4TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

ON LANGUAGE DOCUMENTATION & CONSERVATION

CALL FOR PROPOSALS:

General papers, posters, electronic posters

and

NSF-Supported Special Sessions on Pedagogy in Language Conservation

Please read carefully as some information has changed since last year.

INTRODUCTION

The 4th International Conference on Language Documentation and Conservation (ICLDC), “Enriching Theory, Practice, & Application,” will be held February 26-March 1, 2015, at the Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. The conference is hosted by the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa and is supported in part by the US National Science Foundation.

The program for this 3 ½ day conference will feature two keynote talks, an integrated series of Master Classes on the documentation of linguistic structures, and a series of Supported Special Sessions on pedagogy in language conservation. An optional Hilo Field Study (on the Big Island of Hawai‘i) to visit Hawaiian language revitalization programs in action will immediately follow the conference.

The theme of the 4th ICLDC, “Enriching Theory, Practice, and Application,” highlights the need to strengthen the links between language documentation (practice), deep understanding of grammatical structure (theory), and methods for teaching endangered languages (application). At this conference, we intend to focus on language documentation as the investigation of grammar and linguistic structure on the one hand, and the development of that investigation into sound pedagogy for endangered languages on the other. We hope you will join us.

For more information and links to past conferences, visit our conference website:  http://icldc-hawaii.org/

1. CALL FOR PROPOSALS: GENERAL CONFERENCE TALKS, POSTERS, AND ELECTRONIC POSTERS

Proposal deadline: August 31, 2014

Topics

We especially welcome abstracts that address the conference theme, “Enriching Theory, Practice, & Application.” Discipline-wide reflection on the relationship between the documentation of grammatical structure and language pedagogy is crucial if the proper documentation and conservation of endangered languages is to be effective. Our aim here is two-fold: to create citizen scientists who can reflect on their language for the purpose of teaching and documenting without being hindered by metalanguage, and to enrich the contributions of linguists to linguistic theory and description via documentation.

We are also seeking abstracts on the science of documentation and revitalization. Documentation is usually portrayed as a means of collecting language data, and revitalization is generally seen primarily as a kind of applied work directly benefiting communities. However, each of those domains is a genuine area of research, and we welcome presentations that treat documentation and revitalization not merely as activities, but also as domains requiring discussion, clarification, and theorization in their own right.

In addition to the topics above, we warmly welcome abstracts on other subjects in language documentation and conservation, which may include but are not limited to:

• Archiving matters

• Community experiences of revitalization

• Data management

• Ethical issues

• Language planning

• Lexicography and grammar design

• Methods of assessing ethnolinguistic vitality

• Orthography design

• Teaching/learning small languages

• Technology in documentation – methods and pitfalls

• Topics in areal language documentation

• Training in documentation methods – beyond the university

• Assessing success in documentation and revitalization strategies

Presentation formats

Papers will be allowed 20 minutes for presentation with 10 minutes of question time.

Posters will be on display throughout the day of presentation. Poster presentations will run during the early afternoon. Poster presentations are recommended for authors who wish to present smaller, more specific topics, or descriptions of particular projects.

Electronic posters (e-posters) are opportunities for presentations of software, websites, and other computer-based projects, in an environment that allows face-to-face interaction with the audience. Similar to a traditional poster session, e-poster presenters will use their own laptop computers to display their projects while the audience walks around, watching demonstrations and asking questions. E-poster sessions will take place in the early afternoon in a room with tables and internet access.

2. CALL FOR PROPOSALS: NSF-SUPPORTED SPECIAL SESSIONS ON PEDAGOGY IN LANGUAGE CONSERVATION

Proposal deadline: May 31, 2014

Special Session Topics and Format

This year, we are inviting proposals for a series of four Special Sessions on Pedagogy in Language Conservation. Each session will contain four talks and will be focused on a theme relating to the notion of pedagogy for endangered language teaching.

Endangered language teaching in the language community is often informed by only the most generic of language pedagogies, and language teachers are often frustrated by the lack of methodologies that go beyond short conversation, basic vocabulary, and constructions that can be taught by methods like Total Physical Response (e.g., Asher 1969). Compounding the problem, these same trained teachers may not have enough linguistic knowledge of the subject language to develop robust teaching materials and programs, while linguists with command of linguistic structure may not have the teaching training required to properly educate students or inform language teachers.

In the past we have followed the “Ken Hale” model of training endangered language speakers in linguistics. We have created reference grammars and pedagogical grammars, and most documentation projects include some component for creating teaching materials. What is still lacking from the discipline is a systematic discussion of how to transform documentary materials like annotated corpora and reference grammars into an effective pedagogical workflow for endangered languages (e.g., reference grammar to pedagogical grammar to teaching materials to pedagogical methods to assessment of teaching programs). There is a disconnect between linguistic theory and pedagogical theory, and we aim to bridge this gap during these Special Sessions.

Each Special Session on Pedagogy in Language Conservation will consist of four 20-minute presentation slots, with each slot to be followed by a 10 minute question period. One Special Session will occur each day of the conference in the same room and time. A total of four Special Sessions will be invited to present at the ICLDC.

Successful proposals will be thematically unified on a particular aspect of pedagogy in language conservation. These may include, but are not limited to:

• Acquisition: What can L1 and L2 acquisition studies teach us that is relevant for developing classroom materials and curricula?

• Teaching methods: What language teaching methods and activities can be brought to endangered language teachers to enhance language learning and retention?

• Understanding and conveying complex grammar: What specific activities in the classroom could be used to teach higher level constructions (e.g., complex clauses, information structure, or particle use)?

