This book presents recent advances by leading researchers in computational modelling of language acquisition. The contributors, from departments of linguistics, cognitive science, psychology, and computer science, combine powerful computational techniques with real data and in doing so throw new light on the operations of the brain and the mind. They explore the extent to which linguistic structure is innate and/or available in a child's environment, and the degree to which language learning is inductive or deductive. They assess the explanatory power of different models. The book will appeal to all those working in language acquisition.

This book presents recent advances by leading researchers in computational modelling of language acquisition. The contributors have been drawn from departments of linguistics, cognitive science, psychology, and computer science. They show what light can be thrown on fundamental problems when powerful computational techniques are combined with real data. The book considers the extent to which linguistic structure is readily available in the environment, the degree to which language learning is inductive or deductive, and the power of different modelling formalisms for different problems and approaches. It will appeal to linguists, psychologists, cognitive scientists working in language acquisition,and to those involved in computational modelling in linguistic and behavioural science.