Monday, November 30, 2015

4th Endangered and Lesser-known Languages Conference (ELKL - 4) from 25 - 27 February, 2016.

4th Endangered and Lesser-known Languages Conference (ELKL - 4) from 25 - 27 February, 2016. 

Call for Papers

While there has been a huge movement towards technology development for major Indian languages (owing to the huge governmental funding and lately huge business interest of certain private companies), there has been hardly any systematic, concerted efforts towards the development of language technologies for the lesser-known languages of the country. However, with the recent surge towards documentation and digitisation of endangered languages (again owing to the governmental funding recently made available through huge projects and schemes including those of CIIL and UGC), a large, structured, parallel, digital collection of speech data with its transcription and the deep part-of-speech and morphological marking of a large number of languages is being made available. It need not be mentioned that this huge resource is not only useful for the description of these languages but could also prove to be of immense value for the development of language technologies.

We solicit papers discussing original and unpublished research related to, but not limited to, the following sub-themes under the special theme.
  • Use of language archives and products of documentation for the development of language technologies.
  • Development of resources for these languages - corpus, machine-readable dictionaries, treebanks, WordNets and others
  • Creation and conversion of resources using the principles of Linked Open Data
  • Basic technologies - POS Tagger, Morphological Analyser, Syntactic Parsers
  • Applications - Spell and grammar checkers, transcription and input tools, Text-to-Speech, Automatic Speech Recognition, automatic text classification, machine translation.
Like previous editions of the conference, original and unpublished papers is also solicited in the other areas of research in endangered and lesser-known languages.
  • Description of Indian endangered and lesser-known languages - phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics
  • Typological, Areal and Historical Descriptions
  • Language Documentation
  • Dictionaries of Indian endangered languages
  • Language Archiving - best practices and methods
  • Multilingualism, language shift, language maintenance and language death
  • Language attitude and Language Revitalization
  • Language policy, language planning and language endangerment
  • FIeld reports
  • Ethical, legal and practical issues in language documentation of endangered and lesser-known languages in India and their solution
  • Biocultural and Linguistic Diversity of India

Submission

Special Interactive Session with Prof. Nikolaus Himmelmann

Presentations (written in English) in .ppt/.pptx format is to be uploaded by 20 December, 2015 (final deadline) using the EasyChair system at https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=elkl4.


Oral/Poster Presentation

Abstracts (written in English) of 750 - 1500 words (excluding references and data) in pdf format is to be uploaded by 10 October, 2015 (final deadline) using the EasyChair system at https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=elkl4.

Abstracts should be completely anonymised and anything pointing to the author(s) of the abstract should be completely removed.

Note: One author can submit a maximum of one abstract, which could be either single-authored or co-authored. If an author is found to be author or co-author of more than one submitted abstract, both the abstracts will be disqualified. However, author/co-author of an abstract can also send a tutorial proposal



Proposal for Pre-conference Tutorials
Proposals (written in English) in maximum 2000 words (excluding the references, if any, and CV of the resource persons) in pdf format is to be uploaded by 15 October, 2015 (final deadline) using the EasyChair system at https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=elkl4

The first page of the proposals should include the following information:
1.    Title of the tutorial
2.     Duration of the tutorial (half-day/full-day)
3.     Name of the resource persons
4.     Intended audience
5. Special requirements for tutorial (in addition to the projector, computer and common softwares)
Detailed proposal should start from the second page onwards and CV of each resource person is to be attached at the end of the proposal.
Please remember the complete proposal, including the header page and the CV is to be uploaded as a single file.
The .odt/.doc/.docx templates for proposal submission could be downloaded here and used for preparing and submitting the proposals.
Note: One resource person can submit one and only one tutorial proposal. (S)he could be the single resource person of that proposal or one of the members of a team of resource persons.
Important - While submitting the abstract please mention in the title that it is a tutorial proposal. Please write the title in this format -  "Tutorial Proposal - Title of the Proposal"

