Abstract:

Most recent work in ICALL has tended to focus on syntactic structure. Clearly the grammar formalism chosen for such systems is of some importance. However, as this paper argues, little consideration seems to have been paid to such matters beyond the question of computational efficiency. Following previous work, the paper further argues for choosing a formalism that potentially meshes with work in SLA. Of all the main grammar formalisms being developed, GB theory, with its emphasis on Universal Grammar, has had the most impact on SLA research. Recent advances in "principle based" parsing now make possible the integration of such work into ICALL.

Author: Clive Matthews