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Computational Modeling of Human Language Acquisition Copyright © 2011 by Morgan & Claypool SeriesSeries ISSN: ISSN: 1947-4040 1947-4040 ALISHAHI ALISHAHI ALISHAHI SSYNTHESISYNTHESIS LLECTURESECTURES ONON MM MorganMorgan& & ClaypoolClaypool PublishersPublishers HHUMANUMAN L LANGUAGEANGUAGE T TECHNOLOGIESECHNOLOGIES &&CC SeriesSeries Editor: Editor: Graeme Graeme Hirst, Hirst, University University of of Toronto Toronto ComputationalComputational Modeling Modeling of of Human Human Language Language Acquisition Acquisition COMPUTATIONAL MODELING OF HUMAN LANGUAGE ACQUISITION COMPUTATIONAL MODELING COMPUTATIONAL OF MODELING HUMAN OF LANGUAGE HUMAN ACQUISITION LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AfraAfra Alishahi, Alishahi, University University of of Saarlandes Saarlandes ComputationalComputational ModelingModeling HumanHuman language language acquisition acquisition has has been been studied studied for for centuries, centuries, but but using using computational computational modeling modeling for for such such studiesstudiesstudies is isis a a arelatively relativelyrelatively recent recentrecent trend. trend.trend. However, However,However, computational computationalcomputational approaches approachesapproaches to toto language languagelanguage learning learninglearning have havehave become becomebecome ofof HumanHuman LanguageLanguage increasinglyincreasinglyincreasingly popular, popular,popular, mainly mainlymainly due duedue to toto advances advancesadvances in inin developing developingdeveloping machine machinemachine learning learninglearning techniques, techniques,techniques, and andand the thethe availability availabilityavailability ofof vast vast collections collections of of experimental experimental data data on on child child language languagelanguage learning learninglearning and andand child-adult child-adultchild-adult interaction. interaction.interaction. Many ManyMany of ofof thethethe existing existingexisting computational computationalcomputational models modelsmodels attempt attemptattempt to toto study studystudy the thethe complex complexcomplex task tasktask of ofof learning learninglearning a a alanguage languagelanguage under underunder cognitivecognitive plausibility plausibility criteria criteria (such (such as as memory memory and and processing processing limitations limitations that that humans humans face), face), and and to to AcquisitionAcquisition explainexplain the the developmental developmental stages stages observed observed in in children. children. By By simulating simulating the the process process of of child child language language learning,learning,learning, computational computationalcomputational models modelsmodels can cancan show showshow us usus which whichwhich linguistic linguisticlinguistic representations representationsrepresentations are areare learnable learnablelearnable from fromfrom the thethe input inputinput thatthatthat children childrenchildren have havehave access accessaccess to, to,to, and andand which whichwhich mec mecmechanismshanisms yield yield the the same same patterns patterns of of behaviour behaviour that that children children exhibitexhibit during during this this process. process. In In doing doing so, so, computational computational modeling modeling provides provides insight insight into into the the plausible plausible mechanismsmechanisms involved involved in in human human language language acquisition, acquisition, and and inspires inspires the the development development of of better better language language modelsmodels and and techniques. techniques. ThisThis book book provides provides an an overview overview of of the the main main research research questions questions in in the the field field of of human human language language acquisition.acquisition. It It reviews reviews the the most most commonly commonly used used computational computational frameworks, frameworks, methodologies methodologies and and resources resources AfraAfra AlishahiAlishahi forforfor modeling modelingmodeling child childchild language languagelanguage learning, learning,learning, and andand the thethe evaluation evaluationevaluation techniques techniquestechniques used usedused for forfor assessing assessingassessing these thesethese computational computationalcomputational models.models. The The book book is is aimed aimed at at cognitive cognitive scientists scientists who who want want to to become become familiar familiar with with the the available available computationalcomputational methods methods for for investigating investigating problems problems related related to to human human language language acquisition, acquisition, as as well well as as computationalcomputational