With Prof. Bulut and Dr. Manssoor Abbassi.
Category: CFP
eResearch days on Social Media and CMC Corpora for the eHumanities
Call for papers (abstract deadline 15th May)
The first international research days (IRDs) on Social Media and CMC Corpora for the eHumanities will be held in Rennes, France on 23-24th October 2015 and will focus on communication and interactions stemming from networks such as the Internet or telecommunications, as well as mono and multimodal, synchronous and asynchronous communications. The focus of the IRD will encompass different CMC genres. These include, but are not limited to, discussion forums, blogs, newsgroups, emails, SMS and WhatsApp, text chats, wiki discussions, social network exchanges (such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, wikis (Wikpedia type)), discussions in multimodal and/or 3D environments.
The aim of the IRDs is to bring together researchers who have collected CMC data and who wish to organize and share them for research purposes. The IRDs will focus on the process of building CMC corpora including annotation and analysis processes as well as on questions of ethics and rights raised by publishing CMC corpora as open data. We invite researchers who are concerned with the analysis of various types of CMC data and corpora for linguistic or applied linguistic purposes to submit paper presentations.
Topics of interest (not limited to)
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The IRDs will have three thematic streams:
– 1) Development of CMC corpora
o Building CMC corpora: from data collection to publication
o Open data for research on CMC: questions of ethics and rights
o One or several models of CMC genres (e.g. extension of the TEI model, etc.)
o Multimodal corpora
– 2) Annotations and analysis
o Discourse and dialog analysis of online discussions: chat, forums, SMS, wikipedia discussions, social network exchanges, blogs, newsgroups, etc.
o Study of social networks through their communication: informal, professional, learning or other communities
o Contrastive analyses of specific CMC genres between several languages communities (e.g. languages in contact)
o Interaction analysis in online learning situations
o Multimodality in interactions
– 3) Natural Language Processing (NLP) applied to CMC
o Tagging and Parsing CMC texts
o Dealing with abbreviations and typos
o Dealing with morphosyntactic, lexical, … variations (e.g. : in corpus produced by deaf scripters)
Presentation categories
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Colleagues are invited to submit abstracts for paper presentations that will consist of a 20 minute talk followed by 10 minutes for questions and discussion.
Please note there will not be a poster session during these IRDs.
How to submit your proposal
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Papers can be submitted in either English or French. The language in which you submit your abstract should be the language in which you will present if your paper is accepted. All abstracts will be peer-reviewed by the conference programme committee.
Abstracts should be between 500 and 1000 words in length (excluding references). They should be submitted at http://ird-cmc-rennes.sciences
Please note, when submitting your abstract, you will have to select from a list of three strands and provide three or four keywords that will help place your abstract into the appropriate category. You can type your abstract directly onto the online form or paste a previously edited text. Plain text should be used. If you want to enter formatting elements (bold or italics,, etc.), or charts, tables, etc., please use a file attachments in PDF format. When entering author information, please include all authors and do not simply list the corresponding author.
Important dates
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15 May 2015: Paper submission deadline
15 July 2015: Authors notified of outcomes
23-24 October 2015: International Research Days, Rennes
Invited speakers
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– Egon W. Stemle : DiDi project (http://www.eurac.edu/de/resea
– Angelika Storer : Wikipedia as a resource for linguistic research (http://germanistik.uni-mannhe
– Pascal Vaillant : Clapoty project (http://clapoty.vjf.cnrs.fr/)
Programme Committee (not yet complete)
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Georges Antoniadis (U. Grenoble, France)
Valerie Beaudouin (Telecom, ParisTech, France)
Michael Beisswenger (U. Dortmund, Germany)
Thierry Chanier (U. Blaise Pascal, France)
Isabella Chiari (U. Sapienza, Italy)
Linda Hriba (U. Orleans, France)
Gudrun Ledegen (U. Rennes 2, France)
Julien Longhi (U. Cergy-Pontoise, France)
Jean-Philippe Mague (ENS Lyon, France)
Amanda Potts (Lancaster University, United Kingdom)
Celine Poudat (U. Nice, France)
Ciara R. Wigham (U. Lyon2, France – responsable)
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Thierry Chanier
Laboratoire de Recherche sur le Langage (LRL)
Département de Linguistique
Université Blaise Pascal (Clermont 2)
thierry.chanier@univ-bpclermon
Tel : +33 3 4 73 34 68 39
adresse: Université Blaise Pascal,
Maison des Sciences de l’Homme – LRL
4 rue Ledru
63057 Clermont-Ferrand cedex 1
http://lrlweb.univ-bpclermont.
Text simplification and complexity
Presentation by Advaith Siddharthan, University of Aberdeen
Aim: to reduce linguistic complexity: lexis, syntax, text length, information order, cohesive texts are easier to follow, numerical simplification, improve quality (texts with errors are difficult to read), spelling and grammar checks, how engaging a text is (personal narratives), humour.
Monolingual translation: one language into the same language.
