35.3118, Confs: The Progressive Form Is Dead! What Does Operator BE + V-ing Really Denote? Linguistic Analyses, Multilingual Approaches & AI

Wed Nov 6 21:05:05 UTC 2024

LINGUIST List: Vol-35-3118. Wed Nov 06 2024. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 35.3118, Confs: The Progressive Form Is Dead! What Does Operator BE + V-ing Really Denote?  Linguistic Analyses, Multilingual Approaches & AI

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Date: 02-Nov-2024
From: Cécile Cosculluela [cecile.cosculluela at univ-pau.fr]
Subject: The Progressive Form Is Dead! What Does Operator BE + V-ing Really Denote?  Linguistic Analyses, Multilingual Approaches & AI

The Progressive Form Is Dead! What Does Operator BE + V-ing Really
Denote?  Linguistic Analyses, Multilingual Approaches & AI
Short Title: UPPA-BE+V-ing

Date: 02-Dec-2024 - 02-Dec-2024
Location: Pau (in the castle of Henri 4th & online), France
Contact: Cécile Cosculluela
Contact Email: cecile.cosculluela at univ-pau.fr
Meeting URL: https://tinyurl.com/BE-VingConfDec2

Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics; General Linguistics;
Linguistic Theories; Philosophy of Language; Translation
Subject Language(s): Chinese, Mandarin (cmn)
                     English (eng)
                     French (fra)
                     Italian (ita)
                     Spanish (spa)
Language Family(ies): Germanic; Romance; Romance-based

Meeting Description:

The International Conference of Linguistics, Translation Studies, and
Artificial Intelligence will focus on applying the synergy of these
three research domains to BE + V-ING from November 30th to December
2nd 2024, in Pau and online.

This academic event aims to analyze the semantic value and pragmatic
function of the linguistic operator BE + V-ing. This study will be
further enhanced by examining the possible translations for this
English operator into French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, and a number
of other languages. Additionally, translations with AI will be
considered, as well as AI-generated explanations for the use and value
of BE + V-ING and some of its literal translations like “ÊTRE en train
de + V-” in French, “ESTAR + V-ndo” in Spanish, “STARE + V-ndo” in
Italian, “SEIN dabei zu + V-” in German, or “正在 + V-” in Chinese.

The conference is rooted in the observation that the term “progressive
form” persists in the 21st century, despite evidence showing that BE +
V-ING does not inherently denote progression, thereby challenging this
terminology. This incongruence has been demonstrated since at least
Henri Adamczewski’s 1976 work, which showed that actions in progress
are not a common denominator for BE + V-ING verb phrases (VPs).
Furthermore, the absence of unfolding actions is not necessarily
indicative of the absence of BE + V-ING. In other words, numerous
instances of the BE + V-ING form are not inherently linked to ongoing
actions, and such actions are also compatible with the simple form.

Nonetheless, the concept of action in progress remains the prevailing
semantic interpretation of the operator BE + V-ING among the general
public and most linguists. In response to the limitations of these
explanations, alternative terms like “continuous form” or
“incompletive aspect" (and other aspects such as progressive,
continuative, durative, and imperfective)  have emerged, though they
essentially refer to the same concepts. As Adamczewski stated in 1991:
“We do not believe that merely changing labels can explain any
phenomenon whatsoever: the progressive aspect continues to encompass
the same old concepts of unfinished or durative action!”

Adamczewski’s meta-operational linguistics offers a simple yet
profound logical paradigm that sheds light on the common denominator
of all occurrences of BE + V-ING. The invariants he discovered revolve
around his phase 1 versus phase 2 perspective. This applies not only
to the distinction between the BE + V-ing and simple forms, but also
to numerous other grammatical points in many, if not all, languages.

This understanding has been embraced and further developed by
linguists such as Jean-Pierre Gabilan and Francisco Mate Bon, the
latter being renowned for applying meta-operation to Spanish grammar.
Alongside other researchers,  they will elaborate on their expertise
regarding BE + V-ING and its translations with AI, engage in debates
during a round table discussion, and address audience questions
throughout the extended weekend of this international conference.