For more information visit https://sites.google.com/site/elkl4agra/home

International conference on Language Contact 2016 Langcon 2016

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Indian Languages in Contact Situations: Historical, Typological and Sociolinguistic Perspectives


Call for papers can be viewed at

http://dcpune.ac.in/languagecontact2016.php 

Call Deadline: 15-November-2015

International conference on Language Contact 2016 Langcon 2016

Announcement and Second Call for Papers : 
We are happy to announce our second international conference under the UGC-Special Assistance Programme on Language Contact. The Conference on Indian Languages in Contact Situations is being organised by the Department of Linguistics, Deccan College, Pune (India) in collaboration with the Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore. The conference will be held at the Deccan College (Deemed University), Pune on 4-6 February 2016. 

Plenary speakers : 
Prof. Sarah Thomason (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA) 
Prof. K.V. Subbarao (formerly, Delhi University, New Delhi, India) 
Prof.Yaron Matras (University of Manchester, U.K.) 
Prof. Anju Saxena (University of Uppsala, Sweden) 

Special Panel on Marathi in Contact Situations : 
Plenary talk by Prof.Rajeshwari Pandharipande (University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, USA) 
The Conference will be preceded by a Workshop on Language Contact on 3 February 2015. Scholars interested in pursuing research in this field may register for the workshop. Details of the workshop will be posted soon. 

Submission : 
The Conference invites paper submissions on the historical, typological and sociolinguistic perspectives on Indian languages in contact situations. We welcome submissions on Indian diaspora abroad. Presentations may focus on describing processes involved in bringing about particular outcomes of contact as well as on theoretical issues. Studies covering languages of different genetic origins are especially welcome.Abstracts may be submitted on topics including but not limited to the following themes: 
  1. Identifyingcontact-induced change and differentiating it from language-internal change (e.g. grammaticalisation)
  2. Processes of linguistic diffusion in contact situations
  3. The role of bi/multilingualism in contact-induced change
  4. The mechanisms of contact-induced change (borrowing, diglossia, code-mixing, code-alternation, etc.)
  5. The effect of speakers’ attitudes toward contact-induced change on the outcome of contact
  6. The effects of stable contact vis-a-vis transitional contact
  7. The role of microlinguistic areas in understanding processes of language change
  8. A typology of language contact situations in India
Abstract Submission Guidelines : 
Abstracts written in English should be submitted by 15 November, 2015 using Easyabs System athttp://linguistlist.org/easyabs/languagecontact2016 
The abstract should include the following information:
  • The problem(s) being addressed
  • The central claim(s) being made
  • Data source(s) and analytical approach(es)
  • Sample examples
  • Implication(s) of the findings
Authors may submit no more than one individual and one joint (co-authored) proposal. The abstract should be 500 words maximum (excluding references). For co-authored papers indicate the email address that we should use for correspondence. On completion of the review process The book of abstracts will be published on the Deccan College website. 
For queries related to abstract submission write to Prof. Sonal Kulkarni-Joshi at languagecontact2016@dcpune.ac.in 

Conference webpage : 
http://dcpune.ac.in/languagecontact2016.php 

Extended abstract submission deadline 15 November, 2015 
Notification of acceptance First week of December, 2015 
Full paper submission deadline 20 December, 2015 
Conference registration deadline 5 January, 2016 
Conference 4-6 February, 2016 

Registration Fees : 
  1. Local delegates and students not receiving fellowship : Rs. 1500/- (documentary proof of student status from student’s department is necessary)
  2. All other delegates : Rs. 2500/-
The conference registration fee includes the conference kit, tea-break refreshment, lunches and modest accommodation on all three days of the conference.The Conference will offer limited travel funds to outstation paper presenters for train travel by AC III tier from the place of journey to Pune and back by the shortest route. Participants are requested to make their own travel arrangements and arrange for funding from their respective organizations. Delegates who wish to have hotel accommodation at their own expense may contact the organisers well in advance. 

