3rd CWIL (Computational Workshop on Indigenous Languages) on Dene languages

Fri-Sun April 28-30, 2017
Hosted by: Department of Linguistics, University of Colorado, Boulder
Hosts: Mans Hulden & Andy Cowell

PARTICIPANTS:
Christopher Cox, Carleton University: Tsuut’ina [Dene Sułiné/Dene]
Olga Lovick, First Nations University of Canada (Regina): Upper Tanana [Dene Sułiné/Dene]
Nicholas Welch, University of Toronto: Tlicho Yatiì (Dogrib) [Tsuut’ina]
Christopher Harvey, University of Toronto: Tsuut’ina [Algonquian]
—–
Mans Hulden, University of Colorado: foma [Navajo/Tsuut’ina/Dene, Arapaho/Algonquian]
Miikka Silfverberg, University of Colorado/Helsinki: HFST [Tsuut’ina/Dene,Cree/Algonquian]
Ghazaleh Kazeminejad, University of Colorado [Arapaho]
Irina Wagner, University of Colorado [Arapaho]
Andy Cowell [Arapaho/Algonquian, Hawai’ian]
Katie Schmirler [Plains Cree/Algonquian]
Antti Arppe: Plains Cree, East Cree [Odawa/Algonquian, Haida, Tsuut’ina/Dene]

OBJECTIVESDeveloping basic skeletons of finite-state computational models for 2-3 “new” Dene languages other than Tsuut’ina

  • Developing some basic alpha-versions of applications: spell-checker, an intelligent dictionary demo recognizing inflected forms and generating paradigms
  • Presenting morphological sketches of various languages to inform the computational modeling
  • Enabling further development by the field linguists on their own
  • Sketching short papers as work in progress (e.g. LREC); longer joint comparative papers

PROGRAM AND SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, April 27th – Travel to Boulder/Denver, CO

FRIDAY, April 28th – 1st workshop day
9.00-9.15  Welcome (MH, AC) – Introductions (everyone)
9.15-9.30 Setting the agenda: Dene CWIL objectives in a nut-shell (AA)
9.30-10.30 Computational modeling with finite-state transducers (MH)
10.30-10.40 Break
10.40-11.10 Arapaho documentation and resources (AC)
11.10-11.40 A computational model sketch of Arapaho (GK) [Arapaho as the “easy”? agglutinative case for FST modeling]
11.40-12.00 Arapaho and dependency grammars (IW)
12.00-12.10 Break
12.10-13.00 A computational model sketch of Tsuut’ina (CC)
13.00-14.00 Lunch
14.00-14.30 Generalizing from Tsuut’ina to other Dene languages: Discussion
14.30-15.00 A morphological sketch of Tlicho Yatiì (NW & CH)
15.00-15.30 Discussion – comparison to Tsuut’ina
15.30-16.00 A morphological sketch of Upper Tanana (OL)
16.00-16.30 Discussion – comparison to Tsuut’ina
16.30-16.45 The low-hanging fruits at the end of the rainbow (AA)
16.45-17.00 Modeling Cree derivation with a weighted finite-state model (KS)
17.00-18.00 Free-form discussion – sketching the following day
[Installing the necessary software then, by the latest]

SATURDAY, April 28th – 2nd workshop day
9.00-9.30 Organizing the practical modeling work
9.30-11.30 Modeling in documentary/field linguist pairs
11.30-12.00 Common trouble-shooting/problem resolution
12.00-13.00 Lunch
13.00-14.30 Modeling in documentary/field linguist pairs
14.30-15.00 Break
15.00-16.00 Common trouble-shooting/problem resolution
16.00-17.00 Tidying up the skeletons – toy apps (dictionaries, spellers)
17.00-18.00 Next steps – modeling, homework, papers, presentations

SUNDAY, April 30th – 3rd workshop day
9.00-12.00 Follow-up trouble-shooting and other wrap-up work
12.00-13.00 Lunch
13.00- Free form follow-up work
Travel from Boulder/Denver, CO, anywhere