• Assessment: How can we properly assess teaching programs for radically less commonly taught languages?

NSF Support details

Thanks to generous support from the US National Science Foundation Documenting Endangered Languages Program, we are able to offer sponsorship in the form of travel assistance in the amount of US$2400 for each selected Special Session. The organizer of each Session will determine how that sum is to be divided among the speakers and will inform the ICLDC Executive Committee; depending on each circumstance, funds will be provided as (partial) flight reimbursements, hotel nights, or per diem payments (to be determined by the ICLDC Executive Committee).

3. ABSTRACT SUBMISSION

Rules for submission in all categories:

• Abstracts should be submitted in English, but presentations can be in any language. We particularly welcome presentations in languages of the region discussed.

• Authors may submit no more than one individual and one co-authored proposal (including participation in a Special Session proposal), or no more than two co-authored proposals. In no case may an author submit more than one individually-authored proposal.

• Proposals for the sponsored Special Sessions on Pedagogy in Language Conservation are due by May 31, 2014, with notification of acceptance by June 30, 2014.

• Proposals for general papers, posters, and electronic posters are due by August 31, 2014, with notification of acceptance by October 1, 2014.

• Individual authors whose proposals for the Special Sessions are rejected are welcome to submit their abstracts individually to the call for general proposals.

• We will not be accepting any proposals for panel presentations or colloquia beyond the Special Sessions on Pedagogy in Language Conservation.  

• Because of limited space, please note that the Abstract Review Committee may ask that some general abstracts submitted as papers be presented as posters or electronic posters instead.

• Selected authors will be invited to submit their conference papers to the journal Language Documentation & Conservation for publication.

How to prepare your proposal:

• For Special Session proposals: Special session organizers must submit their proposal on behalf of the authors included in the session. We ask the organizer to prepare an abstract of no more than 400 words for the Special Session as a whole, and to also submit abstracts of no more than 400 words for each paper in the Session. We also ask for a 50-word summary of the Special Session and of each paper in the session for inclusion in the conference program. All abstracts will be submitted to blind peer review by international experts on the topic.

• For proposals for general papers, posters, and electronic posters: We ask for abstracts of no more than 400 words for online publication so that conference participants will have a good idea of the content of your paper, and a 50-word summary for inclusion in the conference program. All abstracts will be submitted to blind peer review by international experts on the topic.

• To facilitate blind peer review, please DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME OR AFFILIATION in your abstract or filename. Your proposal should only include your presentation title, abstract, and list of references (if applicable).

• If you are including references/citations to your own work in your abstract, please be sure to replace your name(s) with "Author". For example, if you are Ted Smith and you wrote an article in 2009, which you are citing in your file (i.e., Smith (2009) ), you would change it to "Author (2009)."  If you are including a list of references at the end, also make sure to anonymize any of your publications similarly as well.  

• Please note that your reference list is not counted in your 400-word abstract maximum, only the main abstract text.

• Please save your abstract as an MS WORD DOCUMENT or PDF FILE. MS Word is preferred. However, if you are using special fonts, special characters, or diagrams in your abstract, a PDF file is recommended to make sure it displays as you intend.

• For a FILE NAME, use an abbreviated version of your title. For example, if your presentation title is "Revitalizing Hawaiian for the next generation: Social media tools," your filename might be "Revitalizing_Hawaiian.doc" or "Revitalizing_Hawaiian_social_media.pdf"

To submit an online proposal, visit http://www.icldc4.icldc-hawaii.org and click on "Call For Proposals."

Proposal review criteria

• Appropriateness of the Topic: Does the paper/poster address the themes of the conference or Special Session?

• Presentation: Is the abstract well-written? Does it suggest that the paper/poster will be well organized and clearly presented?

• Importance of the Topic: Is this an important topic within the area? Is the paper/poster likely to make an original contribution to knowledge in the field? Will it stimulate discussion?

• Contribution to the discipline: For talks, does the presentation make a methodological or theoretical contribution to the discipline? If not (e.g., project descriptions), could the presentation be submitted as a poster or electronic poster?

4. TIMELINE

• April 1, 2014: Call for Proposals announced

• May 31, 2014: Proposals for Special Sessions on Pedagogy in Language Conservation deadline

• June 30, 2014: Notification of acceptance to Special Sessions

• August 31, 2014: Proposals for general papers, posters, and electronic posters deadline

• October 1, 2014: Notification of acceptance for general papers, posters, and electronic posters

• October 1, 2014: Early registration opens

• January 15, 2015: Early registration deadline

• February 26-March 1, 2015: 4th ICLDC

5. SCHOLARSHIPS

To help defray travel expenses to come and present at the conference, scholarships of up to US$1,500 will be awarded to the six best abstracts by (i) students and/or (ii) members of an endangered language community who are actively working to document their heritage language and who are not employed by a college or university. If you are eligible and wish to be considered for a scholarship, please select the appropriate "Yes" button on the proposal submission form. This is applicable to regular conference papers only (not to the Special Sessions).

NOTE: Please be advised that these scholarships are considered taxable income under U.S. tax laws. U.S. citizens and permanent residents can expect to receive a 1099 form to figure into their annual tax return for 2015. Non-U.S. citizens/residents may have the applicable taxable amount (typically 30%) deducted from the scholarship check prior to receipt.

Questions?  Feel free to contact us at [log in to unmask]

Andrea L. Berez, Victoria Anderson, and Jim Yoshioka

4th ICLDC Executive Committee