A Theory of Language Acquisition Based on General Learning Principles

A simulation model is described for the acquisition of the control of syntax in language generation. This model makes use of general learning principles and general principles of cognition. Language generation is modelled as a problem solving process involving principly the decomposition of a lobe-communicated semantic structure into a hierarchy of subunits for generation. The syntax of the language controls this decomposition. It is shown how a sentence and semantic structure can be compared to infer the decomposition that led to the sentence. The learning processes involve generalizing rules to classes of words, learning by discrimination the various contextual constraints on a rule application, and a strength process which monitors a rule's history of success and failure. This system is shown to apply to the learning of noun declensions in Latin, relative clause constructions in French, and verb auxiliary structures in English.