The main programme of SIGN8 will take place on 9-12 October 2017 at Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis. A pre-conference preparatory workshop to facilitate communication between International Sign and Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS) will take place on 9 October 2017.

This is the first time that the SIGN conference series is brought to South America.

Paper and Poster Presentations

The conference will have both paper and poster presentations, as well as interactive workshops. SLOTS for paper presentations in all sessions are 30 minutes (presenters should aim at 30 minutes presentation and 15 minutes questions/discussion). Posters will be displayed throughout the conference, and in addition, specific time will be dedicated to poster sessions. Slots for workshops are either 45 minutes (single slot) or 90 minutes (double slot).

In all sessions, papers and posters can be in the form of in-progress reports, in order to share information about topics, regions, and situations where completed research is not yet available.

Papers and posters will be distributed over three sessions. The indicative topics for the sessions are listed below, but other allied topics are possible as long as they support the aims of the conference.

Session 1: Sign language and linguistics

• In-progress reports on sign languages and sign language linguistics in regions without substantial previous research.
• International sign language research cooperation (bi- and multilateral, models, networks, implementation).
• Studies on any aspect of linguistic structure with respect to individual sign languages or cross-linguistic comparative sign language studies.
• Sign language research tools, technologies and methodologies (e.g. corpus, transcription tools, databases, fieldwork resources)
• Ethical issues in sign language research.
• Psycholinguistic studies involving sign language users.
• Sociolinguistic studies on issues such as language contact, multilingualism, language attitudes, language policy and planning, linguistic variation, and the like.
• Linguistic aspects of sign language interpreting and related issues.

Session 2:  Community, Culture and Education

• In-progress reports on Deaf communities, cultures and education in regions without substantial previous research.
• International research cooperation on Deaf community, culture or education (bi- and multilateral, models, networks, implementation).
• Ethnographic and anthropological studies of deaf communities
• Relationships between sign language researchers and Deaf communities
• Policy development for sign languages, Deaf communities, and Deaf education
• Deaf education for children, young people, and adults (formal, informal, and continuing education).
• Community, cultural and educational aspects of sign language interpreting and related issues.

Session 3: Sign Language, Linguistics and Deaf communities in Brazil
This session covers the same topics as Session 1 and Session 2, but must focus on Brazil as the target region

Interactive Workshops

Workshops can relate to any of the above topics. Submissions must demonstrate clearly that there will be an interactive element in the workshop, which will involve the workshop participants. This can include activities such as hands-on training, panel discussion, guided group work, interactive demonstration sessions, and the like. Sessions consisting of a presentation-style format only are not acceptable as workshop submissions and should be submitted as presentations.

We encourage submissions by groups of people, but submissions by individuals are possible. Submissions for double slots (90 minutes) should specify the structure of the workshop (e.g. 10 minutes introduction, 60 minutes hands-on training, 20 minutes participant feedback)
Submission of abstracts: 14/04/2017
Notification of acceptance: 12 May 2017

http://sign8.com.br/ingles/index.php