Spatial Language Modules

September 19 - 21, 2014

Venue:

Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg
Lehmkuhlenbusch 4
27753 Delmenhorst
Germany

Organizer:

Dr. Holger Schultheis
SFB/TR 8 Spatial Cognition
Universität Bremen

 

Spatial Language Modules

September 19 - 21, 2014

Venue:

Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg
Lehmkuhlenbusch 4
27753 Delmenhorst
Germany

Organizer:

Dr. Holger Schultheis
SFB/TR 8 Spatial Cognition
Universität Bremen

 

This symposiums aims to shed light on and discuss the nature of the components that subserve spatial information processing and communication, that is, spatial language modules, from an interdisciplinary perspective. Topics of particular interest include:

  • The nature of spatial language modules
    How many and which modules are involved?
    Which neural structures support the workings of which modules?
    How do the different modules develop?
  • The interaction of spatial language modules
    How do the different modules combine to yield comprehensive spatial
    communication skills?
    How does control of the modules' interplay develop, how is it realized in neural terms?
  • The relation of spatial language modules to spatial cognition
    To what extent are spatial language modules specifically tailored for language processing or modules that solve more general spatial information processing problems?
    Does spatial language influence spatial thinking or vice versa?

This symposiums aims to shed light on and discuss the nature of the components that subserve spatial information processing and communication, that is, spatial language modules, from an interdisciplinary perspective. Topics of particular interest include:

  • The nature of spatial language modules
    How many and which modules are involved?
    Which neural structures support the workings of which modules?
    How do the different modules develop?
  • The interaction of spatial language modules
    How do the different modules combine to yield comprehensive spatial
    communication skills?
    How does control of the modules' interplay develop, how is it realized in neural terms?
  • The relation of spatial language modules to spatial cognition
    To what extent are spatial language modules specifically tailored for language processing or modules that solve more general spatial information processing problems?
    Does spatial language influence spatial thinking or vice versa?

Invited Speakers

  • Kenny Coventry, University of East Anglia (Norwich, UK)
  • John Spencer, University of Iowa (Iowa City, USA)
  • Mark Tutton, Université de Nantes (Nantes, France)
  • Peggy Li, Harvard University (Cambridge, USA)
  • Andrew Lovett, Northwestern University (Chicago, USA)
  • John Kelleher, Dublin Institute of Technology (Dublin, Ireland)
  • Mikkel Wallentin, Aarhus University (Aarhus, Denmark)
  • Michele Burigo, CITEC (Bielefeld, Germany)
  • Elena Andonva, New Bulgarian University (Sofia, Bulgaria)
  • Simon Dobnik, University of Gothenburg (Gothenburg, Sweden)
  • Marijn Struiksma, Utrecht University (Utrecht, The Netherlands)
  • Wai-Tat Fu, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Urbana-Champaign, USA)
  • Gabriele Janzen, Radboud-University Nijmegen (Nijmegen, The Netherlands)
  • Didier Maillat, Université de Fribourg (Fribourg, Switzerland)

Program

Friday, September 19

18:00 – 18:10      Welcome
18:10 – 19:00      K. Coventry: ‘What’, ‘where’ and ‘how’ in spatial language and 
                               spatial cognition.
19:00                    Dinner

Saturday, September 20

09:00 – 09:35      M. Struiksma: Language and space: Evidence for a supramodal
                               representation.
09:35 – 10:10      M. Wallentin: The role of the brain’s frontal eye fields in constructing
                               frame of reference.
10:10 – 10:45      G. Janzen: Individual differences in place learning competence and
                               spatial frame of reference use in children and adults.
10:45 – 11:15      Coffee Break
11:15 – 11:50      P. Li: Learning spatial frames of reference language.
11:50 – 12:25      W.-T. Fu: Effects of media on remote communication of
                               spatial information.
12:25 – 13:00      J. Kelleher: How to preposition a robot: Computational approaches
                               of spatial models.
13:00 – 14:00      Lunch
14:00 – 14:35      J. Spencer: Toward a dynamic field theory of embodied communication:
                               Words and objects in space.
14:35 – 15:10      A. Lovett: Modeling Visual Problem-Solving and Spatial Reasoning.
15:10 – 15:45      H. Schultheis: Reference frame selection and computing goodness
                               of fit: An integrated computational model.
15:45 – 16:15      Coffee Break
16:15 – 16:50      D. Maillat: Organising space through language: Semantic, pragmatic
                               and cognitive constraints.
16:50 – 17:25      S. Dobnik: Spatial descriptions on a functional-geometric spectrum:
                                A data-driven investigation.
17:45 – 19:00      Dinner
19:00                    Poster Session