Contacts 
Prof. Sonal Kulkarni-Joshi (Conference Convenor) 
Email sonal.kulkarni@dcpune.ac.in 
Tel (Mobile) +91-9890444606, (Office) +91-2026513244 

Prof. Shailendra Mohan 
Email shailendra.mohan@dcpune.ac.in 
Tel (Mobile) + 91-9850342451 

Address for all postal correspondence : 
Organising Committee (Language Contact 2016) 
Department of Linguistics 
Deccan College (Deemed University) 
Yerawada, Pune 411006. 
MAHARASHTRA 
INDIA.

International Conference of South Asian Languages and Literatures (ICOSAL-12) 2016

International Conference of South Asian Languages and Literatures
(ICOSAL-12)


7-9 January 2016

Hosted by
Centre for Endangered Languages and Mother Tongue Studies
School of Humanities, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046, India

In collaboration with
Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore 570006, India,
Central University of Karnataka, Kadaganchi 585367, India 
&
English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad 500007, India

About

Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana, is alternatively famous as the City of Pearls. It is also very well known for the unique Hyderabadi Biryani and Haleem along with the best quality grapes and mangoes. It has an exotic history and a number of tourist attractions. It was the capital of the Nizam’s kingdom and the confluence of diverse languages and cultures have made this city a true representative of India's plurilingual and pluricultural ethos. It is one of the most happening places in India as far as the IT industry is concerned. Climate-wise also it is one of the best because abundant sunshine and the temperature between 20-30 degrees Celsius (68-86 degrees Fahrenheit), make its weather quite pleasant between July and March.

University of Hyderabad (UoH), established by the Government of India in 1974 is rated among the top academic institutions in the country. The University has received the highest grades by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and National Information System for Science and Technology (NISSAT) besides being declared by the University Grants Commission as University with Potential for Excellence. The University of Hyderabad provides lively research environment and offers scores of innovative programmes through various schools, departments and centres. It possesses a well-equipped library and an excellent internet facility. While the intellectual atmosphere on this campus is commendable, the natural setting is second to none. Integrated lakes, picturesque rockscapes and diverse flora and fauna make this lush green campus an exciting place for academic and research activities.
Considering the faculty strength and student intake, the School of Humanities is one of the largest schools of the University. Currently, it houses 12 departments offering Masters and Research programmes in English, Hindi, Telugu, Urdu, Sanskrit, English Language Studies, Dalit & Adivasi Studies, Linguistics, Translation Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Literature.
The Centre for Endangered Languages and Mother Tongue Studies (CELMTS) was established in September, 2010 as an independent Centre of the School of Humanities, University of Hyderabad. It is the first centre of its kind in an educational institution in India. The goal of the Centre is to document minor and endangered languages, sensitize the speakers and create awareness about minor languages and cultures.

Important dates

Abstract Submission Deadline: September 15, 2015September 30, 2015Abstract Acceptance Notification: September 30, 2015October 31, 2015
Full Paper Submission: December 10, 2015
Conference dates: 7-9 January 2016

Registration

                                           
 Category Amount to be paid
  Student (from SAARC nations) INR 1000
  Faculty (from SAARC nations) INR 2000
  All others USD 100 
The registration fee may be paid at the conference venue.

