Announcing the FLEx Parser Workshop in Nairobi 10-21 Aug 2026

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Tim Stirtz

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Jul 22, 2025, 12:03:15 PMJul 22
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FLEx Parser Workshop


“I made much more significant headway in understanding how to use the FLEx Hermit Crab parser in those few days of the workshop than I did in multiple years of trying it on my own in spurts and only interacting with FLEx experts about it over email.” 

SIL Linguist/Translator, Eurasia 

(See here for quotes from other participants in the Aug 2023 and 2024 Parser Workshops)


Imagine having a spell checker for Scripture in the language you assist. Imagine being able to automatically interlinearize a transcribed text with morpheme-for-morpheme glossing. Imagine a tool that is powerful enough to recognize roots and morphemes even when there are multiple phonological rules applied.    


Many linguists agree that FLEx is among the most powerful tools for language analysis available today. Yet few are able to use it to its fullest extent–especially the XAmple and HermitCrab parsing tools. 


In the FLEx Parser Workshop, you will learn how to set up the FLEx parsers for analyzing the morphology of a specific language. Not only will there be software experts to train you in all the possible features of the parsers, there will also be linguistic experts to guide you in tailoring the parsers to the specific features of the language. By the end of the workshop you have a roadmap for modeling the grammar of the language in FLEx, and will be well on your way with implementing it.

Participants: This workshop is for translators, field linguists or other language personnel who assist a translation or language development project and need assistance to set up the FLEx parsers for a more efficient project.


Location: Dimesse Sisters Retreat Centre in Nairobi, Kenya (Near The Waterfront)

Dates: 10-21 Aug 2026

Outcomes:

  • Set up the writing systems, including keyboards

  • Understand the different areas of FLEx and how they work together in parsing

  • Understand the differences between the two parsers (XAmple and HermitCrab)

  • Work with grammatical categories

  • Work with inflection templates

  • Work with allomorphs, stem types, inflectional variants, inflection classes and inflection features

  • Work with phonological rules and environments

  • Define the phonemes for the HermitCrab parser

  • Learn ideas for working with tones and other suprasegmentals

Cost: Registration is $750 if paid by 1 Apr 2026. Accommodations and meals are $494 for 13 nights (Arriving 9 Aug and leaving 22 Aug).

Instructors: Andreas Joswig, Beth Bryson and others.

Registration: Complete the registration form at the bottom of the workshop invitation by 1 Jul 2026. There are limited spaces available, so register early.

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