Motherese talk as a way to simplify
Controlled language: O’Brien 2003 : user manuals that are easy to translate
Peterson & Ostendorf (2007) for L2 learners
Who is the target reader of a simplified text system?
http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/
Evaluating complexity in syntax
Presentation by Phillippe Blache, Laboratoire Parole et Langage, CNRS & Aix-Marseille Université
Part of the Measuring ling. complexity: A multidisciplinary perspective workshop at UCL, Belgium, 24 April 2015
Complexity means different things to different people
System vs Structural complexity (Dahl, 2004)
Existing models: incomplete dependency hypothesis, dependency locality theory, early intermediate constituents principle, activation. However, they all fail to describe language in natural environment.
Challenges: dealing with natural data and dealing with language in its context, esp. spoken language and natural interaction.
Hypothesis: difficulty depends on the search space size. The larger the search space, the more difficulty.
The more properties, the smaller the search space. Maximize online principle (Hawkins, 2004).
Generative grammar is a very restrictive view.
Property grammars: linguistic statements as constraints (filtering + instantiating)
Basics: constraints are independent, linear precedence.
Constraint violation is possible.
L2 complexity, a difficult matter
Presentation by Alex Housen
Part of the Measuring ling. complexity: A multidisciplinary perspective workshop at UCL, Belgium, 24 April 2015
Complexity in SLA research
Early days: 70s and 80s; simplification vs complexification
1990-2010s: rarely investigates for its own sake
As indepedent variable: task complexity, complexity of the L2 target feature
As dependent variable: descriptor of L2 performance, indicatori of L2 proficiency, index of L2 development in studies dealing with the effects og age, learning context, learner variables, etc.
So far it has yielded inconclusive results.
Spada & Tomita (2010): meta analysis on the complexity of target feature on effectiveness of L2 construction
Definitions are varied and not consistent
Most studies show no construct definition and as a result complexity is often not explicitly defined as a theoretica lconstruct. Instead it usually is operationalised as a statistical construct either by means of raters or quantitative mesures of selected features.
Bulté & Housen 2012: review of 40 L2 studies
Grammatical and lexical complexity
Only 3 measures are used in more than 5 studies (MLTunit + MLS, D + Guirault)
Motivation for the choice of complexity measures is not specified.
What units are being used?
-Frequency count
-Ratio measures
-Comples measures (inidices)
Norris & Ortega (2009): Towards an Organic Approach to Investigating CAF in Instructed SLA: The Case of Complexity
The challenge is to bring more clarity and identify the meanings and conceptions of L2 complesity that are relevant for investigating and understanding the nature of L2 structures and L2 systems.
Structural L2 complexity vs Cognitive L2 difficulty: may lead to a property theory in SLA
Complexity as diversity
Jarvis 2013 multidimensional model of lexical diversity
-size/volume
-richness/abundance
-effective number of types/variety
and many others
Abstract:
The range, variety, or diversity of words found in learners’ language use is believed to reflect the complexity of their vocabulary knowledge as well as the level of their language proficiency. Many indices of lexical diversity have been proposed, most of which involve statistical relationships between types and tokens, and which ultimately reflect the rate of word repetition. These indices have generally been validated in accordance with how well they overcome sample-size effects and/or how well they predict language knowledge or behavior, rather than in accordance with how well they actually measure the construct of lexical diversity. In this article, I review developments that have taken place in lexical diversity research, and also describe obstacles that have prevented it from advancing further. I compare these developments with parallel research on biodiversity in the field of ecology, and show what language researchers can learn from ecology regarding the modeling and measurement of diversity as a multidimensional construct of compositional complexity.
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Morphological Complexity Index (MCI)
Available tool: Pallotti & Brezina
corpora.lancs.ac.uk/vocab/analyse/
Syntactic Diversity Index (SDI)
7 clauses and sentences categories
La educación superior como espacio multilingüe y multicultural
Mesa redonda: La educación superior como espacio multilingüe y multicultural
Higher Education as a multilingual and multicultural space
Viernes 17 de abril de 2015, 12:00 – 13:30
MR12, Fundación, Salón Actos
PANEL DE SOCIOLINGÜíSTICA
Organizadores: Emma Dafouz Milne (UCM) y Pascual Pérez Paredes (UMU)
Foro para la reflexión y el debate del eje temático “La educación superior como espacio multilingüe y multicultural” programado dentro del panel de Socioligüística.
Desde el punto de vista organizativo tendrá el siguiente formato:
1) introducción por parte de los organizadores (5 minutos)
2) intervención de 3 ponentes explicando las experiencias/logros/retos en su respectivas universidades (5 minutos cada uno)
3) síntesis y reflexión/comentario por parte de un “discussant” externo (5 minutos)
4) intervención de los otros 3 ponentes (5 minutos) y
5) síntesis y reflexión/comentario de un segundo “discussant” (5 minutos),
6) puesta en común global con la intervención de todos los miembros de la mesa + preguntas del público (20 -30 minutos) y cierre por uno de los organizadores.
