The Sign Language Research Lab and the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Haifa, Israel are happy to announce an international conference on the topic of Sign Languages: Perspectives on Development and Assessment, to be held on 19-21 November 2018 at the University of Haifa. The aim of the conference is to bring together researchers and students and disseminate current research findings on the following three themes: sign language acquisition, language assessment in sign languages, and bi-lingual bi-modal language acquisition (in the context of cochlear implants). 

The organizing committee of the conference invites submissions of conference presentation proposals. There will be two types of presentations: 

1. Oral presentations (signed or spoken)
2. Poster presentations. 

Each candidate may be author or co-author of maximally two submissions.

Abstracts (anonymized, and including the title of the work) should be submitted in pdf format. Please indicate whether it is intended for poster or oral presentation. Please make sure to also anonymize the submitted files (File Properties in Word or PDF). Abstracts are limited to 500 words. One additional page for examples, tables, figures, and references is permitted. Please use a 12-point font type, single line spacing, and 2.5 cm. margins. Abstracts that are longer than 500 words and/or 2 pages total will be automatically disqualified.

In order to submit your abstract, please click here

Please also visit the conference's website at http://slaac.haifa.ac.il

Conference languages: English, Israeli Sign Language (ISL) and American Sign Language (ASL).

Conference presentations should address any aspect of sign language acquisition and assessment, including but not limited to:

• Acquisition of sign language in multilingual communities
• Bimodal bilingualism
• Crosslinguistic aspects of sign acquisition
• Sign language acquisition as L1 & L2 (in early and later stages of language development)
• Sign language acquisition in the context of cochlear implants
• Sign language assessment theory and practice
• Use of sign language in atypical populations (e.g., children with Autism, Down syndrome)