing on these grammatical areas, which are starting to receive enhanced attention in language acquisition, the workshop will explore the following questions which are fundamental to the study of language development and ultimate attainment: 

Are there stages of development in acquisition at the interfaces? 

Does children's cognitive development make a difference with respect to such properties? 

What is the role of the L1 in the acquisition of the second language interfaces? 

How do L2 learners eventually converge on the complete grammar of the target language, if they ever do?

Call for submissions:  Abstracts are invited for thirty-minute talks as well as poster presentations. Authors of papers selected for oral presentation will be required to submit a preliminary version of their paper by March 1st 2009, to be posted on the conference website.  All oral presentations and alternate papers (presented as posters) will be invited to submit to a peer-reviewed edited volume, which will feature the keynote and plenary talks. Please submit a one-page abstract (single-spaced, at least 11' font) with an optional second page for examples, data and references) to interfaces-workshop at uiowa.edu  by October 1st 2008.  Notification of acceptance will be sent out by December 1st 2008. Electronic submissions only; abstracts should be attached in PDF format or as Word files, with all identity properties of the authors removed.  Please label the e-mail "Interface workshop submission" and include the following in the body of the e-mail: Author(s) name(s), affiliatio!
 n(s) and indicate whether they are faculty or students as well as the1st author's e-mail, phone number, mailing address.  Graduate students are especially encouraged to submit!  

For further information please e-mail the conveners at the e-mail provided above.

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