EIGHTH WORKSHOP on the Use of COMPUTATIONAL METHODS in the Study of ENDANGERED LANGUAGES (ComputEL-8)

Read to the end for the Special Session information and submission deadline.

SECOND CALL FOR PAPERS - REGULAR SESSION Submission deadline: October 7, 2024 Submission link: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=computel8

The ComputEL-8 workshop focuses on the use of computational methods in the study, support, and revitalization of endangered languages. The primary aim of the workshop is to continue narrowing the gap between computational linguists interested in methods for endangered languages, academic linguists documenting languages, and the language communities who are striving to maintain their languages. We encourage submissions from scholars and activists representing any or all of these perspectives.

The intention of the workshop is not merely to allow for the presentation of research, but also to build a network of computational linguists, documentary linguists, and community language activists who are able to effectively join together and serve their common interests. Workshop Venue

ComputEL-8 will be co-located with the 9th International Conference on Language Documentation & Conservation (ICLDC) in Honolulu, Hawaii (https://ling.lll.hawaii.edu/sites/icldc/).

We anticipate being able to support travel costs in some cases for presenters without institutional support. Priority will be given to members of endangered language communities, scholars from low-income countries, and students. Please contact the organizers at computel.workshop@gmail.com for further information.

The workshop will be a virtual/in-person hybrid event. Ability to attend in person will not affect consideration of submissions.

SECOND CALL FOR PAPERS

We encourage submissions that explore the interface and intersection of computational linguistics, documentary linguistics, and community-based efforts in language revitalization and reclamation. This includes submissions that:

(i) propose or demonstrate new methods or technologies for tasks or applications focused on low-resource settings, and in particular, endangered languages

(ii) examine the use of specific methods in the analysis of data from low-resource languages, or propose new methods for analysis of such data, oriented toward the goals of language reclamation and revitalization

(iii) propose new models for the collection, management, and mobilization of language data in community settings, with attention to e.g. issues of data sovereignty and community protocols

(iv) explore concrete steps for a more fruitful interaction among computer scientists, documentary linguists, and language communities

IMPORTANT DATES

07-Oct-2024 Deadline for submission of papers or extended abstracts 22-Nov-2024 Notification of Acceptance 10-Jan-2025 Camera-ready papers due 4 & 5 March 2025 Workshop

PRESENTATIONS

Presentation of accepted papers will be in both oral sessions and a poster session. The decision on whether a presentation for a paper will be oral and/or poster will be made by the Organizing Committee on the advice of the Program Committee, taking into account the subject matter and how the content might be best conveyed. Oral and poster presentations will not be distinguished in the Proceedings.

SUBMISSIONS

In line with our goal of reaching multiple overlapping communities, we offer two modes of submission: extended abstract and full paper. The mode of submission does not influence the likelihood of acceptance. Either can be submitted to one of the workshop’s tracks: (a) language community perspective and (b) academic perspective.

Submissions must be uploaded to EasyChair (https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=computel8) no later than October 7, 2024 11:59PM (UTC-12, “anywhere on earth”). Submissions may be considered for both the regular session and the special session.

All submissions must be anonymous following ACL guidelines and will be peer-reviewed by the scientific Program Committee.

A. Extended Abstract: Please submit anonymous abstracts of up to 1500 words, excluding references. Extended abstracts must be submitted as attached documents.

B. Full Paper: Please submit anonymously either a) a long paper - max. 8 pages excluding references and appendices; or b) a short paper - max. 4 pages excluding references, according to the style and formatting guidelines provided in by ACL Style Files (download template files for LaTeX or Microsoft Word: https://github.com/acl-org/acl-style-files). Proceedings

The authors of selected accepted full papers (long or short) will be invited by the Organizing Committee to submit their papers for online publication via the open-access ACL Anthology. Final versions of long and short papers will be allotted one additional page (altogether 5 and 9 pages) excluding references.

Proceedings papers should be revised and improved versions of the work that was submitted for, and which underwent, review. Any revisions should concern responses to reviewer comments or the addition of relevant details and clarifications, but not entirely new, unreviewed content. Camera-ready versions of the articles for publication will be due on January 10, 2025.

SPECIAL THEME SESSION - BUILDING TOOLS TOGETHER

In addition to the main session, ComputEL-8 invites self-identified submissions to a special themed session on “Building Tools Together”, oriented toward amplifying our shared understanding of how best to work together across disciplinary and cultural boundaries to build technological tools that support community language revitalization.

We invite presentations that: (1) describe collaborations in the development of new tools and technologies; and/or (2) describe or identify technological or computational needs within community language reclamation contexts, and/or propose solutions.

A. For presentations that describe a collaboration among language communities, academic researchers, and (in some cases) industry or non-governmental organizations towards the development of new tools, resources, and technologies in, we encourage submissions which address questions such as:

1. How did the idea for the tool or technology come about? 2. How did the team members meet and come to work together? 3. What has been the impact of this tool? How are you evaluating it? How has the project benefitted community efforts at language maintenance and revitalization? 4. What are some challenges (logistical, technical, interdisciplinary, intercultural) that you encountered, and how did you address them? 5. How have you balanced the needs and priorities of different team members through the lifespan of the project? 6. What lessons have you learned that might benefit similar collaborations?

B. For presentations that identify technological or computational needs within community language reclamation contexts, and/or propose solutions, e we encourage submissions which address questions such as:

1. What is the need that this tool would meet? Who will it serve? 2. What is the blue-sky version of this tool? What is the minimum viable product version? 3. What kinds of data, digital assets, or media content would be required to create the tool, and how would they be assembled? 4. What challenges might the team face in the development process? 5. How do you anticipate the collaborative process to best incorporate diverse areas of expertise from cultural and community-grounded knowledge to academic, technical, and production-oriented knowledge?

Please submit anonymous extended abstracts of up to 1500 words, excluding references.

Submissions representing community-led collaborations are strongly encouraged.

Submissions must be uploaded to EasyChair (https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=computel8) no later than October 7, 2024 11:59PM (UTC-12, “anywhere on earth”). Submissions may be considered for both the regular session and the special session.

Notification of acceptance to the Special Session will be sent out by November 22, 2024.

All authors of papers in the Special Theme Session will be invited to contribute to a follow-up paper that synthesizes the findings of the Session.

IMPORTANT DATES

07-Oct-2024 Deadline for submission of papers or extended abstracts 22-Nov-2024 Notification of Acceptance 10-Jan-2025 Camera-ready papers due 4 & 5 March 2025 Workshop

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Godfred Agyapong (University of Florida) Antti Arppe (University of Alberta) Aditi Chaudhary (Google Research) Jordan Lachler (University of Alberta) Sarah Moeller (University of Florida) Shruti Rijhwani (Google DeepMind) Daisy Rosenblum (University of British Columbia) Olivia Waring (University of Hawai'i Mānoa)

CONTACT US

For further information, please consult our website: https://computel-workshop.org/ComputEL-8/ or email us at: computel.workshop@gmail.com