[with apologies for cross-posting]
Joint workshop on NLP for Computer-Assisted Language Learning & NLP for Language Acquisition
Umeå, Sweden, 16 November 2016 (in connection to SLTC 2016)
https://spraakbanken.gu.se/eng/joint5thNLP4CALL-1stNLP4LA2016
Call for papers
This year the 5th NLP4CALL workshop is co-organized with the 1st workshop on NLP for Research in Language Acquisition, NLP4LA. The goal of the joint workshop is to provide a meeting place for researchers working on language learning issues including both empirical and experimental studies and NLP-based applications.
The workshop series on Natural Language Processing (NLP) for Computer-Assisted Language Learning (NLP4CALL) is a meeting place for researchers working on the integration of NLP and Speech/Dialogue Technologies in CALL systems and exploring the theoretical and methodological issues arising in this connection.
The previous editions of this workshop series enjoyed wide participant geography, including researchers from Australia, Canada, Central, Southern and Northern Europe, Russia, USA. The workshops have shown the vast potential that Language Technology (LT) holds for language learning and – most importantly – the interest that LT researchers have for the domain of CALL.
The intersection of Natural Language Processing and Speech/Dialogue Technology with Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) brings “understanding” of language to CALL tools, thus making CALL intelligent. This fact has given the name for this area of research – Intelligent CALL, ICALL. As the definition suggests, apart from having excellent knowledge of Natural Language Processing and/or Speech/Dialogue Technology, ICALL researchers need good insights into the second language acquisition (SLA) theories and practices, as well as knowledge of second language pedagogy and didactics. This workshop invites therefore all ICALL-relevant research, including studies where NLP-enriched tools are used for testing SLA and pedagogical theories, and vice versa, where SLA theories/pedagogical practices are modeled in ICALL tools.
This year we welcome papers:
that describe research directly aimed at ICALL,
that demonstrate actual or discuss potential use of existing Speech Technologies, NLP tools or resources for language learning,
that describe ongoing development of resources and tools with potential usage in ICALL, either directly in interactive applications, or indirectly in materials, application or curriculum development, e.g. collecting and annotating ICALL-relevant corpora; developing tools and algorithms for readability analysis, selecting optimal corpus examples, etc.
that discuss challenges and/or research agenda for ICALL
we are also interested in software demonstrations
The workshop on NLP for Language Processing for Research in Language Acquisition (NLP4LA) broadens the scope of this year’s joint workshop to also include theoretical, empirical, and experimental investigation of first, second and bilingual language acquisition.
We believe that this field will benefit from collaboration between the NLP, linguistics, psychology and cognitive science communities. The workshop is targeted at anyone interested in the relevance of computational techniques for first, second and bilingual language acquisition. Therefore, our aim is to bring together researchers from different fields with a shared interest in language acquisition.
For the track of NLP for Language Acquisition we welcome papers on, but not limited to, the following topics:
Empirical studies on language learner data,
Computational models of first, second and bilingual language acquisition,
Empirical or experimental studies, or computational models of various aspects of language and their effect in language comprehension and acquisition,
Data resources and tools for investigating language acquisition,
Psycholinguistic and socio-linguistic investigations on first, second and bilingual language acquisition.
We especially invite submissions describing the above-mentioned themes for the Nordic languages; and papers that focus on different age groups, cultures, and language variation.
This year's joint NLP4CALL & NLP4LA workshop is aimed at bringing together competences from these areas for sharing experiences and brainstorming the future of the field.
Submission information
We will be using NAACL 2016 template for the workshop this year. Authors are invited to submit long papers (8-12 pages) alternatively short papers (4-7 pages), page count not including references. Only pdf files will be accepted. Submissions will be managed through the electronic conference management system EasyChair. Final camera-ready versions of accepted papers will be given an additional page to address reviewer comments.
Papers should describe original unpublished work or work-in-progress. Every paper will be reviewed by at least 2 members of the program committee. As reviewing will be blind, please ensure that papers are anonymous. Self-references that reveal the author's identity, e.g., "We previously showed (Smith, 1991) ...", should be avoided. Instead, use citations such as "Smith previously showed (Smith, 1991) ...". Submissions will be judged on appropriateness, clarity, originality/innovativeness, correctness/soundness, meaningful comparison, significance and impact of ideas or results.
All accepted papers will be collected into a proceedings volume to be submitted for publication in the NEALT Proceeding Series (Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings) and, additionally, double-published through ACL anthology, following experiences from previous workshops, e.g. the 4th NLP4CALL.
Important dates:
2 June, Thursday: first call for papers
22 August, Monday: second call for papers
16 September, Friday: final call for papers
27 September, Tuesday: paper submission deadline (short and long)
18 October, Tuesday: notification of acceptance
1 November, Tuesday: camera-ready papers for publication
16 November, Wednesday: workshop date
For inquiries on NLP4CALL & NLP4LA, please email