En total 90 minutos
1) Introduction: Emma Dafouz, UCM
2) Part 1: 3 contributions
Striving to boost multilingualism in higher education: A case study
David Lasagabaster, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU
University policy
Spolsky: examine what all actors involved think about it
Less attention to teachers and admin workers
The Multilingual Program in UPV started in 2005
Found interest in multilingualism but students are more reluctant. Good students reluctant to take part in EMI programs, afraid of negative impact on their grades.
Identifying the challenges of bilingual programmes in Higher Education: first decisions
Victor Pavón, University of Córdoba (Spain)
A mono lingual context.
Authorities are to be motivated to invest in this area and understand EMI, ICLHE or CLIL focus.
Employability is a key issue.
University policy to be affected.
Global language policy.
Incentives essential.
English-medium instruction as a transformation policy
Pascual Pérez Paredes, University of Murcia
3. Discussant for Part 1: Ute Smit (University of Vienna)
The above as good examples of language policy in action.
Complex map.
Internationalisation in Spain as a different issue from Austria
Language proficiency is topicalised.
Those in the management positions are not precisely those with expertise in language teaching or multilingualism.
English as a Lingua Franca: a process approach, it’s action, dynamic, diverse
4. Part 2: 3 contributions
The International Classroom in the European Higher Education Area: Multilingual policies towards internationalization in a bilingual university
Carmen Pérez Vidal, Universidad Pompeu Fabra
UPF policies on multilinguism in bilingual territories.
The impact of Bolognia process on language use in HE.
The PAM plan.
Linguistic security, a novel concept.
Quality of Plurilingual Higher Education programs in Andalusia
Fernando D. Rubio Alcalá, Universidad de Huelva
Multi/pluri terminology
Language competence in teachers
Interesting project in Andalucía
An interdisciplinary and international approach to English-medium instruction in Higher Education
Emma Dafouz Milne, Universidad Complutense Madrid
The views of the content teachers.
INTER-R-LICA
Dafouz & Smit (2014)
5. Discussant for part 2: Julia Hüttner, University of Southampton
Can universities do it all? Mutilingual programs in HE.
Education is a slow “project”.
What makes a university international?
We need more in-depth understanding of the comples landscape in different countries.
Cam we compare EMI in Spain to other countries?
6. Discussion: all participants take part as well as questions and comments from audience
7. Summary and conclusions: Pascual Pérez-Paredes
Short bios
David Lasagabaster is Associate Professor at the University of the Basque Country. From 2005 to 2009 he was responsible for the implementation of the Multilingualism Programme at his university. He has co-edited the volume “English-medium Instruction at Universities: Global Challenges” published by Multilingual Matters in 2013.
As an author, researcher and lecturer at the University of Córdoba (Spain), Víctor Pavón is active in bilingual education development programmes including higher education. Most recently he is coordinating the linguistic policy and the Bilingual Programme in this University.
Pascual Pérez-Paredes is Associate Professor with the University of Murcia. His main research interests are quantitative research of register variation, the compilation and use of language corpora and the implementation of Information and Communication Technologies in the field of applied linguistics. From Feb. 2011 to May 2014, Prof. Pérez-Paredes was General Coordinator of Campus Mare Nostrum, part of the Excellence Program of the Spanish Ministry of Education.
Carmen Pérez is a full lecturer of the Department of Translation and Philology at UPF. Doctor in English Philology by the UB (1995), she was awarded the research prize by the Spanish Association of Applied Linguistics. Previously, she obtained her Master’s in Applied Linguistics (Reading, UK) and her degrees in Hispanic Philology (UAB) and English Philology (UB). She is an official translator for French and English. She is investigating language acquisition in bilingual and multilingual circumstances, the age factor and the impact of mobility, both in European and national projects. She has directed UPF’s Language Training Programme since it was set up.
Fernando Rubio is Vice Dean Of International Relations and Plurilingualism at the Faculty of Education and a lecturer at the University of Huelva. His research interests lie primarily in the area of teaching and learning foreign languages, concretely affective factors, curriculum and plurilingualism. He has published these articles about plurilingual education: with Víctor Pavón: Teachers’ concerns and uncertainties about the introduction of CLIL programmes. Porta Linguarum, 2010; Toledo, I., Rubio, F.D. y Hermonsín, M. (2012). Creencias, rendimiento académico y actitudes de alumnos universitarios principiantes en un programa plurilingüe. Rubio, F.D. y Hermosín, M. (2010). Implantación de un programa de plurilingüismo en el Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior: Análisis de contexto y detección de necesidades. Siglo XXI. Revista de Educación. He has run a plurilingual program at the Faculty of Education since 2010.
Emma Dafouz is associate professor at the Complutense University of Madrid. Since 2001 she has focused on English-medium instruction (EMI) in higher education and currently coordinates an interdisciplinary research group, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, on the Internationalization of Higher Education and EMI. She has published in national and international journals (Language and Education, Modern Language Journal or Applied Linguistics). At present, she works as Advisor of the Language Plan for Internationalization at the Complutense University.