From owner-cse575-fa07-list@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU Mon Sep 17 19:29:08 2007 Received: from ares.cse.buffalo.edu (ares.cse.buffalo.edu [128.205.32.79]) by castor.cse.Buffalo.EDU (8.13.6/8.12.10) with ESMTP id l8HNT8TX000144 for ; Mon, 17 Sep 2007 19:29:08 -0400 (EDT) Received: from front1.acsu.buffalo.edu (coldfront.acsu.buffalo.edu [128.205.6.89]) by ares.cse.buffalo.edu (8.13.8/8.13.6) with SMTP id l8HNT00q008910 for ; Mon, 17 Sep 2007 19:29:00 -0400 (EDT) Received: (qmail 3056 invoked from network); 17 Sep 2007 23:29:00 -0000 Received: from mailscan7.acsu.buffalo.edu (128.205.6.158) by front1.acsu.buffalo.edu with SMTP; 17 Sep 2007 23:29:00 -0000 Received: (qmail 17387 invoked from network); 17 Sep 2007 23:29:00 -0000 Received: from deliverance.acsu.buffalo.edu (128.205.7.57) by front3.acsu.buffalo.edu with SMTP; 17 Sep 2007 23:29:00 -0000 Received: (qmail 17832 invoked from network); 17 Sep 2007 23:28:58 -0000 Received: from listserv.buffalo.edu (128.205.7.35) by deliverance.acsu.buffalo.edu with SMTP; 17 Sep 2007 23:28:58 -0000 Received: by LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (LISTSERV-TCP/IP release 14.5) with spool id 2392604 for CSE575-FA07-LIST@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU; Mon, 17 Sep 2007 19:28:58 -0400 Delivered-To: CSE575-FA07-LIST@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU Received: (qmail 6327 invoked from network); 17 Sep 2007 23:28:47 -0000 Received: from mailscan7.acsu.buffalo.edu (128.205.6.158) by listserv.buffalo.edu with SMTP; 17 Sep 2007 23:28:47 -0000 Received: (qmail 28981 invoked by uid 60001); 17 Sep 2007 23:28:47 -0000 X-Mailer: University at Buffalo WebMail Cyrusoft SilkyMail v1.1.11 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Originating-IP: 128.205.234.190 X-UB-Relay: (internal) X-PM-EL-Spam-Prob: XX: 26% Message-ID: <1190071727.46ef0daf5391e@mail4.buffalo.edu> Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2007 19:28:47 -0400 Reply-To: "Youngjin 'Sung' Kang" Sender: Introduction to Cognitive Science From: "Youngjin 'Sung' Kang" Subject: Not mere chance, but chance of success To: CSE575-FA07-LIST@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU Precedence: list List-Help: , List-Unsubscribe: List-Subscribe: List-Owner: List-Archive: X-UB-Relay: (deliverance.acsu.buffalo.edu) X-PM-EL-Spam-Prob: XX: 26% X-DCC-Buffalo.EDU-Metrics: castor.cse.Buffalo.EDU 1336; Body=0 Fuz1=0 Fuz2=0 X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.4 required=5.0 tests=AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.1.8 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.1.8 (2007-02-13) on ares.cse.buffalo.edu X-Virus-Scanned: ClamAV 0.90.2/4312/Mon Sep 17 14:03:23 2007 on ares.cse.buffalo.edu X-Virus-Status: Clean Status: RO Content-Length: 3432 Reading Chomsky(Chap. 28) and Putnam(Chap. 29) debate, I just look back myself who are still struggling to learn the language. Since I started it, more than 20 years has been passed. But how can I tell my English is competitive enough to survive without any disadvantage in every case in this country? Being stuck with unbreakable wall and suffering with every situation where I feel so inferior, I am gradually sharing similar academical interest with Chomsky and Putnam. "What the hell learning language is??!!" Maybe many Koreans, especially Asians, even many foreigners may have unforgettable experiences and memories of learning languages (this case, certainly English). It always bring with situation where it is so embarrassing and discouraging. Conversation stops, odd facial expression appear on listener, mis-communication start, speaking stammers and there comes is strategical withdrawal "Okay, just stop. That's enough". By the way, here we can find good point. It may support Putnam's point. Yes, that is 'learning'. But let me point out one thing about the learning. That is something looking like learning, but it is not actually learning. That is so-called the chance of 'mistake' and 'failure'. Some may think learning language can possibly involve heuristic method and it can help learn language through a lot of mistakes. But in reality, that never can help. Rather that gives devastating effect on improving and causes fundamental confusion of ongoing cognitive process of 'language learning'. The reason 'why' can be expressed rather interestingly in opposite case. That is case of 'communicational success'. If communicational success occurs, the situation, the context and the languaged used are directly leaded to memories and if this success subsequently continues, memory accumulation can be possible. This accumulated comprehensive knowledge is exactly 'the language learned'. This accumulation is only possible in 'success case', never in 'failure case'. Let's