Grammatical Acquisition: Coevolution of Language and the Language Acquisition Device

Grammatical Acquisition: Coevolution of Language and the Language Acquisition Device (1998)

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by Ted Briscoe

Venue:	In Proceedings of the Diachronic Generative Syntax
Citations:	3 - 0 self

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Datum	Value	Source
TITLE	Grammatical Acquisition: Coevolution of Language and the Language Acquisition Device	user correction
AUTHOR NAME	Ted Briscoe	user correction
AUTHOR AFFIL	Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge	user correction
AUTHOR ADDR	Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QG, UK	user correction
ABSTRACT	An account of grammatical acquisition is developed within the parameter-setting framework applied to a generalized categorial grammar (GCG). The GCG is embedded in a default inheritance network yielding a natural partial ordering (reflecting generality) of parameters which determines a partial order for parameter setting. Computational simulation shows that several resulting acquisition procedures are effective on a grammar / language set expressing major typological distinctions based on constituent order, and defining 70 distinct full languages and over 200 subset languages. The effects on acquisition of maturational working memory limitations, trigger presentation sequences, parameter update criteria, and differing initial settings are explored via computational simulation. Computational simulations of populations of language learners / users instantiating the model show: 1) that variant acquisition procedures with differing constraints and biases exert differing selective pressures on the evolution of language; 2) acquisition procedures will evolve towards more efficient variants in the environment of adaptation. The reciprocal evolution of language acquisition procedures and of language creates a genuinely coevolutionary dynamic, despite the relative speed of linguistic selection for language variants compared to natural selection for variant language acquisition procedures.	user correction
YEAR	1998	INFERENCE
VENUE	In Proceedings of the Diachronic Generative Syntax	INFERENCE
VENUE TYPE	CONFERENCE	INFERENCE
VOLUME	5	INFERENCE
CITATIONS	116 found	ParsCit 1.0