Admission requirements
None.
Description
This course offers an inspiring overview of Computational Linguistics. This subfield of Linguistics aims to understand and test hypotheses about language with the help of computational methods, or to critically develop and test such methods. These methods include computational models of language, cognition or language evolution, large-scale corpus research, machine translation, language models, and artificial intelligence.
Computational methods are employed in any subfield of Linguistics. This makes Computational Linguistics as diverse as Linguistics itself. In this course, multiple (guest) lectures will take turns to introduce the students to their respective expertise, methods and ongoing research. This will give students a bird’s-eye overview of, and hands-on experience with, the various topics covered in more detail in the BA track Computational Linguistics.
Course objectives
You will be able to list, explain and reflect on the main ways in which computational methods, such as language technology, corpora and artificial intelligence, are used for Linguistic research.
You will be able to analyse the fascinating historical and contemporary relations between Linguistics and computer science.
You will be able to understand overview articles and non-specialist research articles from the different subfields of Computational Linguistics, and answer written essay questions about their main goals, methods and connections.
You will have gained initial hands-on familiarity with several computational tools used for Linguistic research, such as SketchEngine and various (pre-existing) Python notebooks.
You will be able to list and summarise the courses of the BA track in Computational Linguistics in Leiden.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Lecture
Tutoring
Assessment method
Assessment
There will be two written exams, one mid-term and one at the end, with a mix of closed questions, short open questions and short essay questions.
Weighing
Your final grade will be your average grade for the two exams (50%, 50%).
Resit
A resit will be offered only once, for both exams together, in the form of a written exam, replacing the original grades entirely.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organised.
Reading list
A syllabus, exercises, and (URLs to) book chapters, Python notebooks and scientific papers will be shared through Brightspace.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Reuvensplaats .
Remarks
No further remarks.