Towards a Stochastic Model of Linguistic Competence

Add to your list(s) Download to your calendar using vCal

• Shalom Lappin - King's College, London
• Friday 26 November 2010, 12:00-13:00
• FW26, Computer Laboratory.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Thomas Lippincott.

In recent years computational linguists, psycholinguists, and even some theoretical linguists have adoped a probabilistic view of linguistic knowledge. The primary motivation for this approach is a concern to incorporate the gradient effects and soft, defeasible constraints evident in speakers’ variable judgements on acceptability into the theory of linguistic competence. On this view knowledge of a language is identified directly with a language model and the probability distribution over the strings of a language that it specifies. I will take up some of the problems involved in developing a viable stochastic representation of competence and suggest possible solutions to these problems. I will also look at the connections between probabilistic theories of learning and a stochastic model of grammar. Finally, I will consider several consequences that such a model has for the competence-performance distinction.

This talk is part of the NLIP Seminar Series series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• All Talks (aka the CURE list)
• Cambridge Centre for Data-Driven Discovery (C2D3)
• Cambridge Forum of Science and Humanities
• Cambridge Language Sciences
• Cambridge talks
• Chris Davis' list
• Department of Computer Science and Technology talks and seminars
• FW26, Computer Laboratory
• Graduate-Seminars
• Guy Emerson's list
• Interested Talks
• Language Sciences for Graduate Students
• NLIP Seminar Series
• PMRFPS's
• Simon Baker's List
• Trust & Technology Initiative - interesting events
• bld31
• ndk22's list
• ob366-ai4er
• rp587

Note that ex-directory lists are not shown.