Franqois PECCOUD, Chairnaan of the Organizing Committee 
Bienvenue "a COLING-92 ! 
Welcome to COLING-92! 
1992 est une anndt chami~re pour l'Europe, duns une 
conjoncture sociologique et ttchnologique qui a 
beuucoup dvolu6 depuis deux uns. 
Du point de vtte sociologique, un nouveau palier a 6t6 
franchi dans l'intdgration de l'Europe, alors qu'ailleurs 
on assiste ~l la r6surgence des nutionalismts. A lu 
conscience de plus eu plus nette tie la dimensicm 
mondialt des grands ddfis posds 'a l'humanit6 s'oppose 
une relent6 de plus en plus aigue de reconstruire les 
identit6s nationales. Or, comme I'a si bitn (lit Hag~gt, 
"les langues sent les drupeaux (los identitds nationales". 
Nos orientations scientifiquts ne i)tuvent pus ignorer ce 
contexte. Ii rant que nos travaux prenneut plus en 
compte la diversit6 ties langues et apporteut des 
solutions concretes aux probl~::mes de la communication 
muhilingue. 
Or, cela ne sera possible qut si Its choix stratdgiques 
qui seront effectuds par Its rtsponsablts publics et 
industriels vent dans ce sins. Ctst pourquoi nous Its 
avons mvitds ~t participer ~ plusieurs tables rondes, 
Du point de vue technologiqttc, on assistt depuis peu ?.~. 
l'dmergence du nmltidedia, considdrd par l'iudustrie 
infornlatique Coulme rifle voie pronaetteuse pour reluncer 
su croissance. 
Or, le multimedia fera croitre les besoins en produits 
composantts lzmgugi~res. Cela uccdldrera le passage de 
l'informatique linguistiqut du laboratoire vtrs It stcteur 
iudustritl. 
iI dtvitnt donc de plus tn phts important de fairt 
couna\[trt, de diffuser et d'industrialiser les rdalisations 
qui pouvtllt rendre des services coucreLs. 
C'est pourqooi it comit6 de programme et le comit6 
d'organisation de COLING-92 ont encourage its notes 
de projet avec demonstration et proposd aux industriels 
de participtr h une exposition parallble au colloqut. 
Grenoble, It 5 mai 1992. 
1992 is a crucial year for Europe, in a sociological 
and technological conjuncture which has considerably 
evolved since two years. 
Front the sociological point of view, a new level has 
been reached in the integration of Europe, us we 
assist to the resurgence of nationalisms in other 
parts. The sharper and sharper conscience of the 
mondial dimension of the challenges fuced by 
mankind is to be constrasted with a stronger and 
,stronger will to reconstruct national identities. But, 
as llagdge has so well put it, "'languages are the flags 
of the national identites'. 
Our scientific orientations cannot ignore this context. 
Our work must take more into account the diversity 
of languages and contribute concrete solutions to the 
problems of multilingual communication. 
But this will be possible only if the strategic choices 
which will be made by public and industrial leaders 
go in this direction, This is why we have invited 
them to participate in several panels. 
From the technological point of view, we have 
recently begun to see multimedia emerge, and be 
considered by the computer industry as a promising 
direction for restarting its growth. 
But multimedia will increase the need for products 
with language-oriented components. This will 
accelerate the passage of computer linguistics from 
the laboratories to the industrial sector. 
llence, it is becoming more and more important to 
promote, diffuse and industrialize the realizations 
which can offer concrete services. 
This is why the Programme Committee and the 
Organizing Committee of COLlNG-92 have 
encouraged project notes wilh demonslrations and 
proposed to industrials to participate in an exhibition 
parallel to the Conference. 
Grenoble, May 5th, 1992. 
AcrEs l)li COLING-92, NAN'rI!s, 23 28 AOt/l" 1992 5 PROC. O1: COLING 92, NANTES, AUG. 23-28, 1992 
