The document announces an international conference on systemic-functional linguistics to be held in Montevideo, Uruguay from September 27-29, 2012. The conference is organized by the Latin American Systemic-Functional Linguistics Association and will feature presentations, panels and roundtables from regional and international scholars on topics related to discourse analysis in education and other disciplines using verbal and multimodal approaches. Accepted topics of study include educational linguistics, critical literacy, multisemiotic studies, language teaching, and contributions of systemic-functional linguistics to fields such as cultural studies, media language, and translation.

1. LANGUAGE & SOCIETY
CONTRIBUTIONS OF SYSTEMIC-FUNCTIONAL LINGUISTICS
TO THE ANALYSIS OF VERBAL AND MULTIMODAL DISCOURSE
IN EDUCATION AND OTHER DISCIPLINES
LASFLA
MONTEVIDEO – SEPTEMBER 27th, 28th & 29th, 2012
The Latin American Systemic-Functional Linguistics Association (LASFLA) is pleased to invite you to participate
in the VIII International Conference of the Latin American Systemic-Functional Linguistics Association to take place in
Montevideo, Uruguay from 27th to 29th of September.
The theme of the VIII Conference calls for a broad range of disciplines to which verbal and multimodal discourse
analysis is highly relevant. Even though education has a prominent role within this group of disciplines, we intend to
make room for contributions of SFL -and other related theories- to other disciplines.
The conference will offer presentations, round tables and panels by regional and international scholars, seeking to
continue the exchanges of previous conferences, in the field of semiotics and SFL-grounded discourse.
The program will thus accept papers in the following areas:
Educational Linguistics
Critical Literacy (entry, intermediate and advanced levels)
Multisemiotic Studies: multimodal texts (spoken, written, visual and sign language) and multimodality in the
web.
Second and Foreign Languages Teaching and Learning
Discourse Studies
Systemic Functional Linguistics and Related Theories
Developments in Appraisal Theory
Corpus Linguistics
Genre/Register and Studies of Intertextuality
Cross-linguistic Studies: description, comparative linguistics and language typologies
Translation and Interpretation
Computational Linguistics
Cultural Studies
Verbal Arts
Language of mass media
Language of institutions: language in the workplace
Ecolinguistics and Language Policies: studies on linguistic landscapes, human rights, languages of diaspora
and migration, linguistic imperialism.
Intercultural communication and technical languages.

2. Official Languages: Spanish, Portuguese, English
LASFLA Executive Committee
President: Elsa Ghio (UNL, Argentina)
Vice-President: Desireé Motta Roth (UFSM, Brasil)
Secretaries: Samiah Hasan (UNCuyo, Argentina) y Graciela Rabuske Hendges (UFSM, Brasil)
Newsletter coordinator: Estela Moyano (UNGS, Argentina) y Tania Romero (UFL, Brasil)
ALSFAL webmaster: Tony Berber Sardinha y Leila Barbara (PUCSP, Brasil)
Discussion Group Coordinator: Gillian Moss (Uninorte, Colombia)
Local Academic Committee
Anna Rosselli, Spanish Tutor, Centro Regional de Profesores del Sur
Claudia Brovetto, Linguist, Plan Ceibal
Cristina Pippolo, National Coordinator of the Spanish Department
Elizabeth García, Spanish Tutor, Online Teacher Education Program
Graciela Barrios, Head of the Department of Psycho- and Sociolinguistics, Facultad Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación,
Universidad de la República
Inés Abelenda, English Department Coordinator, Stella Maris School
Ivanna Centanino, Spanish Tutor, Instituto de Profesores Artigas
Jorge Nández, Spanish Supervisor, Consejo de Educación Secundaria
Laura Flores, English Language and English Literature Tutor, Instituto de Profesores Artigas, Universidad de Montevideo
Laura Masello, Director of the Foreign Languages Center, Facultad Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad de la
República
Laura Motta, Councilor of the Consejo de Formación en Educación, ANEP
Lucía Bervejillo, Head of the Department of Education and Department of Foreign Languages Facultad de Humanidades,
Universidad de Montevideo
Luis Behares, Director of the Institute of Education, Facultad Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación, Univ. de la República
María Elena Perera, English Language Tutor
Mariana Achugar, Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies and Second Language Acquisition, Department of Modern Language,
Carnegie Mellon University, USA
Silvia Pessoa, Assistant Teaching Professor, English, Carnegie Mellon Qatar University
Silvia Viroga, Literature Supervisor, Consejo de Educación Secundaria
Regional and International Academic Committee
Annabelle Lukin, Macquarie University, Australia
Cecilia Colombi, University of California at Davis, USA
Cristina Boccia, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Argentina
Daniel Fernández, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Argentina

3. Elsa Ghio, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Argentina
Estela Moyano, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento, Argentina
Gillian Moss, Universidad del Norte, Colombia
Heidi Byrnes, Georgetown University, USA
Michael O'Donnell, English Department, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, España
María Brisk, Boston College, USA
Leila Barbara, Pontificia Universidad Católica de San Pablo, Brasil
Leonard Unsworth, Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia
Liliana Anglada, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina
Samiah Hasan, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Argentina
Teresa Oteiza, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Organization Committee
Daniela Campodónico
Rossanna Vilardo
Patricia Galeano
María Helena Bugna
Gabriela Kaplan
Makarena Julios
Inés Abelenda
Serrana Echenagusía
Daniel Fernández
Estela Moyano
Cecilia Prieto
Laura Flores
MODES OF PARTICIPATION:
Mini-workshops – A number of pre-conference workshops will be delivered by guest instructors. Further details on
topics and instructors shall be offered in coming leaflets.
Plenary Sessions and Round Tables by local and international.
Research Groups Article Presentations by groups of up to four participants presenting on similar topics. Each
participant will have 20 minutes for the presentation and 10 additional minutes for questions. Each member of the
group must enroll individually.
Individual Research Article Presentations by conference participants. Duration: 20 minutes followed by 10' for
questions.
Posters – by other participants. Sheet format: 90x90cm.

4. ENROLMENT
Enrolments will be done through the form provided on the Conference webpage, still under construction. Confirmation
of receipt will be issued automatically and enrolment will be confirmed upon completion of payment.
More details on dates, enrolment categories and costs to come in forthcoming circulars.
SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS
From June 1st to 30th, 2012.
Abstracts must be submitted directly through the Congress website. Confirmation of receipt will be done automatically.
Letters of acceptance shall be issued by e-mail from August 1st onwards.
Rules for Submission of Abstracts
Languages: Spanish, Portuguese or English.
Length: a minimum of 250 words and a maximum of 300 (not including title, name of authors or key words).
Format: the document must include the article title, name of the authors, home institution, e-mail address of authors,
theme unit of the paper (from the list above), 3 key words separated by semicolons, summary of the research paper
and bibliography.
Content: aims, theoretical and methodological frame, results, and preliminary conclusions (if applicable)
We look forward to meeting you in Montevideo.
Kind regards,
Organization Committee
VIII ALSFAL Conference
URUGUAY 2012