Over several decades, the Nilo-Saharan Linguistics Colloquium has become established as a valuable forum for the dissemination and discussion of research findings among linguists investigating the languages that belong to the Nilo-Saharan language family, which stretches from Algeria to Tanzania.
The 15th Nilo-Saharan Linguistics Colloquium will take place in Nairobi, from Wednesday to Friday, 4-6 August 2021. The conference is organised by researchers at the University of Edinburgh, with the support of an international scientific committee (see below). We invite contributions relating to all aspects of the study of Nilo-Saharan languages, including but not limited to phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, documentation, acquisition, applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, historical linguistics, and language variation. The conference aims to promote the participation of African scholars in linguistics.
The special theme of the conference is applied linguistics, which covers topics such as orthography development, the representation of tone and other suprasegmentals in orthography, tone teaching, phonology- vs. morphology-based orthographic conventions, linguistic and sociolinguistic challenges of orthography and literacy development, orthographic assumptions behind reading instructional method, the production of literacy materials, literacy in primary school education, etc. Four specialists in the field of applied linguistics are participating as invited speakers: Constance Kutsch Lojenga (Leiden University and SIL International), David Roberts (independent researcher), Barbara Trudell (SIL International), and Dorcas Wepukhulu (African Storybook).
Call for papers: The call for papers is now available. Please follow this link to find it. Abstracts are to be submitted through EasyAbs, and the deadline for submissions is 15 of January 2021.
Organization:
Organising committee at the University of Edinburgh:
- Mirella Blum
- Tatiana Reid
- Bert Remijsen (convenor)
International scientific committee:
- Torben Andersen (Aalborg University)
- Colleen Ahland (California State University Long Beach)
- Denis Creissels (University of Lyon)
- Richard Griscom (Leiden University)
- Jeffrey Heath (University of Michigan)
- Angelika Jakobi (University of Cologne)
- Prisca Jerono (University of Nairobi)
- Angelika Mietzner (University of Cologne)
- Alice Mitchell (University of Cologne)
- Manuel Otero (Eastern Connecticut State University)
- Doris Payne (University of Oregon)
- Helga Schroeder (University of Nairobi)
- Tim Stirtz (SIL International)
- Christine Waag (SIL International)
