Grammatical Word Classes: A Learning Process and its Simulation

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a detailed description of a model for a learning process, which was proposed as an account of the learning of word classes by the child. This model is related to other theories and empirical findings to describe the results of a computer simulation, which uses recorded speech of some mothers to their children as the input corpus. It is not a complete theory of language acquisition, only an intended component of such a theory. The relationship of the proposed mechanism to other component subsystems, believed to take part in language acquisition, are indicated in the chapter. A detailed comparison is made between the model and other theoretical formulations, which finds that with the exception of the mediation theory, none of the formulations is capable of accounting for the earliest stage of word class learning. The model is related to empirical findings, which demonstrates that it can account for them. Particularly, the S-P shift is a natural consequence of the memory organization in the model. Analysis of this output from the program showed that it contains grammatically appropriate classes and exhibits certain aspects known to be characteristic for the word class systems of young children.

[1]  J. Berko,et al.  Word association and the acquisition of grammar. , 1960, Child development.

[2]  George R. Kiss.  Long-Term Memory: A State-Space Approach. , 1972 .

[3]  Martin D. S. Braine,et al.  The Ontogeny of English Phrase Structure: The First Phase , 1963 .

[4]  S. Ervin,et al.  THE DEVELOPMENT OF GRAMMAR IN CHILD LANGUAGE. , 1964, Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development.

[5]  G. N. Lance,et al.  A General Theory of Classificatory Sorting Strategies: 1. Hierarchical Systems , 1967, Comput. J..

[6]  G. N. Lance,et al.  Computer Programs for Hierarchical Polythetic Classification ("Similarity Analyses") , 1966, Comput. J..

[7]  Charles Clifton.  The Implications of Grammar for Word Associations1 , 1967 .

[8]  T. Dixon,et al.  Verbal behavior and general behavior theory , 1968 .

[9]  David McNeill,et al.  The origin of associations within the same grammatical class , 1963 .

[10]  S. C. Johnson.  Hierarchical clustering schemes , 1967, Psychometrika.

[11]  T G Bever,et al.  On the acquisition of syntax: a critique of "contextual generalization". , 1965, Psychological review.

[12]  M. Braine,et al.  On learning the grammatical order of words. , 1963, Psychological review.

[13]  W. T. Williams,et al.  A Generalized Sorting Strategy for Computer Classifications , 1966, Nature.

[14]  Kurt Salzinger,et al.  Research in verbal behavior and some neurophysiological implications , 1967 .

[15]  S. Ervin.  Correlates of associative frequency , 1963 .

[16]  Roger S. Brown,et al.  Three Processes in the Child's Acquisition of Syntax , 1964 .

[17]  D. McNeill.  The Acquisition Of Language , 1970 .

[18]  Geoffrey H. Ball,et al.  ISODATA, A NOVEL METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS AND PATTERN CLASSIFICATION , 1965 .

[19]  David McNeill,et al.  The Development of Language. , 1967 .

[20]  R BROWN,et al.  THE ACQUISITION OF SYNTAX. , 1964, Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development.

[21]  D. McNeill.  A study of word association , 1966 .

[22]  M. Braine,et al.  On the basis of phrase structure: a reply to Bever, Fodor, and Weksel. , 1965, Psychological review.

[23]  S. Ervin.  Changes with age in the verbal determinants of word association. , 1961, The American journal of psychology.

[24]  J. Jenkins,et al.  MEDIATION PROCESSES AND THE ACQUISITION OF LINGUISTIC STRUCTURE. , 1964, Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development.

[25]  J. MacQueen.  Some methods for classification and analysis of multivariate observations , 1967 .

[26]  Sheldon Rosenberg.  Directions in psycholinguistics , 1966 .

[27]  Willem J. M. Levelt,et al.  Advances in psycholinguistics , 1970 .