linguists linguists who who are are interested interested in in applying applying their their skills skills to to the the study study of of child child language language acquisition. acquisition. DifferentDifferent aspects aspects of of language language learning learning are are discussed discussed in in separate separate chapters, chapters, including including the the acqui-sition acqui-sition ofof the the individual individual words, words, the the general general regularities regularities which which govern govern word word and and sentence sentence form, form, and and the the associations associations betweenbetween form form and and meaning. meaning. For For each each of of these these aspects, aspects, the thethe challenges challengeschallenges of ofof the thethe task tasktask are areare discussed discusseddiscussed and andand the thethe relevantrelevantrelevant empirical empiricalempirical findings findingsfindings on onon children childrenchildren are areare summarized. summarized.summarized. Furthermore, Furthermore,Furthermore, the thethe existing existingexisting computational computationalcomputational models modelsmodels thatthatthat attempt attemptattempt to toto simulate simulatesimulate the thethe task tasktask under underunder study studystudy are areare reviewed, reviewed,reviewed, and andand a a anumber numbernumber of ofof case casecase studies studiesstudies are areare presented. presented.presented. AboutAbout SYNTHESIs SYNTHESIs ThisThis volume volume is is a a printed printed version version of of a a work work that that appears appears in in the the Synthesis Synthesis DigitalDigital Library Library of of Engineering Engineering and and Computer Computer Science. Science. Synthesis Synthesis Lectures Lectures MORGAN MORGANMORGAN provideprovide concise, concise, original original presentations presentations of of important important research research and and development development topics,topics,topics, published publishedpublished quickly, quickly,quickly, in inin digital digitaldigital and andand print printprint formats. formats.formats. For ForFor more moremore information informationinformation visitvisit www.morganclaypool.com www.morganclaypool.com & & & CLAYPOOLCLAYPOOLCLAYPOOL ISBN:ISBN: 978-1-60845-339-9978-1-60845-339-9 SSYNTHESISYNTHESIS LLECTURESECTURES ONON MorganMorgan & & ClaypoolClaypool PublishersPublishers 9900000000 HHUMANUMAN L LANGUAGEANGUAGE T TECHNOLOGIESECHNOLOGIES www.morganclaypool.comwww.morganclaypool.com 99778811660088445533339999 GraemeGraeme Hirst, Hirst, Series Series Editor Editor Computational Modeling of Human Language Acquisition Copyright © 2011 by Morgan & Claypool All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Computational Modeling of Human Language Acquisition Afra Alishahi www.morganclaypool.com ISBN: 9781608453399 paperback ISBN: 9781608453405 ebook DOI 10.2200/S00304ED1V01Y201010HLT011 A Publication in the Morgan & Claypool Publishers series SYNTHESIS LECTURES ON HUMAN LANGUAGE TECHNOLOGIES Lecture #11 Series Editor: Graeme Hirst, University of Toronto Series ISSN Synthesis Lectures on Human Language Technologies Print 1947-4040 Electronic 1947-4059 Synthesis Lectures on Human Language Technologies Editor Graeme Hirst, University of Toronto Synthesis Lectures on Human Language Technologies is edited by Graeme Hirst of the University of Toronto. The series consists of 50- to 150-page monographs on topics relating to natural language processing, computational linguistics, information retrieval, and spoken language understanding. Emphasis is on important new techniques, on new applications, and on topics that combine two or more HLT subfields. Computational Modeling of Human Language Acquisition Afra Alishahi 2010 Introduction to Arabic Natural Language Processing Nizar Y. Habash 2010 Cross-Language Information Retrieval Jian-Yun Nie 2010 Automated Grammatical Error Detection for Language Learners Claudia Leacock, Martin Chodorow, Michael Gamon, and Joel Tetreault 2010 Data-Intensive Text Processing with MapReduce Jimmy Lin and Chris Dyer 2010 Semantic Role Labeling Martha Palmer, Daniel Gildea, and Nianwen Xue 2010 Spoken Dialogue Systems Kristiina Jokinen and Michael McTear 2009 iv Introduction to Chinese Natural Language Processing Kam-Fai Wong, Wenjie Li, Ruifeng Xu, and Zheng-sheng Zhang 2009 Introduction to Linguistic Annotation and Text Analytics Graham Wilcock 2009 Dependency Parsing Sandra Kübler, Ryan McDonald, and Joakim Nivre 2009 Statistical Language Models for Information Retrieval ChengXiang Zhai 2008 Computational Modeling of Human Language Acquisition Afra Alishahi University of Saarlandes SYNTHESIS LECTURES ON HUMAN LANGUAGE TECHNOLOGIES #11 M &C Morgan&
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