THE PROGRESSIVE FORM IS DEAD
WHAT DOES OPERATOR BE + V-ING REALLY DENOTE?
LINGUISTIC ANALYSES, MULTILINGUAL APPROACHES & AI

Monday, December 2, 2024

09:00 – 09:20 : Welcome coffee at the château de Pau
09:20 – 09:30 : Opening remarks
Session chair: Cécile Cosculluela
09:30 – 10:00 : Extralinguistic Parameters and Grammar: Is There a Way
out?
The Case of « Simple » Versus « BE + ing » Utterances
by Jean-Pierre Gabilan, University of Savoie Mont Blanc, France.
10:00 - 10:10: Q & A
10:10 - 10:30: Construction of a Metaoperational Pragmatic Model
by Ariel Laurencio, University of Sassari, Italy.
10:30 – 10:40 : Q & A
10:40 - 11:00: coffee break
11:00 – 11:20: Calibrating AI: From Niche Knowledge to Nuanced Meaning
by Ryan Tannenbaum, Ed Tech Developer, South Korea.
11:20 - 11:30: Q & A
11:30 – 11:50: New Insights on the Semantics of Meta-Operator BE+ING:
Unveiling the
Binary System Underlying the Meta-Discursive Expression of Views and
Attitudes
by Drissia Chouit, Moulay Ismail University of Meknes, Morocco.
11:50 – 12:00 : Q & A
12:00 - 14:00 : lunch on the boulevard des Pyrénées
Session chair: Jean-Pierre Gabilan
14:00 - 14:30: Deciphering the “Secret Architecture” of Languages: The
Role of
BE + ing in English and of its Equivalents in Other Languages
by Francisco Matte Bon, International Free University of Rome, Italy.
14:30 - 14:40: Q & A
14:40 – 15:00: Grammar in Translation: The Case of Be + V-ing
by Mohammed Habib Kahlaoui, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman.
15:00 – 15:10 : Q & A
15:10 - 15:30: Grasping the Lion’s Speech: AI, Linguistic Relativity,
and the
Future of Translation
by Pascal Valet, UN Intional Junior School Principal, New York, USA.
15:30 – 15:40 : Q & A
15:40 – 16:00 : coffee break
Session chair: Cécile Cosculluela
16:00 – 16:20 : BE + V-ING in English and its Translation into Arabic
by Abdelhamid Nfissi, University of Fès, Morocco.
16:20 – 16:30: Q & A
16:30 – 17:30: Roundtable with six of the speakers
17:30 – 18:00: Q & A (Audience questions to roundtable participants)
20:00 : Gala Dinner

We would like to invite you to join us on December 2, 2024, for an
extraordinary hybrid event: the International Conference in
Linguistics, Translation Studies, and Artificial Intelligence – A
Synergy Applied to BE + V-ing.

This conference will explore everyday utterances like “Let’s give
Chris a big hand! He goes away 8,000 pounds better off! / $8,000
richer!” and “She’s buying her clothes from Harrod’s.” These real-life
examples challenge the traditional interpretation of the simple and BE
+ V-ing forms as representing habits or actions in progress. Instead,
as brilliantly demonstrated by Henri Adamczewski in the 1970s and
Jean-Pierre Gabilan in the 1990s, meta-operational linguistics offers
a powerful alternative with rules that have no exceptions, providing a
fresh perspective on the English verb system.
With this in mind, our conference subtitle declares, "THE PROGRESSIVE
FORM IS DEAD", and invites us all to ask, "WHAT DOES OPERATOR BE +
V-ING REALLY DENOTE?" Our eight invited speakers will guide us through
"LINGUISTIC ANALYSES, MULTILINGUAL APPROACHES & AI" to delve deeper
into these questions.

Join us for this free event - both in person at the Château de Pau or
online via Microsoft Teams!

For attendees:
- In-person: Enjoy complimentary coffee and croissants at the Château
- Online: Access via Teams link or QR code
Email cecile.cosculluela at univ-pau.fr to receive:
- Event program
- Speaker brochure with presentation topics
- Event poster
- Online access link

For speaker abstracts, please visit the conference page:
https://tinyurl.com/BE-VingConfDec2

Please feel free to share this invitation with colleagues who might be
interested.
Thank you for contributing to making this conference an enriching
success for all!

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