First International Workshop Automatic Translation for Sign and Verbal Languages (AT4SVL 2021 @MTSummit2021)
Call for papers
SCOPE
According to the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) over 70 million people are deaf and communicate primarily via a sign language (SL). Currently, human interpreters are the main medium for sign-to-verbal, verbal-to-sign and sign-to-sign language translation. The availability and cost of these professionals is often a limiting factor in communication between signers and non-signers.
Machine translation (MT) is a core technique for reducing language barriers [for verbal languages]. Although MT has come a long way since its inception in the 1950s, it still has a long way to go to successfully cater to all communication needs and users. When it comes to the deaf community, MT is in its infancy.
The rapid technological and methodological advances in deep learning (DL), and in AI in general, that we have seen in the last decade, have not only improved Machine Translation, the recognition of image, video and audio signals, as well as the understanding of language, and the synthesis of life-like 3D avatars, etc., but have also led to the fusion of interdisciplinary research innovations that lays the foundation of automated translation services between sign and verbal languages.
This workshop aims to be a venue for presenting and discussing (complete, ongoing or future) research on automatic translation between sign and verbal languages.
A multifaceted task like the automated translation between sign and verbal languages requires a multidisciplinary collaboration. This one-day workshop aims to bring together researchers, practitioners, interpreters and innovators who focus on sign language linguistics, machine translation, natural language processing, interpreting of sign and verbal languages, image and video recognition (for the purpose of sign language recognition), 3D avatar and virtual signers synthesis, and other related fields, to discuss problems, challenges and opportunities for the automated translation of sign-to-verbal, verbal-to-sign and sign-to-sign communication. This workshop will facilitate the open communication between different communities and professionals with diverse backgrounds through: (i) two key-note presentations; (ii) a panel discussion; and (iii) presentations of peer-reviewed papers submitted to the workshop.
TOPICS
This workshop aims to focus on the following topics. However, submissions related to the general topic of automatic translation between sign and verbal languages that deviate from these topics are also welcome:
- Sign language linguistics
- Machine translation (with a focus on sign-to-sign, sign-to-verbal or verbal-to-sign language translation)
- Natural language processing
- Interpreting of sign and verbal languages
- Image and video recognition (for the purpose of sign language recognition)
- 3D avatar and virtual signers synthesis
- Use-cases, applications
- Usability and challenges of current methods and methodologies
- Sign language in the media
- Ethics
SUBMISSION FORMAT
Two types of submissions are going to be accepted for the AT4SVL workshop:
-Research, review, position and application papers:
Unpublished papers that present original, completed work. The length of each paper should be at least four (4) and maximum eight (8) pages, with unlimited pages for references.
- Extended abstracts:
Extended abstracts should present original, ongoing work or innovative ideas. The length of each extended abstract is four (4) pages, with unlimited pages for references.
Both papers should be formatted according to the official MT Summit 2021 style templates (PDF, LaTeX, Word).
Accepted papers and extended abstracts will be published in the MT Summit 2021 on-line proceedings and will be presented at the conference.
SUBMISSION POLICY
Submissions must be anonymized.
Papers and extended abstracts should be submitted using the official conference management system here.
Work that has been or is planned to be submitted to other venues must be declared as such. Upon acceptance at AT4SVL, it must be withdrawn from the other venues.
The review will be double-blind.
IMPORTANT DATES:
First call for papers: 30-April-2021
Second call for papers: 20-May-2021
Submission deadline: 18-June-2021
Review process: between 18-June-2021 and 10-July-2021
Acceptance notification: 14-July-2021
ORGANISATION COMMITTEE:
Carmel Grehan, Centre for Deaf Studies, School of Linguistic, Speech & Communication Science, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
Mathieu De Coster, Ghent University, Belgium
Dimitar Shterionov, Department of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Tilburg University, The Netherlands
Mirella De Sisto, Department of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Tilburg University, The Netherlands
Aoife Brady, The ADAPT Centre, Dublin City University, Ireland
Davy Van Landuyt, European Union of the Deaf, Belgium
Catia Cucchiarini, Dutch Language Union (Nederlandse Taalunie), the Netherlands
Jorn Rijckaert, Vlaams GebarentaalCentrum, Belgium,
Vincent Vandeghinste, KULeuven, Belgium / Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, the Netherlands

FOR CONTACTS:
Dimitar Shterionov, workshop chair: d.shterionov@tilburguniversity.edu
Registration will be handled by the MTSummit2021 conference. (To be announced)