Conference: Linguistic Symposium on Romance Languages

University Of Delaware, Newark DE

Investigators

Abstract

Funding from the National Science Foundation will support the 47th annual Linguistic Symposium on Romance Languages (LSRL 47), to be held at the University of Delaware (April 20-23, 2017). This long-standing conference is the largest international meeting of linguistics focused on the Romance languages. It has consistently been at the forefront of linguistic research, introducing innovative methods to the study of this particular language family, and enriching our broader understanding of language and linguistics based on studies of these languages. A primary goal of LSRL 47 is thus to bring together linguists working on all aspects of Romance languages, and to foster interaction and potential collaboration among researchers investigating different languages, and using a range of methodologies. The capacity for language is unique to humans, and shared by speakers of all languages. Understanding this capacity in its various aspects is at the core of all linguistic research. As different types of technologies have been rapidly developing in experimental, computational and neuro-biological sciences, the field of linguistics has also been rapidly evolving to embrace these technologies. Thus, from a field focused primarily on the study of individual languages, linguistics has grown over the past 10-15 years into a much farther-reaching, interdisciplinary field. In addition to more traditional, theoretical approaches to the grammar of specific languages, linguistic research now addresses issues including the mental representation and processing of language, its acquisition by first and second language learners, and by those following typical and atypical developmental paths. The study of Romance languages offers an ideal opportunity to contribute not only to our understanding of linguistic theory by investigating a group of related well-known, as well as lesser known, languages, but also to efforts to document lesser-known languages and dialects, and to the development and application of exciting, innovative, research methodologies.