Topic: From the Problem to Its Solution Speaker: Professor Michael Zock Venue: Room 26302, Hsiu-chi Building (3F) Time: 13:30~15:00 on Tuesday, December 17, 2024
CNRS, LIS, Group TALEP Aix Marseille Université, Marseille / France http://pageperso.lif.univ-mrs.fr/~michael.zock/
Speaking a language and achieving proficiency in another one is a highly complex process which requires the acquisition of various kinds of knowledge and skills, like the learning of words, rules and patterns and their connection to communicative goals, the usual starting point. I will present some of the proposals made by psychologists and computer scientists. More precisely I will address questions such as: What is language production? What are its challenges? What tools can be developed to support the acquisition of this skill? To answer the last question, I will present two systems : The first one deals with proper naming. How shall we refer to this cute, fury, four legged animal, also called the human's best friend ? Shall we use a basic-level word (dog), a more specific term (spaniel), a relational description (the dog on the lawn), the object’s role (shepherd dog), a proper noun (Fido) or simply a pointer (pronoun)? The answer is, all depends. I’ll try to show in my talk what it depends upon. The second one deals with the question "what needs to be done" to achieve fluency in a foreign language, and reach the survival level? I will present a system that allows to achieve precisely that. At the same time it is versatile enough to support the learning of typologically distinct languages such as English, French, Japanese, and Chinese.
