Abstract
In the programme "A Computational Model of Language Acquisition" we will conduct computer simulations aimed at reproducing the results of several experiments in the first stages of language acquisition. The goal is to advance our understanding of the emergence of phonetic, phonological and lexical representations in the brain of a baby that is acquiring spoken language. To that end we will design and test a computational model that will only presuppose general perceptual and learning capabilities. The model will be based on the Memory-Prediction theory. Its power will be assessed by the extent to which it can simulate results of experiments with very young infants, even if today these are seemingly contradictory. A post-doc researcher will design and implement the computational framework that is needed for conducting simulation experiments where real acoustic signals form the sensory input. The PhD students will each investigate a pivotal aspect of language acquisition in depth. One PhD student will focus on models that can explain how continuous signals develop into discrete representations of words, sub-word units, phonemes and features. A second PhD student will focus on as yet unexplained observations about the perception of phonetic contrasts. The applicants will integrate the results of the three main projects and the existing body of experimental results, and by doing so, advance the theory of language acquisition. Finally, they will publish a monograph that integrates the results of the research in this programme and the outcomes of a workshop with invited experts in the fields of language acquisition and speech processing.