Virtual Meeting in June

Last week, we had our fourth virtual meeting between Peking University and the University of Reading. Dr. Hansen presented a paper that he has co-authored with Dr. Emmanuel Chemla (LCSP). The paper presents and discusses some interesting experimental data that the two authors have gathered with a view to understanding the context-sensitivity of colour terms.

Next month, we will be holding our last virtual meeting for this academic year. The details of the meeting are as follows:

Date: 10/06/2015
Reading time: 10:00 – 12:00
Beijing time: 17:00 – 19:00
Reading Location: Committee room 1, Whiteknights House
Topic: Agustín Rayo (2013) “A Plea for Semantic Localism”, Nous 47, 647-679.

If you are interested in attending this meeting, then just get in touch at the following address: pervasive_context@reading.ac.uk

Call for Papers: Deadline in 1 week

The deadline to submit papers for our two conferences over the next two years is only one week away, on the 1st May 2015. The details of both conferences are below.

Conference 1: Pervasive context: the problems and the solutions.

Dates: 24th – 25th October 2015

Venue: Peking University, Beijing

Invited speakers:
Professor Emma Borg (University of Reading)
Dr. Nathaniel Hansen (University of Reading)
Professor Robyn Carston (University College London)
Professor Francois Recanati (Institute Jean Nicod)
Professor Chuang Ye (Peking University)

 

Conference 2: Pervasive context: ramifications and next directions.

Dates: 25th – 26th June 2016

Venue: University of Reading, Reading

Deadline for both conferences: May 1st 2015

 

Submissions are welcomed on any issues connected to the project theme of pervasive context-sensitivity in natural language.

  • For Conference 1: ‘Pervasive context: the problems and the solutions’, papers which discuss foundational issues or which advance understanding of extant positions may be given preference.
  • For Conference 2: ‘Pervasive context: ramifications and next directions’, papers discussing the implications of pervasive context for typical and non-typical language development, specific empirical applications of extant programmes, or future directions for research are particularly welcome.

All papers will be evaluated for their originality, quality, potential impact or reach, and relevance to the conference. For each conference, up to four papers will be selected through open competition.

Papers should be prepared for blind review (title page with author information should be submitted together with an anonymised version of the paper as separate documents) and should be suitable for a 40-45 minute presentation. Please include full contact details and affiliation on a separate first page of your submission. These details will be removed prior to the review process, which will be double-blind.

The project is able to contribute some funds for travel and accommodation for speakers, although this can only be confirmed after the 31st July 2015.

Submissions should be sent via email to the following address:pervasive_context@reading.ac.uk

Website: https://www.reading.ac.uk/pervasive-context/

CeLM & CCR joint seminar

This Wednesday proves to be an exciting day for those interested in all aspects of language. While the Pervasive Context project holds its virtual meeting on Wednesday (see yesterday’s blog post), there will be a joint seminar held in the afternoon between the Reading Centre of Literacy and Multilingualism (CeLM) and the Reading Centre for Cognition Research (CCR).

Professor Rosemary Varley (Psychology & Language Sciences, University College London) will present a talk entitled “Global aphasia: the case for autonomy of language and thought”. The talk will be held from 15:00 – 16:30 in room 1L06, Agriculture. See further details here: http://blogs.reading.ac.uk/centre-for-cognition-research/2015/02/26/talk-18th-march-prof-rosemary-varley/

Virtual Meeting: 16/03/2015

This week, the next Pervasive Context virtual meeting between the University of Reading and Peking University will take place. We will be discussing the third chapter of Peter Ludlow’s Living Words (2013, Oxford University Press).

This chapter outlines the key claims of the ‘dynamic’ view that is argued for throughout the book. Two of the core claims of the view are, first, that the meaning of every natural language expression is underdetermined to some extent or another, and secondly, that as a result we as speakers flesh out and modulate the meanings of the words that we use for whatever conversational purposes we have in the context we are in.

The meeting will take place on Wednesday 18th March from 10:00 – 12:00 GMT. If you would like to come to Reading and attend the meeting, then just get in touch at: pervasive_context@reading.ac.uk .
living words
Book link: http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780198712053.do#

Our successful first meeting

Last week, the Pervasive Context project had its first virtual conference call between the University of Reading and Peking University. Professor Emma Borg presented a draft paper entitled “Exploding Explicatures”, and then responded a number of insightful and probing questions from participants both in Reading and Peking.

Following the success of this first meeting, I can certainly say that everyone involved in the project is looking forward to the next meeting. This will take place on Wednesday 18th March 2015, and we will discuss Ch. 3 from Peter Ludlow’s recent book Living Words (Oxford University Press).

If you are interested in attending this meeting, then just get in touch with the following email address:
pervasive_context@reading.ac.uk

Reading group – “Meaning Without Truth” by Stefano Predelli (2013)

As part of Reading philosophy department’s reading group, we have been discussing Meaning without Truth by Stefano Predelli. The reading group is every Thursday at 1pm in HumSS 124.

Here is a link to the OUP site: http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780199695638.do

In Meaning with Truth, Predelli argues that semantic theory must account for a kind of conventional meaning that is associated with a broad range of expressions and yet is not truth-conditional. Predelli labels such meaning “bias” and attempts to give an account of what a semantic theory of bias will look like. In the process, the book approaches a number of interesting linguistic phenomena such as coarse slang, honorifics, derogatory slurs, vocatives, and more.

On 4th December, we will even have the opportunity to discuss the book with the author himself, as Professor Predelli will be coming along to discuss the ideas from the book. If you would like to attend, please get in touch with Dr. Mark Pinder via the email address below.

m.j.pinder@reading.ac.uk

Meaning without truth

Virtual Meeting Dates

We are pleased to announce that we will be holding a series of virtual meetings over the next academic year. Below are the dates of each virtual meeting as well as the readings that constitute the topics for each meeting. (The readings are provisional and may be subject to change).

Wednesday 10th December 2014, 10:00 – 12:00 – Emma Borg “Exploding Explicatures”.

Wednesday 18th March 2015 10:00-12:00 – Peter Ludlow, (2014) “Living Words” Ch. 3, Oxford University Press.

Wednesday 29th April 2015 10:00 – 12:00 – Nathaniel Hansen, “Colour Adjectives and Absolute Standards”.

Wednesday 10th June 2015 10:00-12:00 – Agustín Rayo (2013) “A Plea for Semantic Localism”, Nous 47, 647-679.

If you are interested in attending one of virtual meetings then get in touch via one of the following addresses:
pervasive_context@reading.ac.uk
j.grindrod@pgr.reading.ac.uk

Welcome to the Pervasive Context Project

Pervasive Context is a new AHRC funded research project (running October 2014-Summer 2016), involving researchers from the University of Reading, UK, and Peking University, China. The project will explore the ways in which features drawn from the context of utterance can influence claims about the meaning of linguistic items, looking in particular at recent views in philosophy of language which suggest that the influence of contextual features may be pervasive throughout philosophy of language. If you would like to get involved with the project in any way, please do get in touch.