Spring 2020

Date

Event

Speaker

Abstract/Details

01/15/2020PlanningÌýÌý
01/22/2020PhD student from UMassAbe HandlerÌý
01/29/2020Modeling Syntax Acquisition with Cognitive Constraints


Time: 4:00pm

Location: Muen D430		Lifeng JinChildren seem to learn their first languages effortlessly, but how they are able to do this has been heatedly debated for many years among linguists. Recent advances in computational linguistics have presented us a unique opportunity to explore the problem of syntax acquisition with computational modeling. In this talk, I will first introduce syntax acquisition modeling, also known as grammar induction, from a theoretical perspective. I will then present our efforts in modeling syntax acquisition with statistical machine learning models with human memory constraints. Simulations using Bayesian and neural network models on natural data in many languages have provided insight into how language acquisition may happen without universals as inductive biases as well as how cognitive constraints may interact with syntax acquisition. Finally I will discuss some theoretical considerations and future directions for acquisition modeling.
02/05/2020Practice talk (Meta-learning for morphological inflection)KatharinaÌý
02/12/2020Prelim presentation (prepositional polysemy)DanielÌý
02/19/2020Sebastian Schuster 17th 4:00pm & Adina Williams 19th 4:00pm & Chris Potts 21st 12:00PM


Location: MUEN D430		Sebastian Schuster, Adina Williams, Chris PottsÌý
02/26/2020Alexis Palmer 4:00pmAlexis PalmerÌý
03/11/2020Vivian prelimVivianÌý
03/18/2020CLASIC capstoneÌýÌý
04/01/2020COLING paper clinicÌýÌý
04/08/2020Rehan PrelimRehanÌý
05/02/2020EMNLP paper clinicÌýÌý