Every year the graduate students of the Linguistics Department of the University of Maryland organize a linguistics workshop focusing on a different aspect of language. The goal of this year's MayFest is to bring together researchers from various disciplines to discuss the use of hierarchy and flat structures in language.
It is perhaps the most central contention in generative theorizing that linguistic expressions are structured hierarchically. Yet there seem to be aspects in all areas which do not immediately call for hierarchy. In syntax, for example, phenomena such as coordination, iterative constructions and adjuncts have been analyzed in terms of flat structures. For semantics, one might ask whether all semantic composition is achieved by function application or whether some composition is achieved by conjunction? Computational linguistics has explored the computational properties of both classes of structure and has shown that while manipulation of hierarchical structure is computationally tractable, linear models offer surprisingly effective approximations of hierarchical phenomena. MayFest 2007 will revisit the question as to what extent hierarchy is needed in language. University of Maryland faculty will provide commentary on the talks and facilitate the discussion between the participants and the theories they represent.
The workshop will be held May 11-12, in Marie Mount Hall, on the College Park campus of the University of Maryland. MayFest 2007 has no registration fee and we welcome all visitors to the workshop; however, for organizational purposes we do ask all guests to register.
We urge you to book hotel rooms as soon as possible since the commencement of University of Maryland University College (UMUC) is on May 12. However, as College Park is Metro accessible guests may be able to find suitable accommodations in D.C. as well. Students are also offering a limited amount of crash space. Please see our accommodation section for more information.
You will find information on registration, directions to College Park, accommodation information and more via the navigation bar above.