Teaching and learning computational linguistics in an international setting
Koenraad De Smedt · DSpace repository (University of Tartu) · 1998
tio n a l L in g u istic s h a s lo n g b e e n a fo re ru n n e r in th e u s e o f h u m a n itie s co m p u tin g te c h n o lo g y .H o w e v e r, th e re are m a n y o rg a n isa tio n a l p ro b le m s to b e a d d re s s e d to m a in ta in an d im p ro v e th e q u a lity o f te a c h in g a n d le a rn in g o f C o m p u ta tio n a l L in g u is tic s.A d v an ced C o m p u tin g in th e H u m a n itie s (A C O * H U M ) is a n in te rn a tio n a l n e tw o rk w h ic h in v e stig a te s th e u s e o f n e w te c h n o lo g ie s in H u m a n itie s te a c h in g a n d le arn in g .I t p ro m o te s in te rn a tio n a l c o o p e ra tio n a.o.fo r te a c h in g a n d le a rn in g C o m p u ta tio n a l L in g u istic s.Aims In s o f a r as C o m p u ta tio n a l L in g u istic s b e lo n g s to th e h u m a n sc ie n c e s o r h u m a n itie s , it h as lo n g h a d a p riv ile g e d p o sitio n .It h a s lo n g b e e n a fo re ru n n e r in th e a p p lic a tio n o f fo rm a l m e th o d s a n d o f c o m p u ta tio n a l te c h n iq u e s fro m A rtific ia l In te llig e n c e .It h a s d u rin g th e p a s t tw e n ty o r so y e a rs e sta b lish e d its e lf as a n a d v a n c e d fie ld o f re se a rc h a n d stu d y , a n d it h a s tra n s fo rm e d b o th c o m p u te r s c ie n c e a n d lin g u istic s.H o w e v e r, its sp e c ia l p o sitio n a m o n g h u m a n itie s d isc ip lin e s is ra p id ly v a n ish in g .T h e sc ie n c e s o f la n g u a g e are to d a y n o t a t a ll u n iq u e in th e ir a d o p tio n o f a d v a n c e d c o m p u tin g .H isto ry , fo r e x a m p le , is ra p id ly a b s o rb in g c o m p u tin g a s a n im p o rta n t re s e a rc h m e th o d o lo g y , fo r e x a m p le fo r th e in te llig e n t se a rc h in g o f a rc h iv e s.H isto ry o f a rt is ra p id ly a d o p tin g a d v a n c e d v isu a l p ro c e s s in g te c h n iq u e s, th e b u ild in g o f p ic to ria l d a ta b a se s, etc. E v e n lite ra tu re , w h ic h h a s lo n g b e e n a p la c e o f tra d itio n a l s c h o la rs h ip b a s e d o n b o o k s, is in c re a s in g ly u s in g c o m p u te r-a id e d re s e a rc h te c h n iq u e s, fo r e x a m p le in fo rm a l sty listic s, a n d is b e g in n in g to ta k e h y p e rte x t se rio u s a s b a s is fo r a n e w rh e to ric .A n d w ith S o p h ie 's w o rld o n C D -R O M , e v e n p h ilo so p h e rs a re tra d in g th e ir p e n s fo r sh in y d isk s.B rie fly , th e w h o le h u m a n itie s are to d a y fa c e d w ith a c h a lle n g e to in n o v a te th e ir le a rn in g a n d te a c h in g .B a c k t o C o m p u ta tio n a l L in g u is tic s, w h a t a re th e c h a lle n g e s C o m p u ta tio n a l L in g u is tic s is fa c in g ?T h e f ie ld o f n a tu ra l la n g u a g e p ro c e s s in g h a s e x p a n d e d e n o rm o u s ly in th e p a s t d e c a d e s a n d is c o n tin u in g to e x p a n d w ith re s p e c t to th e o ry , m e th o d s , a n d a p p lic a tio n s.T h is h a s a llo w e d m a n y d iffe re n t s c h o o ls a n d m a n y n ic h e s o f s p e c ia l re se a rc h .W h ile th is v a rie ty is u se fu l a n d n e e d s to b e m a in ta in e d , it is n o t so e a sy in e v e ry d a y life to o ffe r q u a lity te a c h in g in C o m p u ta tio n a l L in g u is tic s c o v e rin g a n u p to d a te p a r t o f th e C o m p u ta tio n a l L in g u is tic s sp e c tru m .F o r o n e th in g , th e C o m p u ta tio n a l L in g u is tic s s t a f f a t m o s t u n iv e rsitie s is ra th e r s m a ll.F o r a n o th e r, th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f g o o d te a c h in g m a te ria ls is w a y b e h in d th e re se a rc h d e v e lo p m e n ts.T h is m a y a ffe c t th e q u a lity o f te a c h in g in s u c h w a y s th a t stu d e n ts a re n o t s u ffic ie n tly fa m ilia r w ith w h a t re s e a rc h re q u ire s, stu d e n ts a re n o t p re p a re d fo r co m p u ta tio n a l lin g u is tic s p ro fe ssio n s, a n d s tu d e n ts d o n o t le a rn so m e th in g s w h ic h a re c o n sid e re d b a sic a t o th e r u n iv e rs itie s , w h ic h re s u lts in t h e h in d ra n c e s f o r th e ir m o b ility .