Venue

School of Humanities
University of Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Telangana, India
PIN 500046

For more details click here

3rd International Conference on Cognition, Brain and Computation

3rd International Conference on Cognition, Brain and Computation

Conference 2015
Centre for Cognitive Science, IIT Gandhinagar is pleased to announce 3rd International Conference on Cognition, Brain and Computation during December 5-7, 2015. The conference, as the theme suggests, aims to bring forward the interdisciplinary dialogue between neuroscience and computational approaches in study of Cognition. Through this conference, we hope to generate passionate discussions and collaborations around the conference theme that cuts across disciplines and methodologies.
NEW -
Please be aware of SPAM predatory publishers and ignore emails from any journals such as Psychology research, david publishing. The conference proceedings will be only abstracts and there is no arrangement with any journal.
Registrations for Eye tracking workshop on 4th December open to faculty and industry professionals only. Registration Fees is the same as conference registration Fee.
There will be demo sessions of Eye Tracking and EEG open to all during conference dates 5th to 7th.
ONLINE Registration is CLOSED. Receipts of Registration Payment can be collected at the conference venue.
Accommodation information is being sent to all registered participants.  Please check your email. We cannot guarantee accommodation for on-spot registrations
Industry CONNECT session on 7th December Forenoon
Download Abstracts of Accepted Papers.
All contributed presentations will be of Poster format with A1 size (approx 2 feet wide X 3 feet high) in Portrait format.
  • Registration Fees: Students: Rs. 4000,
  • Postdocs, Faculty, Professionals: Rs. 5000
  • International Delegates: $100
International Speakers:
National Speakers
Abstract Submission is CLOSED
Accommodation
The conference organizers will provide in-campus accommodation to all registerred participants (at nominal cost).
Industry Connect and Sponsorship Opportunities
We invite greater participation of Industry partners for sponsorship and for scientific sessions. Please contact via the conference e-mail (cbc.conf@iitgn.ac.in).
Venue:
The conference will be held at the newly constructed permanent campus of IIT Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India. The campus is located by side of Sabarmati River in Gandhinagar, capital city of Gujarat adjoining by the historic city of Ahmedabad (25 kms from Campus). Gujarat state has a coastline of 1,600 kms (1,000 miles), is bordered by Rajasthan to the north, Madhya Pradesh to the east, and Pakistan and the Arabian Sea to the west.  The Ahmedabad city is home to Sabarmati Ashram of Mahatma Gandhi, from where he initiated the 1930 Dandi March. Several prominent tourism spots are just hours away from the Ahmedabad, including Mt Abu, 215 kms (134 miles) and Udaipur 252 kms (157 miles).
Ahmedabad has an international airport and is well connected by flights. Other airports are Mumbai, and New Delhi. The climate is generally dry, apart from the monsoon months of June to September. March to June are hot summer days with average maxi-mum temperature of about 37 C while the months of November to February are winter with temperature ranging between 15 C to 30 C.
Every foreign visitor entering India must have a valid passport and an Indian visa. Visas can be obtained from Indian Embassies and Consulates in most countries. Formal invitation letters will be sent to the invited speakers.
Advisory Program Committee
  • Raju S. Bapi | International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad
  • Aditya Murthy | Center for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru
  • Nandini Singh | National Brain Research Center, Manesar
  • Narayanan Srinivasan | Center of Behavioural and Cognitive Science, University of Allahabad
Contact:
  • Conference E-mail ID: cbc.conf@iitgn.ac.in
  • Convener: Krishna Miyapuram (kprasad@iitgn.ac.in)
  • Co-Conveners: Uttama Lahiri, Jaison Manjaly, Pratik Mutha, Meera Sunny
  • Local Organizing Committee: Nithin V George | Electrical Engineering, Sharad Gupta | Biological engineering, Shanmuganathan Raman | Electrical Engineering, Raghubir Sharan | Electrical Engineering, Babji Srinivasan | Chemical & Electrical Engineering, Malavika Subramanyam | Social Sciences
  • Coordinators: Sampada Gharpure, Manisha Chawla, Shruti Goyal, Dinesh Kumar, Dyutiman Mukhopadhyay, Neelakanteswar Reddy, Divita Singh, Tony Thomas

6th NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ELT February 05 & 06, 2016

English Language Teaching Institute of Symbiosis (ELTIS)&
Symbiosis Institute of Foreign & Indian Languages (SIFIL)

