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What's your specialization?


paigemont

Subfield(s)?  

145 members have voted

  1. 1. Subfield(s)?

    • Syntax
      22
    • Semantics
      16
    • Phonetics/Phonology
      27
    • Morphology
      7
    • Psycholinguistics
      22
    • Computational
      10
    • Historical
      13
    • Other (specify in a post!)
      20
    • Formal
      5
    • Functional
      3


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I think the disconnect may be due to different interpretations of what exactly "computational linguistics" is. I have understood a very narrow definition of comp ling as being specifically and almost solely concerned with NLP, to the point where the terms are almost interchangeable. When you say:

Maybe I should have said something like "computer science as applied to linguistics/linguistics as applied to computer science" -- anything from corpus work to actually building a working model of some aspects of whatever theory you're into. At this point, I would consider my research aim to be semantics, first and foremost. Computers would just help me understand things about it (for example, via automatic semantic role labelers and parsers and whatnot).

That doesn't fit in with what I was talking about. So to clear it up, I'm all for the extensive use of computers to augment research in all fields. I'm not particularly interested in NLP as a specialty (or in fact at all), for the reasons I discussed previously.

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I have now voted for computational linguistics because some of my work will involve a lot of computation as my work will be mathematically oriented since I come from a Physics background. The work at OSU, if I get the funding for which I've been nominated, would be heavily computational.. The funny thing is I've not done much on a computer except plot stuff on MATLAB and some elementary coding. I don't have an inclination for coding but if the work demands it, I'd be willing to do some. The work at NWU won't be so heavily computational but surely will involve computational work as well. If you mean computational linguistics in the sense of say research on how a software could be written to check for plagiarism by string comparison techniques, statistical averaging over the entire plagiarized term paper, etc, that's not something I'd like to do. I would however be interested in the concept of "plagiarizing of an idea" and how one could computationally recognize this. Excuse my ignorance if I do not quite capture the essence of what people normally mean by "computational linguistics".

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I voted for computational psycholinguistics. Computational linguistics isn't "just" engineering; I'm interested in language acquisition, and one way to test a model of language learning is to write a computer program that does exactly what the model does, give it real data, and see if it learns the linguistic structures that we know humans must be able to learn.

As I see it, this is the only real way to test claims towards the ``poverty of the stimulus:'' claims that the speech kids hear doesn't contain very much information about linguistic structure. Real speech might contain a lot of cues that are not useful in isolation but can be useful when integrated by powerful (and psychologically-evident) statistical algorithms. And the only way to see how these things hash out is to actually expose these algorithms to the stuff kids hear and see how well they do.

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As I see it, this is the only real way to test claims towards the ``poverty of the stimulus:'' claims that the speech kids hear doesn't contain very much information about linguistic structure. Real speech might contain a lot of cues that are not useful in isolation but can be useful when integrated by powerful (and psychologically-evident) statistical algorithms. And the only way to see how these things hash out is to actually expose these algorithms to the stuff kids hear and see how well they do.

Is this really what you'd call computational linguistics? I'm very interested in learnability/statistical learning, but I wouldn't consider myself anywhere close to a computational linguist.

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I voted for computational psycholinguistics. Computational linguistics isn't "just" engineering; I'm interested in language acquisition, and one way to test a model of language learning is to write a computer program that does exactly what the model does, give it real data, and see if it learns the linguistic structures that we know humans must be able to learn.

As I see it, this is the only real way to test claims towards the ``poverty of the stimulus:'' claims that the speech kids hear doesn't contain very much information about linguistic structure. Real speech might contain a lot of cues that are not useful in isolation but can be useful when integrated by powerful (and psychologically-evident) statistical algorithms. And the only way to see how these things hash out is to actually expose these algorithms to the stuff kids hear and see how well they do.

Hey I see that you've been accepted to Northwestern too. What's your first preference? I'm seriously considering accepting their offer. I have applied to Edinburgh Informatics too but didn't take out the time to write a detailed research proposal. So technically, my application is incomplete. I had applied to Steve Renals' and Mark Steedman's projects. I didn't bother to complete that application because I think I value the Northwestern offer higher. If you're equally serious about NU, hopefully we'll end up studying together!

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Hey I see that you've been accepted to Northwestern too. What's your first preference? I'm seriously considering accepting their offer. I have applied to Edinburgh Informatics too but didn't take out the time to write a detailed research proposal. So technically, my application is incomplete. I had applied to Steve Renals' and Mark Steedman's projects. I didn't bother to complete that application because I think I value the Northwestern offer higher. If you're equally serious about NU, hopefully we'll end up studying together!

I don't actually know if I have a first preference yet, heh. Hopefully I'll hear back from places by spring break (three weeks from now) and I can have some time to think it over.

were you at the northwestern visit day? We probably met if you were

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  • 3 weeks later...
I chose others, as my field is more towards applied linguistics.

