3rd International Workshop on
Automatic Translation for Signed and Spoken Languages

SCOPE

The rapid technological and methodological advances in deep learning, and in AI in general, that we see in the last decade, have not only improved MT, recognition of image, video and audio signals, the understanding of language, 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, e.g. the SignON and EASIER projects.

As with the first and second editions, this one-day workshop aims to bring together researchers, practitioners, interpreters and innovators who focus on SL linguistics, MT, natural language processing (NLP), interpreting of sign 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 and computer-assisted translation of sign-to-spoken, spoken-to-sign and sign-to-sign communication. 

The third edition of the AT4SSL aims to be a venue for presenting and discussing (complete, ongoing or future) research on automatic translation between sign and spoken languages and to bring together researchers, practitioners, interpreters and innovators working in related fields.

The AT4SSL workshop aims to open a (guided) discussion between participants about current challenges, innovations and future developments related to the automatic translation between sign and spoken languages. To this extent, AT4SSL will host a moderated round table focusing on effective collaboration strategies deaf, hard-of-hearing and hearing researchers and users.

THEME

Data has assumed a vital role in the development of AI models, including NMT and LLMs. The scarcity of SL data, which hurdles the development of models of sufficient quality, is a challenge that requires the extensive involvement of signers. In addition, many prior works on SL NLP and MT have not included the deaf community or have done so in an ineffective and sometimes unethical way. 

The third edition of the AT4SSL workshop focuses on the topic: Co-creation for positive impact. 

TOPICS

This workshop aims to focus on the following topics. However, submissions related to the general topic of automatic translation between signed and spoken languages that deviate from these topics are also welcome:

• Data: resources, collection and curation, challenges, processing, data life cycle

• Use-cases, applications 

• Ethics, privacy and policies

• 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

• Usability and challenges of current methods and methodologies

• Sign language in the media

IMPORTANT DATES

• First call for papers: 20 December 2024

• Second call for papers: 24 January 2025

• Submission deadline: 10 March 2025 Extended to 20 March 2025, end of day, anywhere on Earth!

• Acceptance notification 31 March 2025 07 April 2025

• Camera-ready due: 07 April 2025 21 April 2025

• Submission of material for interpreters: 13 June 2025

• Workshop date: 24 June 2025

ORGANISATION COMMITTEE

• Dimitar Shterionov (TiU)

• Mirella De Sisto (TiU)

• Vincent Vandeghinste (KU Leuven; INT)

• Victoria Nyst (Leiden University)

• Myriam Vermeerbergen (KU Leuven)

• Floris Roelofsen (UvA)

• Bram Vanroy (KU Leuven; INT)

• Lisa Lepp (TiU)

• Irene Strasly (UniGe)

INTERPRETING

Interpreting between English and International Sign will be provided.

FOR CONTACTS

General email address: at4ssl@tilburguniversity.edu 

Dimitar Shterionov, workshop chair: d.shterionov@tilburguniversity.edu

REGISTRATION

Registration will be handled by the EAMT conference. (To be announced)