Presents

6th NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ELT February 05 & 06, 2016

One of the qualities of a good communicator is being a patient listener and a person of few but apt words. Today, a strong command of the English language is directly linked to career enhancement and social success. ‘Good English Communication Skills’ has become an indispensable qualification for a job seeker.
Two major skills that would help us groom our students’ communicative abilities are ‘Listening’ and ‘Vocabulary’.
Let us come together to share, discuss and review our experiences about effective ways of teaching these two skills.
The English Language Teaching Institute of Symbiosis (ELTIS) is happy to invite you to participate in its Sixth National Conference. After the first 5 conferences on Language and Culture, Grammar, Reading, Speaking and Writing respectively, ‘Teaching of Listening and Vocabulary’ is the focus this year.

Main Theme:
“Communication Plus: Empowering Language Learners through Effective Listening and Active Vocabulary”.

The conference will comprise:
  1. A symposium
  2. Plenary sessions by renowned experts
  3. Workshops
  4. A panel discussion

6th National conference on

“Communication Plus: Empowering Language Learners through Effective Listening and Active Vocabulary”.

to be held on Fri. & Sat. February 05 & 06, 2016.

Tracks (Sub-Themes)
      • Listen to Learn: Boosting Word Power through Active Listening
      • Overcoming Barriers to Listening: Strategies and Solutions
      • Vocabulary Development: Activities and Strategies
      • Audio-Visual Aids: Building Blocks to a Rich Vocabulary
      • Sound of Music: Stimulus to Word Power
      • Listening as a Means of Vocabulary Development
      • Teaching Listening / Vocabulary: Resources and Materials            
      • Mother Tongue Influence (MTI) on L2 Listening / Vocabulary Acquisition

    Some suggestions on the scope of each track or sub-theme:
    1. Listen to Learn: Boosting Word Power through Active Listening
    Who speaks, sows; who listens, reaps. – Argentine Proverb
    • * Key techniques and advantages of active listening
    • * Using authentic listening material to enrich vocabulary
    • * Developing conversational skills through active listening
    • * Active listening as a medium for effective communication

    • 2. Overcoming Barriers to Listening: Strategies and Solutions
      If you think communication is all talking, you haven’t been listening. – Ashleigh Brilliant* Barriers to listening to that affect effective communication
      * Solutions to overcome hurdles in listening
      * Problems faced by teachers in teaching listening in schools and colleges
      * Strategies to nurture listening skills for enhancing interpersonal communication

      3. Vocabulary Development—Activities and Strategies
      In any subject matter, words are more important than anything else. - Unknown
      * Teaching vocabulary - a challenging task?
      * Acquiring vocabulary incidentally by engaging students in interesting activities
      * Usage of appropriate words to express oneself explicitly
      * Effective activities for teaching vocabulary

      4. Audio-Visual Aids: Building Blocks to a Rich Vocabulary
      The art of conversation lies in Listening- Malcolm Forbes
      * Vocabulary as an element that links all the four skills, LSRW, especially listening and speaking
      * Stimulating learners and reinforcing learning through audio-visual resources
      * Movies – a gateway for vocabulary building

      5. Sound of Music: Stimulus to Word PowerMusic expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent. – Victor Hugo* Benefits of music in the process of language learning
      * Impact of music on the power of expression
      * Creative ways of using songs in the classroom as an educative tool
      * Lending melody and pitch to speech through songs

      6. Listening as a Means of Vocabulary Development 
      The art of listening isn’t difficult to master. And when you have, new words and new worlds open up!  -Forbes* Listening - fundamental but neglected component in acquiring vocabulary
      * Exploring the sub–skills of listening for strong word power
      * Developing eloquence and expressiveness through listening
      * Innovative methods of exploiting aural skills to gain confidence in communication

