Experiments in Linguistic Meaning (ELM)

Organizers:

Anna Papafragou and Florian Schwarz, Department of Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania

We are excited to announce the first Experiments in Linguistic Meaning (ELM) conference to be held at the University of Pennsylvania on June 10-12, 2020. The conference is dedicated to the experimental study of linguistic meaning broadly construed, with a focus on theoretical issues in semantics and pragmatics, their interplay with other components of the grammar, their relation to language processing and acquisition, as well as their connections to human cognition and computation. We aim to include representation of linguistic, psychological, logical, philosophical, social, developmental, computational, as well as cross-linguistic and cross-cultural perspectives.

Invited speakers:

David Barner, UC San Diego

Suzi Oliveira de Lima, University of Toronto

Jonathan Philips, Dartmouth College

Maribel Romero, University of Konstanz

The experimental study of meaning in language draws on a broad spectrum of disciplines, topics, and methodologies, and ELM reflects this diversity in its scope. We plan for ELM to occur biennially to foster the interdisciplinary study of meaning, and to create a community of scholars that might not otherwise meet and interact with each other with regularity. We encourage researchers from around the world to submit their recent work to ELM1, and to attend in order to discuss the latest theories and data in the cognitive science of meaning broadly construed.

The University of Pennsylvania is home to a vibrant interdisciplinary community that studies language and meaning across several departments. ELM acknowledges support from Penn’s Integrated Language Sciences and Technology (ILST) Initiative; mindCORE, Penn’s hub for the integrative study of the mind; and Penn’s Department of Linguistics.