Call for papers - UCL/CHC workshop on speech rhythm

[Volker Dellwo <v.dellwo@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dear list members,

the call for papers below may only be remotely of interest for most of 
you, however, I posted some questions on speech rhythm to the list 
earlier this year and I got a number of very interesting replies. So 
maybe some people wish to know about this...

Best wishes,
Volker


                             CALL FOR PAPERS

          *** Workshop on Empirical Approaches to Speech Rhythm ***

                       Centre for Human Communication
                                    UCL

                     Abstracts due: 31st January 2008
                      Workshop date: 28th March 2008

Empirical studies of speech rhythm are becoming increasingly popular. 
Metrics for the quantification of rhythm have been applied to 
typological, developmental, pathological and perceptual questions. The 
prevalence of rhythm metrics based on durational characteristics of 
consonantal and vocalic intervals (e.g. deltaV, deltaC, %V, nPVI-V, 
rPVI-C, VarcoV and VarcoC) indicate the need for agreement about their 
relative efficacy and reliability. More fundamentally, it remains to be 
demonstrated whether such metrics really quantify speech rhythm, a 
controversial and elusive concept.

Confirmed speakers:
Francis Nolan (Cambridge) - keynote speaker
Fred Cummins (UCD)
Volker Dellwo (UCL)
Klaus Kohler (Kiel)
Elinor Payne (Oxford)
Petra Wagner (Bonn)
Laurence White (Bristol)

Abstracts:
We invite abstract submissions for a limited number of additional oral 
presentations, and for poster presentations. We welcome abstracts that 
address any or all of the following questions:
-    What is speech rhythm?
-    How should we measure speech rhythm?
-    Which rhythm metrics are most effective and reliable?
-    What can rhythm metrics tell us?
-    What are the limitations of rhythm metrics?

Publication:
It is intended that a limited number of contributions to the workshop 
may be published in a special issue of Phonetica. Initial selection of 
papers will be made after the workshop with a view to compiling a 
thematically coherent publication. Selected papers will subsequently be 
reviewed.

Important dates:
Abstracts must be received by:     31st January 2008
Notification of acceptance:        15th February 2008
Date of Workshop:                  28th March 2008

Abstract submission:
Abstracts should be sent to: rhythm2008@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Abstracts should 
be in standard text processing format (e.g.: .doc, .rtf, etc.), 12pt 
Times New Roman, 1.5 line spacing, and no longer than one page of A4. 
The file should be entitled RhythmWorkshop-[name].doc, where [name] is 
the last name of the first author. The abstract should start with:
- the title of the abstract in bold and centered;
- the name(s) and department(s) of the author(s) in italics and centered;
- the email address(es) of the author(s), centred.
The body of the abstract should be justified left and right.

Further information:
For more information and updates please check 
www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/rhythm2008. Email enquiries should be directed to 
rhythm2008@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On behalf of the scientific organizing committee:
Volker Dellwo, Elinor Payne, Petra Wagner and Laurence White