      7. Teaching Listening / Vocabulary: Resources and Materials                
      The art of conversation lies in listening. -Malcolm Forbes* Selecting authentic materials for listening / vocabulary and matching them with learning goals      
      * Making the most of technological developments to create relevant materials  for students
      * Use of resources for teaching aural skills and vocabulary acquisition

      8. Mother Tongue Influence (MTI) on L2 Listening / Vocabulary Acquisition Finally, the very notion of a 'word' is far from constant across languages. –Michael Swan
      * The influence of MTI on the ability of students to comprehend L2 listening
      * MTI as a barrier in acquiring vocabulary
      * Ways of overcoming / reducing the problems of MTI in L2 listening and acquiring vocabulary
      * MTI as a hindrance in business communication
    These explanations are only illustrative, not exhaustive. Paper presenters are free to explore other relevant areas and questions.

    Tracks for Workshops

  1. Developing Vocabulary: Use of Prose Texts - Fiction, Non-fiction and Drama
    What is drama but life with the dull bits cut out? – Alfred Hitchcock
    • Use of fiction and non-fiction to foster the acquisition of vocabulary
    • Exploring drama as a means of building vocabulary in an ESL / EFL classroom
    • Activities and methods of boosting students’ vocabulary
  2. Developing Vocabulary for Specific Purposes  The difference between the right word and the almost-right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. –Mark Twain• Developing vocabulary for specific communities: academic, occupational or specialised
    • Activities for teaching and learning of vocabulary for ESP
    • Training / Retraining teachers of ESP
  3. Designing Materials and Activities to Teach Words in Context and Co-text We are at a critical point where rapid change is forcing us to look not just to new ways of solving problems but to new problems to solve. -Tim Brown
    • Activities to help enrich vocabulary incidentally
    • Material generation and activities for developing incidental vocabulary through listening
    • Readily available textbooks or tailor-made materials for teaching vocabulary?
    • Student-generated materials: an instrument in collaborative learning
  4. Teaching Word-formation ProcessesIf you can dream it up, you can team it up. ― Richie Norton
    • Helping students understand word formation
    • • Activities for teaching lexical phrases and appropriate expressions
    • • Enabling students to use words appropriately for effective interaction
    • Bridging the gap between language learning and communicating through listening

    You may conduct a Workshop on or related to the above-stated tracks.
For Whom?
This conference is meant for –
    • Teachers of English/Business Communication at
    • Senior Colleges
    • Junior Colleges
    • Business Management Institutes
    • Engineering Colleges
    • Mass Media & Journalism Colleges
    • University Departments of English
    • Secondary Schools
    • Post-Graduate students of English / Linguistics / ELT / Journalism.
A participant may present a paper or conduct a workshop or attend the conference as a member of the audience.
Paper Presentation
Papers can be presented on topics that can come under any of the tracks (sub-themes). The papers must be original and based on your own ideas, practical experience and /or research.
Each presenter must personally present his/her paper on the day of the event.
Time allotted:
  • 15 minutes for presentation
  • 05 minutes for Q & A
Important Dates
  • For Abstracts: Abstracts not exceeding 400 words should reach us latest by Monday, November 30, 2015. A decision on the acceptance of the abstracts will be conveyed to the authors by Thursday, December 17, 2015.
  • Final Papers: Complete final papers (soft copy) not exceeding 3000 words should reach us by Monday, January 11, 2016.
  • Last date of registration for participation only: Monday, January 19, 2016.
Prescribed Formats All abstracts and final papers must keep to the following prescribed format:
Registration Fees:
  • For Indian participants: Rs.1600/- per participant (up to December 30, 2015). Registration fee after Wednesday, December 30, 2015: Rs.1800/- per participant.
  • For Foreign Nationals: US$50/- per participant (up to December 30, 2015) Registration fee after Wednesday, December 30, 2015: US$60/- per participant.
The registration fee covers conference materials, three meals and light refreshments / tea / coffee during breaks between sessions.
Mode of payment: By Demand Draft or Swift Code, or online.
  • DD in favour of ‘ELTIS, Symbiosis’.

