
This event took place on May 25-26-27, 2022. You can view all of the talks and the general discussion with invited speakers on our Youtube channel.
Workshop on Cognitive and Cultural Influences on Language Emergence
![]() Ray JackendoffTufts University/MIT | ![]() Adele GoldbergPrinceton University | ![]() Simon KirbyUniversity of Edinburgh |
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![]() Ann SenghasBarnard College |
Invited Speakers
Workshop Description
Every human community discovered on the planet so far uses language. No other natural communication system of equivalent representational or expressive power exists in the entire animal kingdom.
This workshop asks, “How does a human language get its start from scratch in the absence of a conventionalized linguistic model and gain its expressive power?”, and "What is the role of the individual’s mind, and what is the role of having a sustained language community in the process of language emergence and evolution?”
Languages can be analyzed as formal systems and as functional systems. These different lenses sometimes yield divergent answers to the central questions above, and disciplinary self-segregation sometimes limits the discoveries that might derive from increased cross-talk between perspectives. Accordingly, this workshop aims to bring together researchers from cognitive science, linguistics, psychology, philosophy, anthropology, and related disciplines with the aim of integrating findings and insights from diverse perspectives concerning the contributions of cognitive and cultural factors to the initial stages of language emergence among modern humans.
We welcome abstracts on any of (but not limited to) the following topics: language emergence and change, protolanguage, homesign, emerging sign languages, artificial language, iterated learning, language and cognition, evolution of semiotic systems (biological, cultural, or simulated), and gesture in primates (human and non-human).
Official Languages
The official languages of the workshop is English and International Sign.
Abstract Guidelines
We invite abstracts in written English for oral and/or poster presentations of one-page length (500 words max.), an additional page for supplementary material, figures and references is allowed. Anonymized abstracts must be submitted in PDF (Times 12pt, single spaced, 2.5cm or 1-inch margins on all sides) to ccile2022@gmail.com.
Submission deadline: February 1, 2022
Notification for acceptance: by March 20, 2022
Organizers
Rabia Ergin (Boğaziçi University)
Limor Raviv (Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics)
Matthew Hall (Temple University)
CCILE 2022 is funded by TÜBİTAK BIDEB-2232 International Fellowship for Outstanding Researchers program (Project #118C358) granted to Dr. Rabia Ergin.