Sunday, September 21

 09:00 – 09:40      E. Andonova: Interaction of spatial information sources in
                               spatial language.
09:40 – 10:20      M. Tutton: Co-speech gestures: What they reveal about how speakers
                               conceptualise spatial relationships.
10:20 – 11:00      M. Burigo: How the geometry of objects affects spatial
                               language processing.
11:00 – 11:30      Coffee Break
12:30 – 13:00      Wrap-Up Discussion
13:30                    Lunch

Program

Friday, September 19

18:00 – 18:10      Welcome
18:10 – 19:00      K. Coventry: ‘What’, ‘where’ and ‘how’ in spatial language and 
                               spatial cognition.
19:00                    Dinner

Saturday, September 20

09:00 – 09:35      M. Struiksma: Language and space: Evidence for a supramodal
                               representation.
09:35 – 10:10      M. Wallentin: The role of the brain’s frontal eye fields in constructing
                               frame of reference.
10:10 – 10:45      G. Janzen: Individual differences in place learning com petence and
                               spatial frame of reference use in children and adults.
10:45 – 11:15      Coffee Break
11:15 – 11:50      P. Li: Learning spatial frames of reference language.
11:50 – 12:25      W.-T. Fu: Effects of media on remote communication of
                               spatial information.
12:25 – 13:00      J. Kelleher: How to preposition a robot: Computational approaches
                               of spatial language.
13:00 – 14:00      Lunch
14:00 – 14:35      J. Spencer: Toward a dynamic field theory of embodied communication:
                              Words and objects in space.
14:35 – 15:10      A. Lovett: Modeling visual problem-solving and spatial reasoning.
15:10 – 15:45      H. Schultheis: Reference frame selection and computing goodness
                               of fit: An integrated computational model.
15:45 – 16:15      Coffee Break
16:15 – 16:50      D. Maillat: Organising space through language: Semantic, pragmatic
                               and cognitive constraints.
16:50 – 17:25      S. Dobnik: Spatial description on a functional-geometric spectrum:
                               A data-driven investigation.
17:45 – 19:00      Dinner
19:00                    Poster Session

Sunday, September 21

 09:00 – 09:40      E. Andonova: Interaction of spatial information sources in
                               spatial language.
09:40 – 10:20      M. Tutton: Co-speech gestures: What they reveal about how speakers
                               conceptualise spatial relationships.
10:20 – 11:00      M. Burigo: How the geometry of objects affects spatial
                               language processing.
11:00 – 11:30      Coffee Break
11:30 – 13:00      Wrap-Up Discussion
13:00                    Lunch

Invited Speakers

  • Kenny Coventry, University of East Anglia (Norwich, UK)
  • John Spencer, University of Iowa (Iowa City, USA)
  • Mark Tutton, Université de Nantes (Nantes, France)
  • Peggy Li, Harvard University (Cambridge, USA)
  • Andrew Lovett, Northwestern University (Chicago, USA)
  • John Kelleher, Dublin Institute of Technology (Dublin, Ireland)
  • Mikkel Wallentin, Aarhus University (Aarhus, Denmark)
  • Michele Burigo, CITEC (Bielefeld, Germany)
  • Elena Andonva, New Bulgarian University (Sofia, Bulgaria)
  • Simon Dobnik, University of Gothenburg (Gothenburg, Sweden)
  • Marijn Struiksma, Utrecht University (Utrecht, The Netherlands)
  • Wai-Tat Fu, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Urbana-Champaign, USA)
  • Gabriele Janzen, Radboud-University Nijmegen (Nijmegen, The Netherlands)
  • Didier Maillat, Université de Fribourg (Fribourg, Switzerland)