    Swift Code details:
  • Receiving Bank: Axis Bank Ltd.
  • Bank Swift Code: AXISINBB037
  • Institute’s Bank A/c No: 315010100023339

    RTGS / NEFT details :
  • Bank details: as above
  • IFS Code : UTIB0000315
Please e-mail us the payment details on the very same day you make the payment.
Accommodation
  • Decent accommodation is available (optional) at the cost of Rs. 800/- per person per night on twin sharing basis.
  • For booking accommodation, please email to info@eltis-symbiosis.org
  • The mode of payment will be the same as above.
  • Accommodation will be confirmed only after we receive full payment by DD / swift / online.
  • We can arrange a two or three-star hotel accommodation if a participant specifically mentions so. The cost (payable by the participant) depends upon the market rate and your preference/choice.
In case you need any help with hotel accommodation, please feel free to contact Ms. Madhura Thakur, Assistant-Co-ordinator, for getting suitable accommodation. Email: madhura.t@eltis-symbiosis.org
Travelling to Pune
By Air: Pune airport is located at Lohegaon, about 12 km from the heart of the city. Prepaid taxi and auto-rickshaws operate to and from the airport. Coaches and private cars can also be hired. Regular direct flights are available to Pune from many cities in India like Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Nagpur and Indore.
By Rail: Pune is an important railway junction in the Indian railway network. Several trains connect Pune with most other major rail junctions in India.
By Road: Pune is well connected with many major Indian cities by state-owned bus services. Private luxury buses also operate from Pune to many cities in India including Mumbai, Goa, Bengaluru, Indore, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Hyderabad. Frequent bus services connect Pune with Mumbai, a distance of about 150 km, as do shared taxis.
About the 5th ELTIS Conference (2015)
" Nurturing Writing in the Classroom"
The English Language Teaching Institute of Symbiosis (ELTIS) held its fifth National Conference on January 30 & 31, 2015.

The theme of the conference was “Nurturing Writing in the Classroom”. ELTIS has been holding conferences on developing language skills for the last four years consecutively. The conference this year was based on the challenges involved in the teaching of writing and its possible solutions. The presence of creative writers and experts of English language enlightened the audience.
On the first day, the Chief Guest of the inaugural function, H.E. Mr. Amaku V. Ndubuisi, High Commissioner of Nigeria stated the importance of simplicity in written English.  He mentioned that clear and simple writing is an art which many aspire and few acquire. Dr. A. V. Sangamnerkar, Vice President, Symbiosis Society also highlighted the importance of writing skills and appreciated ELTIS for conducting such conferences.
There were 119 participants from all over India and a presenter as well from Iran. Teachers from 10 states and 37 cities shared their ideas and fostered their teaching skills.
The Symposium on “Creative Writing in its 21st Century Avatar” highlighted that creativity brings freshness and insight to writing, whatever the purpose or genre be. The speakers emphasised how the modern age facebook, twitter and micro poetry can be channelised in a constructive manner to build writing skills.
There were 43 paper presentations based on seven themes. Writing is a daunting task for students and teaching writing is a challenge for teachers.  Teachers got different ideas to implement in their writing classes to bring back the lustre in their writing classes.
The workshop presenters shared ways of using stories, anecdotes and examples to make the piece of writing an interesting one. Workshops were a mixed bag of Haiku, micro poetry, films, novels, business writing etc.
On the second day, the panel discussion struck the chord of how all language skills help enhance writing skills.
The conference concluded with the valedictory address by the Guest of Honour H.E. Ms. Saroja Sirisena, Consul General of Sri Lanka on “Importance of Writing Skill in International Diplomacy”. She shared real life anecdotes on the importance of writing skills that captured everyone’s heart. The prizes were awarded by the Guest of Honour in the presence of Prof. Dr. Rajani Gupte, Vice Chancellor, Symbiosis International University.
About ELTIS: The English Language Teaching Institute of Symbiosis (ELTIS) was established in 1972 by Dr. S. B. Mujumdar. ELTIS has been teaching English for 43 years to International Students from more than 50 countries. In 1980, ELTIS also started catering to the needs of Indian students through its Speak fast brand. To add to its vital list of activities, we have a one-year university programme which aims to train Indian students in practical English and life skills. ELTIS is also an authorised Training and Examination Centre for Cambridge English Language Assessment, part of the University of Cambridge, U.K. Over the years, ELTIS has grown into a globally recognised institution of high repute.
Best Paper Award
A panel of experts will identify the best three papers presented at the Conference. Their decision will be final and binding. Awards will be announced on the last day of the Conference. The awards will be cash amounts of Rs.1500/- Rs.1200/- & Rs. 1000/- for the 1st, 2nd & 3rd positions respectively along with a merit certificate.
Special award for students: This year we will have one best paper award of Rs. 1000/- cash for students.
ELTIS Team
Mr. Shirish Sahasrabudhe
Director, ELTIS-SIFIL
director@eltis-symbiosis.org
Ms. Vaishali Jundre
Dy. Director and Convenor
dy.director@eltis-symbiosis.org   
Mr. Vishwanath Kakulde
Conference Co-ordinator
vishwanath.k@eltis-symbiosis.org  +91 9766230967
Ms. Jayasree Menon
Conference Co-ordinator
jayasree.menon@eltis-symbiosis.org
Ms. Apurva Joshi
Team Member
apurva.joshi@eltis-symbiosis.org +91 9657981485
Ms. Sarah Waghmare
Team Member
sarah.waghmare@eltis-symbiosis.org +91 9158685607

