Tutorial modelling language origins and evolution

Sunday 31 July 2005

Part of IJCAI 2005, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Handouts

Presenters: Bart de Boer, Paul Vogt and Tony Belpaeme

Evolutionary Linguistics is a new and rapidly growing field that has emerged from the field of artificial intelligence and that is concerned with modelling the origins and evolution of language. It addresses questions such as the evolution of speech, the origins of symbolic categories, grounding, the origins of grammar, the prerequisites for human language, and origins of symbolic communication. Although computational modelling research has yielded interesting results, these are often misinterpreted or overlooked by non-technically schooled researchers in the field. We feel this is partly due to the way the complex and abstract models are presented. Scientists lacking experience in computational modelling often find it difficult to understand the underlying models and their results.

This tutorial offers an introduction for artificial intelligence researchers who are new to evolutionary linguistics and is aimed at understanding the field and helping them set up computational experiments that address open issues. We do this by presenting a thorough overview of the field and by discussing how established AI techniques can be used to investigate the evolution of language. To illustrate this we present a number of case studies. In addition, we aim to provide suggestions of how to disseminate the research to a multidisciplinary audience, which often include linguists, anthropologists, archeologists, psychologists and biologists.

Topics:

  • Introduction into the field of language evolution.
  • Major research questions in the field of language evolution.
  • Computational modelling of language evolution
    • What computer models can contribute to the understanding of the evolution of language.
    • How to set up a computational model to study language evolution.
    • What techniques to use for which problems.
    • What research topics are suitable for modelling.
  • Case studies plus demonstrations.
  • Disseminating modelling results to non-technical researchers.
  • Possible applications.
  • Some caveats on modelling and presenting results.

Objectives and target audience

This tutorial aims at the following objectives:

  • Motivate and explain a topic of emerging importance for AI
  • Present a novel synthesis combining distinct lines of AI work

The target audience we have in mind are primarily young AI researchers or PhD students who have just started to work in this increasingly popular area of research. In addition, we aim our tutorial at more advanced researchers working in the area of natural language processing and who may want to learn what this field of research can contribute to their efforts in building language processing software.

To allow each of these groups to follow the course, no other prerequisites are required than a basic academic knowledge of AI.

Language Evolution and Computation at Edinburgh

IJCAI 2005 and this tutorial are located in the wonderful city of Edinburgh. The University of Edinburgh has one of the largest and leading groups researching language evolution using computational modelling, the Language Evolution and Computation Research Unit. Participants of the tutorial will be offered the possibility to meet some of the members of the LEC. If you are interested in using this opportunity, please contact Paul Vogt or the person who you would like to meet.

The tutorial will be held just prior to one of the largest festivals in the world, the Edinburgh International Festival and during Edinburgh's International Jazz and Blues Festival. Finding accommodation during this period can be very hard and we suggest participants to book early (the IJCAI website will have more details).

Registration and information

Registration has to be done through the IJCAI organisation, though participants are not required to register for the main conference. Registration is now open on the IJCAI website.

For further information, please contact Paul Vogt

In case 31 July 2005 is inconvenient: This tutorial will also be given at ECAL 2005 in Kent on 5 September 2005.