ERIC Number: EJ893638
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Jun
Pages: 33
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0305-0009
EISSN: N/A
An Empirical Generative Framework for Computational Modeling of Language Acquisition
Waterfall, Heidi R.; Sandbank, Ben; Onnis, Luca; Edelman, Shimon
Journal of Child Language, v37 n3 spec iss p671-703 Jun 2010
This paper reports progress in developing a computer model of language acquisition in the form of (1) a generative grammar that is (2) algorithmically learnable from realistic corpus data, (3) viable in its large-scale quantitative performance and (4) psychologically real. First, we describe new algorithmic methods for unsupervised learning of generative grammars from raw CHILDES data and give an account of the generative performance of the acquired grammars. Next, we summarize findings from recent longitudinal and experimental work that suggests how certain statistically prominent structural properties of child-directed speech may facilitate language acquisition. We then present a series of new analyses of CHILDES data indicating that the desired properties are indeed present in realistic child-directed speech corpora. Finally, we suggest how our computational results, behavioral findings, and corpus-based insights can be integrated into a next-generation model aimed at meeting the four requirements of our modeling framework.
Descriptors: Generative Grammar, Language Acquisition, Computational Linguistics, Databases, Longitudinal Studies, Guidelines, Statistical Analysis, Models, Child Language, Speech Communication
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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