* Please note: Phone calls only during office hours (10.00 am to 06.00 pm) 
Members of the Advisory Committee:
Dr. Z. N. PatilDr. Shridhar Gokhale
Dr. Ramesh DhongdeDr. Dharmendra Sheth
Dr. Shirish ChindhadeDr. Madhuri Gokhale
About Pune City:
With a name that descends from the Sanskrit word ‘Punya’, meaning “pious deeds”, Pune represents the heartland of Maharashtra. Much can be said about the majestic history of this place, the leading citizens of which included iconic figures such as ShivajiMaharaj and LokmanyaTilak.
Pune’s large student population has made it a ‘happening place’ in the true sense of the term. It is popularly known as the Oxford of the East and contends for the title ‘the cultural capital of Maharashtra’.
The outstanding aspect of this city is the sound balance between modernity and age-old culture and tradition. This makes for interesting sightseeing within the city. You should put at the top of your sight-seeing list places like Shaniwar Wada, Aga Khan Palace and the Parvati Hill Temple. Stunning gardens like OshoTeerth, P. L. Deshpande Okayama Park add to the greenery of the city.
The attractions of the city and its surroundings are its forts, lakes, parks, myriad eating places and shopping. In the city centre, old architecture is interspersed with modern buildings.
What was once considered a pensioners’ paradise is now home to leading industries and software and IT companies like Wipro, Infosys, Persistent, TCS, Cognizant, Tech-Mahindra and many others and their new-generation employees.
Climate
The city’s geographically important location has blessed it with a pleasant climate throughout the year. In the month of January, the temperature ranges between 15 degrees Celsius (nights) and 28 degrees Celsius (days).

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1. Queries regarding Abstracts, Complete Papers:
Queries regarding Abstracts, Complete Papers: Ms. Jayasree Menon, Conference Co-ordinator, Email: jayasree.menon@eltis-symbiosis.org or
Mr. Vishwanath Kakulde, Conference Co-ordinator, Email: vishwanath.k@eltis-symbiosis.org  +91 9766230967 or
Ms. Apurva Joshi on +91 9657981485
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