Call for papers: Workshop on nonmanuals

[Steinbach, Dr. Markus]

Workshop on Nonmanuals in Sign Languages 

Call for papers 

Workshop: 'Nonmanuals in Sign Languages' 
Frankfurt am Main, Germany: 04.-05. April 2009 

Linguistic Fields: Sign Language Linguistics 

Subject language: English and German Sign Language 

Submission Deadline: 1. February 2009. 

Abstracts are invited for a workshop on 'Nonmanuals in Sign Language'. It will take place at the University of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 03.-04. April 2009 in cooperation with a workgroup 'Sign Languages and Interfaces' and the University of Mainz, Germany. 

The conference wants to 
- discuss recent research on nonmanual features in sign languages from a theoretical and typological perspective
- bring together deaf and hearing linguists and junior researchers working in the sign language research field
- establish a platform for exchange and cooperation with linguists and institutions 

Abstract about research on the following topics are encouraged:
- Forms and functions of nonmanuals in sign languages
- Prosody in sign languages: rhythm, prominence and intonation patterns
- Interaction between syntax and prosody
- Information structure in sign languages
- Interrelation of agreement and role shift with nonmanuals
- Marking of sentence types
- Marking of expressive meaning 
- Acquisition and processing of nonmanuals
- Typological variation with respect to form and function of nonmanuals 


Meeting description 

In all Sign Languages, nonmanuals play an important role on all levels of grammar. Sign Languages have lexical facial expressions, nonmanual morphological marking, and various kinds of nonmanual markings on a syntactical level (i.e. negation, topicalization, sentence types, and role shift). In addition, semantic-pragmatic functions are often realized nonmanually. 
Recent research has focused on two interesting aspects of nonmanuals, namely multifunctionality and simultaneity. Firstly, a specific nonmanual feature can express various grammatical functions. This multifunctionality seems to be an inherent property of all kinds of nonmanuals. Secondly, simultaneous layering of different articulatory channels exhibits a complex interplay between manuals and nonmanuals on the one hand and between different kinds of nonmanuals on the other. 
The workshop aims at addressing the questions of how these components of sign language grammar can be formally and functionally distinguished, categorized, and analyzed. 

Invited speakers: 
Dany Adone (University of Koeln) 
Onno Crasborn (Radboud University Nijmegen) 
Roland Pfau (University of Amsterdam) 
Christian Rathmann (University of Hamburg) 

Please send a one-page abstract by email to herrmann[at]lingua[dot]uni[minus]frankfurt[dot]de no later than 1. February 2009 (submission deadline). 

The abstract should be anonymous and can be sent in .doc, .pdf or .tex format. The email should contain the author(s)' name(s), affiliation(s), and postal address(es). 

Notification of acceptance: 15. February 2009 
Preliminary programme: 01. March 2009 
Workshop: 04.-05. April 2009 

Workshop website: www.germanistik.uni-mainz.de/linguistik/nisl 

Organizers: 
Annika Herrmann (University of Frankfurt)
Helen Leuninger (University of Frankfurt)
Markus Steinbach (University of Mainz)
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