Annalu Waller
2006
From Syllables to Syntax: Investigating Staged Linguistic Development through Computational ModellingPDF
Proceedings of the 28th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society, 2006
A new model of early language acquisition is introduced. The model demonstrates the staged emergence of lexical and syntactic acquisition. For a period, no linguistic activity is present. The emergence of first words signals the onset of the holophrastic stage that continues to ...MORE ⇓
A new model of early language acquisition is introduced. The model demonstrates the staged emergence of lexical and syntactic acquisition. For a period, no linguistic activity is present. The emergence of first words signals the onset of the holophrastic stage that continues to mature without syntactic activity. Syntactic awareness eventually emerges as the result of multiple lexically-based insights. No mechanistic triggers are employed throughout development.
2004
A Computational Model of Emergent Syntax: Supporting the Natural Transition from the One-word Stage to the Two-Word StagePDF
Working Notes of the Coling2004 Workshop on Psycho-Computational Models of Human Language Acquisition, 2004
This paper introduces a system that simulates the transition from the one-word stage to the two-word stage in child language production. Two-word descriptions are syntactically generated and compete against one-word descriptions from the outset. Two-word descriptions become ...MORE ⇓
This paper introduces a system that simulates the transition from the one-word stage to the two-word stage in child language production. Two-word descriptions are syntactically generated and compete against one-word descriptions from the outset. Two-word descriptions become dominant as word combinations are repeatedly recognised, forming syntactic categories; resulting in an emergent simple syntax. The system demonstrates a similar maturation as children as evidenced by phenomena such as overextensions and mismatching, and the use of one-word descriptions being replaced by two-word descriptions over time.