Language and Computers

Ling 3802/3802H, Spring '15
WeFr 12:45–2:05, Jennings 50
Instructor: Michael White
http://u.osu.edu/mwhite/

Description

In the past decades, the widening use of computers has had a profound influence on the way ordinary people communicate, search and store information. For the overwhelming majority of people and situations, the natural vehicle for such information is natural language. Text and to a lesser extent speech are crucial encoding formats for the information revolution.

In this course, you will be given insight into the fundamentals of how computers are used to represent, process and organize textual and spoken information. We will cover the theory and practice of human language technology, going behind the scenes of internet search engines, spam filters, spell and grammar checkers, dialogue systems, automatic translators and more. We will also consider social and ethical considerations such as privacy, job creation and loss due to language technologies, and the nature of consciousness and machine intelligence.

General Education Goals and Expected Learning Outcomes

The course satisfies the GE category Quantitative Reasoning, Mathematical or Logical Analysis. The goals of this category are for students to develop skills in quantitative literacy and logical reasoning, including the ability to identify valid arguments, and use mathematical models. The expected learning outcomes are for students to comprehend mathematical concepts and methods adequate to construct valid arguments, understand inductive and deductive reasoning, and increase their general problem solving skills.

The course satisfies the goals and learning outcomes by using natural language systems to motivate students to exercise and develop a range of basic skills in formal and computational analysis. The course philosophy is to ground abstract concepts in real world examples. We introduce strings, regular expressions, finite-state and context-free grammars, as well as probabilistic algorithms defined over these structures and techniques for probing and evaluating systems that rely on these algorithms. The course goes beyond merely subjective evaluation of systems, emphasizing analysis and reasoning to draw and argue for valid conclusions about the design, capabilities and behavior of natural language systems.

Carmen

We'll be using the Carmen system for the schedule, homework and reading assignments. There will also be discussion forums for posting questions and providing feedback (comments, complaints or ideas) during the course, anonymously if desired.

Note that email from Carmen is sent to your official email address (Name.Number@osu.edu). You should read email sent to your official osu account on a daily basis.

Readings

The textbook is also entitled (not coincidentally!) Language and Computers, by Markus Dickinson, Chris Brew and Detmar Meurers. Online quizzes will assess your understanding of the readings prior to the classes covering the material. Classes will be dedicated to in-class activities that explore selected topics in greater depth as well as topics not covered by the textbook.

Materials for in-class activities for each unit will be posted on Carmen, as will the slides presented in class. These slides are meant to aid classroom discussion and cannot replace actually being in class. Other readings may also be assigned periodically.

Requirements

The basic requirement is regular attendance in class and active participation. There will be one to two quizzes and (roughly) one homework assignment per textbook chapter, which will give you the opportunity to explore new aspects of the topics discussed in class. There will also be an essay on social/ethical considerations involving language technology. The midterm will be on the material covered in the first half of the class; the final will be on the material covered in the second half of the class, assuming the material from the first half as background knowledge.

3802H: For honors credit, the final two-part homework will constitute a group project on the topic of machine translation.

Grading

Grades will be assigned according to the following scheme:

Grades will be assigned using the standard OSU scale.

Make-up Policy

If you know you won't be able to make a deadline or exam, please see me before you miss the deadline or exam. If you miss the midterm or final, you will have to provide extensive written documentation for your excuse.

Class etiquette

I expect you to respect one another, to respect me, and to respect yourself. To that end, I expect you to obey the following rules:

Policy on Academic Misconduct

As with any class at this university, students are required to follow the Ohio State Code of Student Conduct. In particular, note that students are not allowed to, among other things, submit plagiarized (copied but unacknowledged) work for credit. If any violation occurs, I am required to report the violation to the Council on Academic Misconduct. See the Committee on Academic Misconduct's Frequently Asked Questions.

Students with Disabilities

Students who need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me to arrange an appointment as soon as possible to discuss the course format, to anticipate needs, and to explore potential accommodations. I rely on the Office of Disability Services for assistance in verifying the need for accommodations and developing accommodation strategies. Students who have not previously contacted the Office for Disability Services are encouraged to do so (292-3307; http://www.ods.ohio-state.edu).

Disclaimer

This syllabus is subject to change. All important changes will be made in writing (email), with ample time for adjustment.