Language Learning, Language Use, and The Evolution of Linguistic Structure

Explore the complex interplay between language learning, use, and evolution in this Santa Fe Institute colloquium talk. Delve into experimental studies using artificial language learning, dyadic interaction, and iterated learning paradigms to understand how linguistic structure emerges. Examine the relationship between individual learning biases, communicative functions, and population-level transmission in shaping language. Investigate the potential universality of systematic structure in cultural transmission through a comparative study with non-human primates. Gain insights into topics such as compositional structure, miniature language learning, language types, and learner biases. Discover how simulations and experiments contribute to our understanding of language evolution and the emergence of linguistic features.

Introduction
Openended Communication
Compositional Structure
Miniature Language Learning
Initial Languages
Degenerate Languages
Initial Language
Compositional Language
Language Types
Simulation
Prior Probability
Simulating Experiment 1
Simulating Experiment 2
Experiment 2 Results
Experiment 2 Simulation
Results
Holistic Language
Learner Bias
Simplicity
Structure