35.2282, Calls: Diversity and Change in Easy German (Workshop at DGfS 2025)

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-35-2282. Sat Aug 17 2024. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 35.2282, Calls: Diversity and Change in Easy German (Workshop at DGfS 2025)

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Date: 14-Aug-2024
From: Ingo Reich [i.reich at mx.uni-saarland.de]
Subject: Diversity and Change in Easy German (Workshop at DGfS 2025)


Full Title: Diversity and Change in Easy German (Workshop at DGfS
2025)

Date: 05-Mar-2025 - 07-Mar-2025
Location: University of Mainz, Germany
Contact Person: Ingo Reich
Meeting Email: workshop-easy-german-dgfs2025 at uni-saarland.de
Web Site: https://sfb1102.uni-saarland.de/vielfalt-und-wandel-in-leich
ter-sprache/

Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics; Computational Linguistics;
Psycholinguistics
Subject Language(s): German (deu)
Language Family(ies): Germanic

Call Deadline: 25-Aug-2024

Meeting Description:

Easy German, originating from the empowerment movement for individuals
with learning difficulties, has been systematically developed since
the 2000s to facilitate access to information and societal
participation for those with limited literacy skills (see also BTHG).
By avoiding linguistic complexity, Easy German aims to enhance text
comprehensibility. Despite the term "Easy German" suggesting a
uniform, delineated variety of German, there remains a lack of
consensus within the linguistic community regarding its precise
conceptualization. Over time, multiple frameworks and guidelines have
emerged (e.g., BMAS & Netzwerk Leichte Sprache, Bredel/Maaß 2016,
draft DIN standard Easy German SPEC 33429:2023-04). While these often
converge on principles such as "one idea per sentence", they diverge
on issues like the use of passives, pronouns, negation, and figurative
language. Moreover, corpus linguistic studies have shown that the
actual use of Easy German can significantly deviate from prescribed
norms and recommendations. This working group aims to establish a
platform for researchers investigating the practice of Easy German
text production through corpus analysis, examining its recent
evolution. The objective is to illustrate the dynamic changes in Easy
German texts, assess the extent of variability, and delineate their
distinctions from "Standard German". Simultaneously, we provide a
space for psycholinguistic studies conducted in collaboration with the
target demographic to assess the cognitive processing of Easy German,
allowing for the empirical validation of the regulatory frameworks and
their adaptation to the heterogeneity within the target audience. The
dynamism in this field has been increasing, ideally leading to the
optimisation of Easy German text production through the integration of
scientific insights into practical applications. Looking ahead,
AI-driven systems, currently under development at various German
institutions, will play an increasingly significant role in this
domain. This working group will also showcase and critically examine
such projects, discussing the implications of these technologies for
text production, along with the opportunities and challenges they
present.

Organization:
Ingo Reich (Saarland University, Germany)
Heike Zinsmeister (University of Hamburg, Germany)
Sarah Jablotschkin (University of Hamburg, Germany)
Lena Wieland (Saarland University, Germany)

Invited Speakers:
Bettina Bock (University of Cologne)
Ted Sanders (Utrecht University)

Call for Papers:

We invite contributions on all aspects of Easy German, addressing any
of the topics listed in the workshop description and beyond. While our
primary focus is on Easy German, we also welcome investigations into
easy-to-read variants in other Germanic languages. The workshop will
include a small poster session, and therefore, we accept submissions
for both talks and posters. Although we prefer contributions in
English, we also accept submissions in German.


 – Please submit your abstract by August 25, 2024 [EXTENDED DEADLINE!]
to workshop-easy-german-dgfs2025 at uni-saarland.de
 – Abstracts should not exceed one page (DIN A4, 2.5 margins, 12pt
font)
 – Examples, graphics or references may be included on a second page


Important workshop information:
The workshop is scheduled as part of the 47th annual meeting of the
German Linguistic Society (DGfS 2025) to be hosted by Johannes
Gutenberg University Mainz, which will take place between 5-7 March
2025. Please note that according to the regulations of the German
Linguistic Society (DGfS), workshop participants may not present two
or more papers in different workshops (although their name can appear
as a co-author of talk at another workshop). Participants are required
to register for the DGfS conference and pay the conference fee. There
are no additional fees for the workshop. For more information about
the DGfS conference, please visit the conference website
http://dgfs.uni-mainz.de.


Important dates:
Deadline for abstract submission: August 25, 2024 [EXTENDED DEADLINE!]
Notification of acceptance: September 2, 2024
Workshop: March 5-7, 2025, University of Mainz, Germany



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