1st International Workshop on Automatic Translation for Signed and Spoken Languages

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 spoken languages.

This workshop aims to be a venue for presenting and discussing (complete, ongoing or future) research on automatic translation between signed and spoken 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 signed and spoken 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 signed-to-spoken, spoken-to-signed and signed-to-signed 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 signed-to-signed, signed-to-spoken or spoken-to-signed language translation)

• Natural language processing

• Interpreting of sign and spoken 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

IMPORTANT DATES:

• First call for papers: 30-April-2021

• Second call for papers: 20-May-2021

• Submission deadline: 18-June-2021 Extended deadline: 28-June-2021

• Review process: between 18-June-2021 and 10-July-2021

• Acceptance notification: 14-July-2021

• Tentative workshop date: 20 August 2021

ORGANISATION COMMITTEE:

• Carmel Grehan, Centre for Deaf Studies, School of Linguistic, Speech & Communication Science, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

• Mathieu De Coster, IDLab-AIRO, Ghent University, Belgium

• Dimitar Shterionov, 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

• Jorn Rijckaert, Vlaams GebarentaalCentrum, Belgium

• Catia Cucchiarini, Dutch Language Union (Nederlandse Taalunie), the Netherlands

• Mirella De Sisto, Department of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Tilburg University, The Netherlands

• 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)