Fwd: First Language Creation Conference

[John E Clifford]

> First Language Creation Conference> UC Berkeley - MLK 5th Floor - 23 April 2006> 9am-5pm> Tickets $5-25 as able (no one refused for lack> of funds)>> FOR MORE INFORMATION & TO REGISTER:> http://conlangs.berkeley.edu/>> What Is the 1st Language Creation Conference?> The Conference is a set of talks and panel> discussions about various> issues related to language creation, from> several different> perspectives. It includes both fairly academic> linguistic discussions> as well as more general sociological ones;> voices from many parts of> the conlanging community; and people from all> over America. The> conference is open to the public;> preregistration requested. Lunch and> snacks will be provided.>> What Is Language Creation?> Language creation (or "conlanging" -- "conlang"> is short for> "constructed language") is the process of> inventing and (usually)> describing a new language. Though the extent to> which a language is> created varies, creators might include sound> systems, grammars, and> writing systems for their languages. Some> creators are also interested> in cosmogenesis: the creation of cultures and> worlds in which their> languages are used.>> What's the Point?> People create constructed languages for a> number of reasons. Artistic> languages are often included in fictional> works: for example,> Tolkien's Quenya in The Lord of the Rings or> Klingon in Star Trek.> International auxiliary languages (auxlangs)> are intended for> communication between people of different> native languages, usually to> prevent one being elevated over others or to> making learning easier;> some famous examples are Esperanto, Ido, and> Interlingua. Logical and> philosophical languages are used to test> linguistic (and other)> theories; Loglan and Lojban are well-known> examples of the former, and> Suzette Haden Elgin's Láadan is an example of> the latter -- which she> incorporated into the Native Tongue series of> novels.>> Talks> Doug Ball: "Conlanging and the Linear Aspects> of Syntax"> Sally Caves: "The Medium and the Internet> Conlanger: Vision, Venue, and Play"> John Clifford: "Semantic Primes: aUI to> Esperanto with Stops Along the Way"> Sai Emrys: "Non-Linear Fully 2-Dimensional> Writing Systems"> Don Harlow: "The Use of Conlangs for> Creativity"> Matt Pearson: "Case, Aspect, and Argument> Structure: One Conlanger's> Investigations"> David Peterson: "Down with Morphemes: What Word> and Paradigm> Morphology Can Teach Us"> John Quijada: "Applying Concepts from Cognitive> Linguistics to Your Conlang">> Panels> Conlang Teaching> Conlang Aesthetics>> Sponsored by ASUC & Language Creation Society.> Wheelchair accessible.>> FOR MORE INFORMATION & TO REGISTER:> http://conlangs.berkeley.edu/>> Print-ready version of this flyer at> http://conlangs.berkeley.edu/flyer.pdf>> Please forward this to all relevant mailing> lists, message boards, or> people you know. Thanks!>