CfP: Diversity and Change in Easy German (Workshop at DGfS 2025)

Date: March 5-7, 2025
Location: University of Mainz, Germany
Meeting Email: workshop-easy-german-dgfs2025@uni-saarland.de
Website: https://sfb1102.uni-saarland.de/vielfalt-und-wandel-in-leichter-sprache/

Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics, Psycholinguistics
Language Family: Germanic

Call Deadline: August 18, 2024

Shortened Workshop Description:

Easy German, which has been systematically developed since the 2000s to aid individuals with learning difficulties among others, focuses on enhancing text comprehensibility by avoiding linguistic complexity. Despite its intended uniformity, there is a lack of consensus on its precise conceptualization, with various frameworks and guidelines proposing different approaches.

This workshop aims to:

Provide a platform for researchers to discuss the production and evolution of Easy German texts.
Highlight dynamic changes and variability in Easy German texts compared to Standard German.
Examine the cognitive processing of Easy German through psycholinguistic studies involving the target demographic.
Critically assess AI-driven systems for Easy German text production, exploring their implications, opportunities, and challenges.

For further information, please visit the workshop website: https://sfb1102.uni-saarland.de/vielfalt-und-wandel-in-leichter-sprache/

Organizers:

Ingo Reich (Saarland University, Germany)
Heike Zinsmeister (University of Hamburg, Germany)
Sarah Jablotschkin (University of Hamburg, Germany)
Lena Wieland (Saarland University, Germany)

Invited Speakers:

Bettina Bock (University of Cologne)
Ted Sanders (Utrecht University)

Call for Papers:

We invite contributions on all aspects of Easy German and easy-to-read variants in other Germanic languages. The workshop will include a small poster session, and submissions for both talks and posters are welcome. Contributions in English are preferred, but submissions in German are also accepted.

Submission Details:

Abstract submission deadline: August 18, 2024
Abstracts should be submitted to workshop-easy-german-dgfs2025@uni-saarland.de
Abstracts should not exceed one page (DIN A4, 2.5 cm margins, 12pt font)
Examples, graphics, or references may be included on a second page

Important Workshop Information: The workshop is part of the 47th annual meeting of the German Linguistic Society (DGfS 2025) at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. Participants must register for the DGfS conference and pay the conference fee. For more information, visit http://dgfs.uni-mainz.de.

Important Dates:

Deadline for abstract submission: August 18, 2024

Notification of acceptance: September 2, 2024

Workshop dates: March 5-7, 2025

Lena Wieland

SFB 1102, Project T1 – Information Density and Linguistic Encoding in “Leichte Sprache”

Universität des Saarlandes

Campus A2.2 Raum 3.12

D-66123 Saarbrücken

T: +49 681 302 57543