Date: 15-Nov-2021 – 16-Nov-2021
Location: Zürich, Switzerland
Contact Person: Eva Zehentner
Meeting Email: < click here to access email >
Linguistic Field(s): Cognitive Science; Computational Linguistics; Historical Linguistics; Linguistic Theories; Text/Corpus Linguistics
Call Deadline: 15-Oct-2021
Meeting Description:
This workshop aims to spark discussion about new methodologies in linguistics and their implications for linguistic theory: recent advances in data-driven statistical modelling, including machine learning approaches, allow us to obtain novel results and perspectives on language use, language variation and language change. At the same time, it remains a challenge to integrate these novel approaches and findings with state-of-the art theory building, both in earlier stages of research (e.g. in data extraction or hypothesis formulation) and in the interpretation of results. For example, modelling competition between two variants presupposes decisions on what counts as an alternation.
The main focus of the workshop now is to bring together established and more junior experts using computational linguistic methods to explore questions of language use, variation, and change.
Call for Papers:
Workshop ‘Modelling Constructional Variation and Change: Agents, networks, and vectors’ (15-16 November 2021)
Organisers: Eva Zehentner, Aitor Egurtzegi, Laetitia Van Driessche, Marianne Hundt, Melanie Röthlisberger & Sophie Willimann (University of Zurich)
This workshop aims to spark discussion about new methodologies in linguistics and their implications for linguistic theory: recent advances in data-driven statistical modelling, including machine learning approaches, allow us to obtain novel results and perspectives on language use, language variation and language change. At the same time, it remains a challenge to integrate these novel approaches and findings with state-of-the art theory building, both in earlier stages of research (e.g. in data extraction or hypothesis formulation) and in the interpretation of results. For example, modelling competition between two variants presupposes decisions on what counts as an alternation.
The main focus of the workshop now is to bring together established and more junior experts using computational linguistic methods to explore questions of language use, variation, and change. We are open to a wide range of methodological approaches, but are particularly interested in including researchers employing statistical models based on machine learning, such as distributional semantics, neighbour-net modelling, or agent-based modelling. In terms of linguistic area, our main focus is on phenomena of morpho-syntactic variation and change; approached from a cognitive-functional perspective (e.g. construction grammar). Although we have selected our invited speakers according to these criteria and will give precedence to poster submissions that fit with this research focus, we are happy to consider abstracts from researchers working on problems outside this area.
That is, we encourage submissions from researchers applying newer, advanced methodological tools to linguistic phenomena in any theoretical framework and any level of linguistic analysis.
Note that this event is geared towards early-career researchers (PhDs and early Postdocs), a key goal being to enable exchange between more senior and more junior researchers in the field, and provide opportunities for feedback. Due to the ongoing circumstances, we have decided to make this a hybrid event, with most invited speakers presenting in person, but options for online participation being offered. For a (provisional) list of invited speakers, see https://www.prepcomp.uzh.ch/en/Events/Modelling-ConstructionalVariation-and-Change.html .
Against this background, we invite early-career researchers to submit short abstracts for VIRTUAL poster presentations on Day 1 of the workshop. The abstracts should be anonymised, no longer than 300 words (excluding references) and submitted to eva.zehentner(at)es.uzh.ch by October 15, 2021.
There will be time before the poster session for everyone to give a short pitch of their poster to the audience. There will also be an informal (virtual) ECR get-together in the late afternoon of the first day.