Performance and competence intertwined: A computational model of the Null Subject stage in English-speaking children
This work addresses a specific linguistic acquisition problem for developmental linguists, but it is incremental as it builds on existing hypotheses with computational validation.
The study tackled the problem of why English-speaking children frequently omit subjects until age 4 by proposing a computational model to measure misinterpretation between imperative and declarative utterances, supporting the hypothesis that performance influences promote a temporary null subject grammar.
The empirically established null subject (NS) stage, lasting until about 4 years of age, involves frequent omission of subjects by children. Orfitelli and Hyams (2012) observe that young English speakers often confuse imperative NS utterances with declarative ones due to performance influences, promoting a temporary null subject grammar. We propose a new computational parameter to measure this misinterpretation and incorporate it into a simulated model of obligatory subject grammar learning. Using a modified version of the Variational Learner (Yang, 2012) which works for superset-subset languages, our simulations support Orfitelli and Hyams' hypothesis. More generally, this study outlines a framework for integrating computational models in the study of grammatical acquisition alongside other key developmental factors.