I wrote my MA thesis using conversation analysis and although I'm not quite sure how things will turn out

as to which program I choose to go for my PhD, my concentration will still be pretty much focused on CA and SLA and

interlanguage pragmatics.

Wow, it's nice to be able to talk about this with people who understand what I'm talking about!

I find people asking me what I'm studying when I tell them I'm going to grad school, and then when I do tell them,

they pull these faces..... like they have no IDEA what I'm talking about. :!:

I don't know about other schools, but I can give convincing reasons why UCLA for CA and SLA.

CA: Emmanuel Schegloff (founder of the field CA), John Heritage, Charles Goodwin, Steve Clayman and soon to be Tanya Stivers

SLA: Elinor Ochs, Donna Brinton, Marianne Celce-Murcia, John Schumann

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  • 2 months later...

Hi,

my specialization is Phonetics. I will apply to UCLA and Ohio State for a PhD (for fall 2010). Any other schools someone could recommend? I have been looking around already, but I could always use advice from someone who already knows better.

Thank you! :)

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  • 8 months later...

I voted for computational psycholinguistics. Computational linguistics isn't "just" engineering; I'm interested in language acquisition, and one way to test a model of language learning is to write a computer program that does exactly what the model does, give it real data, and see if it learns the linguistic structures that we know humans must be able to learn.

As I see it, this is the only real way to test claims towards the ``poverty of the stimulus:'' claims that the speech kids hear doesn't contain very much information about linguistic structure. Real speech might contain a lot of cues that are not useful in isolation but can be useful when integrated by powerful (and psychologically-evident) statistical algorithms. And the only way to see how these things hash out is to actually expose these algorithms to the stuff kids hear and see how well they do.

You would probably love some of the work done by my thesis advisor, and some of the people he's worked with (Bannard, Tomasello). I'm into computational psycholinguistics, but as applied to adult language processing and production, so I'm glad to see someone else here. I voted for psycholinguistics itself since computational work isn't necessarily a subfield, just a methodology.

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  • 2 months later...

My intended primary areas of specialization are Second Language Acquisition and Sociolinguistics, with a sub-specialization in Phonetics/Phonology.

All of this in Spanish, since I'm going to be in a Hispanic Linguistics program.

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  • 9 months later...

Hi,

I'm going for my M.A in Applied Linguistics.

I'm hoping my main area of specialization will be Spanish/English bilingualism, with a sub-specialization in contact linguistics and code-switching (Spanglish).

Edited by PrettyVacant
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  • 6 months later...
  • 5 months later...

BA in Linguistics, MA in Comparative Indo-European linguistics (and Cognitive Linguistics as my double major). MA in Slavic languages as well.

I'm mostly into PIE linguistics, with emphasis on Balto-Slavic langugages, however my second love is Egyptology and Afro-Asiatic studies. :)

Applying for historical linguistics! :)

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LinguisticMystic - Who was your POI at UW-Madison. That's where I did my undergrad and wanted so badly to find a way to go back there for the PhD but didn't have anyone to work with. Considered the PhD in ELL through the English department because they have some stellar faculty there (Anja Wanner, Eric Raimy and now Tom Purnell) but I just really wanted to be in a variationist socioling program ... If you get in there and go for a visit it will be hard to leave :-P

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Well, I'm applying to the MA offered through the English dept. & I'm more interested in the program as a whole I suppose. That along with the opportunity to continue studying Wisconsin Englishes. I should mention that I live in Wisconsin & that may have something to do with my applying to this program... It's a bit different from what I'm looking for in the other programs I've applied to. I love Madison though, so I'd be happy living there.

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Much love for sociolinguistics here too. I voted morphology. Mostly because it was when I took my undergrad morphology course that I became absolutely sure that linguistics was the right field for me. I had been pretty sure before, but then I KNEW.

I like non-Indo-European morphology specifically. I want to work with endangered languages.

Edited by Athenrein
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No love for sociolinguistics in this piece? For shame.

Here's some love for sociolinguistics! I applied to the PhD program in McGill University. I have been told that sociolinguistics is not McGill's main focus, but I'm really interested in prof. Boberg's work.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here's some more love for sociolinguistics! I'm quite new to the linguistics scene but I'm really excited about the programs I applied to. I'm also very interested in the syntax and grammar of English.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm applying for PhD Programs in Theoretical Ling, but hoping people will be keen on my interest in Endangered Languages. I love language policy and am hoping to find a place that'll let me explore both areas (ie Georgetown...which hasn't gotten back to me ::sigh: :)

Thank you for your username.

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  • 1 month later...

Hey guys, My interest is in language aquistion from a phonological standpoint for speakers with specific native languages. You can probably tell I am not in graduate school yet because that isn't very clear but basically I am interested in language aquistion, phonetics and phonolgy. I am going to get an MA before I get a phD...anyways I don't know if this name will ring a bell with anyone but my POI as an undergrade is Ettien Koffi. His research isn't super well known but it is kind iof (I think at least) he has also done some cool stuff investigating the samali language

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