Strategies in language acquisition: learning phrases in context
Uri Zernik · University of California at Los Angeles eBooks · 1987
How is language acquired by people, and how can we make computers simulate language acquisition? Although current linguistic models have investigated extensively parsing and generation, so far, there has been no model of learning new lexical phrases from examples in context. We have identified four issues in language acquisition. (a) How can a phrase be extracted from a single example? (b) How can phrases be refined as further examples are provided? (c) How can the context be incorporated as part of a new phrase? (d) How can acquired phrases be used in parsing and in generation? In solving this problems, we have established three theoretical points. (a) We have shown how a dynamic lexicon is structured as a phrasal hierarchy. (b) We have constructed strategies for learning phrases. (c) We have constructed a parsing mechanism which can operate even in the presence of lexical gaps. The program RINA has incorporated these elements in modeling a second-language speaker who augments her lexical knowledge by being exposed to examples in context.