The probabilistic analysis of language acquisition: Theoretical, computational, and experimental analysis
نویسندگان
چکیده
There is much debate over the degree to which language learning is governed by innate language-specific biases, or acquired through cognition-general principles. Here we examine the probabilistic language acquisition hypothesis on three levels: We outline a novel theoretical result showing that it is possible to learn the exact generative model underlying a wide class of languages, purely from observing samples of the language. We then describe a recently proposed practical framework, which quantifies natural language learnability, allowing specific learnability predictions to be made for the first time. In previous work, this framework was used to make learnability predictions for a wide variety of linguistic constructions, for which learnability has been much debated. Here, we present a new experiment which tests these learnability predictions. We find that our experimental results support the possibility that these linguistic constructions are acquired probabilistically from cognition-general principles.
منابع مشابه
Probabilistic language acquisition: Theoretical, computational, and experimental analysis
There is much debate over the degree to which language learning is governed by innate language-specific biases, or acquired through cognition-general principles. Here we examine the probabilistic language acquisition hypothesis on three levels: We outline a theoretical result showing that probabilistic learning in the limit is possible for a very general class of languages. We then describe a p...
متن کاملEFL Learners’ Incidental Acquisition of English Phrasal Verbs through Enhanced Extensive Reading vs. Unenhanced Extensive Reading
Abstract Acquiring vocabulary, as a significant and challenging part of language learning process, has always been consistent with reading. In this study, the researchers examined the effect of enhanced extensive reading on EFL learners’ incidental acquisition of English vocabulary, with specific focus on phrasal verbs. Twenty five homogenized participants were selected and divided into two gro...
متن کاملEFL Learners’ Incidental Acquisition of English Phrasal Verbs through Enhanced Extensive Reading vs. Unenhanced Extensive Reading
Abstract Acquiring vocabulary, as a significant and challenging part of language learning process, has always been consistent with reading. In this study, the researchers examined the effect of enhanced extensive reading on EFL learners’ incidental acquisition of English vocabulary, with specific focus on phrasal verbs. Twenty five homogenized participants were selected and divided into two gro...
متن کاملEffect of Interventionist Computerized Dynamic Assessment on Learners’ Grammatical English Tenses: Analysis of Cake and Sandwich Formats
The present mixed-method study sought to investigate the efficacy of using an interventionist dynamic assessment and specifically its formats namely the cake and the sandwich ones on learners’ grammatical English Tenses. In doing so, 45 advanced learners of English language at Iran Language Institute (ILI) in Shiraz, Iran were selected. They were randomly assigned to 3 groups, each including 15...
متن کاملThe Acquisition and Development of the Concepts of English Modality Through Metaphors
The current study attempted to investigate the effect of Systemic-Theoretical Instruction (STI) on English-language learners’ acquisition of the concepts of modal verbs through exploiting metaphors. To this end, the effect of the main treatment of the study, i.e. Concept-Based Instruction (CBI) was investigated through conceptual metaphors, in two gender (male vs. female) ...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید
ثبت ناماگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید
ورودعنوان ژورنال:
- Cognition
دوره 120 3 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2011