turn our attention to the debate of language acquisition concerning between 'innate' and 'learning'. Just think again what I have told above and applied it to the case of small baby. If mother or anybody around the baby just scold and yell to the baby everytime this baby make mistake with his/her talking. This baby never acquire language skill and may become virtually mute. So, does language acquisition solely depends on innate 'universal languages'? The point is that in most case every baby in this society continues his or her 'communicational success' with language of the simpler to the more difficult almost infinitely step by step for more then 10 years under much gratification and encouragement of their family, especially of the mother. In our life this is best chance and only chance where we can have best situation of learning language. I must need claps and cheers by crowd whenever I speak English, otherwise I had better put my expectation down much lower. Youngjin 'Sung' Kang Cultural Anthropology yjkang@buffalo.edu 716-310-9692 Academic Interrest : Psycholocial, mental cognitive aspect of culture, symbol, perception, representation. visual image, films, memories, reflection, projection. comparartive analysis of cultures. Buddhism culture. life cycle, various concepts of life and death etc.. From owner-cse575-fa07-list@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU Tue Sep 18 08:56:20 2007 Received: from ares.cse.buffalo.edu (ares.cse.buffalo.edu [128.205.32.79]) by castor.cse.Buffalo.EDU (8.13.6/8.12.10) with ESMTP id l8ICuKbl020722 for ; Tue, 18 Sep 2007 08:56:20 -0400 (EDT) Received: from front1.acsu.buffalo.edu (coldfront.acsu.buffalo.edu [128.205.6.89]) by ares.cse.buffalo.edu (8.13.8/8.13.6) with SMTP id l8ICuAG1084308 for ; Tue, 18 Sep 2007 08:56:10 -0400 (EDT) Received: (qmail 27683 invoked from network); 18 Sep 2007 12:56:10 -0000 Received: from mailscan8.acsu.buffalo.edu (128.205.7.55) by front1.acsu.buffalo.edu with SMTP; 18 Sep 2007 12:56:10 -0000 Received: (qmail 27616 invoked from network); 18 Sep 2007 12:56:09 -0000 Received: from deliverance.acsu.buffalo.edu (128.205.7.57) by front1.acsu.buffalo.edu with SMTP; 18 Sep 2007 12:56:09 -0000 Received: (qmail 23684 invoked from network); 18 Sep 2007 12:56:08 -0000 Received: from listserv.buffalo.edu (128.205.7.35) by deliverance.acsu.buffalo.edu with SMTP; 18 Sep 2007 12:56:08 -0000 Received: by LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (LISTSERV-TCP/IP release 14.5) with spool id 2410399 for CSE575-FA07-LIST@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU; Tue, 18 Sep 2007 08:56:07 -0400 Delivered-To: CSE575-FA07-LIST@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU Received: (qmail 9399 invoked from network); 18 Sep 2007 12:56:07 -0000 Received: from mailscan7.acsu.buffalo.edu (128.205.6.158) by listserv.buffalo.edu with SMTP; 18 Sep 2007 12:56:07 -0000 Received: (qmail 5363 invoked from network); 18 Sep 2007 12:56:03 -0000 Received: from castor.cse.buffalo.edu (128.205.32.14) by smtp3.acsu.buffalo.edu with SMTP; 18 Sep 2007 12:56:03 -0000 Received: from castor.cse.Buffalo.EDU (rapaport@localhost [127.0.0.1]) by castor.cse.Buffalo.EDU (8.13.6/8.12.10) with ESMTP id l8ICu3ms020700 for ; Tue, 18 Sep 2007 08:56:03 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from rapaport@localhost) by castor.cse.Buffalo.EDU (8.13.6/8.12.9/Submit) id l8ICu3Ga020699 for CSE575-FA07-LIST@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU; Tue, 18 Sep 2007 08:56:03 -0400 (EDT) X-UB-Relay: (castor.cse.buffalo.edu) X-PM-EL-Spam-Prob: : 7% Message-ID: <200709181256.l8ICu3Ga020699@castor.cse.Buffalo.EDU> Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2007 08:56:03 -0400 Reply-To: "William J. Rapaport" Sender: Introduction to Cognitive Science From: "William J. Rapaport" Subject: Re: Not mere chance, but chance of success To: CSE575-FA07-LIST@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU Precedence: list List-Help: , List-Unsubscribe: List-Subscribe: List-Owner: List-Archive: X-UB-Relay: (castor.cse.buffalo.edu) X-PM-EL-Spam-Prob: : 7% X-DCC-Buffalo.EDU-Metrics: castor.cse.Buffalo.EDU 1336; Body=0 Fuz1=0 Fuz2=0 X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.5 required=5.0 tests=AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.1.8 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.1.8 (2007-02-13) on ares.cse.buffalo.edu X-Virus-Scanned: ClamAV 0.90.2/4320/Tue Sep 18 06:49:28 2007 on ares.cse.buffalo.edu X-Virus-Status: Clean Status: R Content-Length: 2013 | Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2007 19:28:47 -0400 | From: "Youngjin 'Sung' Kang" | Subject: Not mere chance, but chance of success | To: CSE575-FA07-LIST@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU | | Reading Chomsky(Chap. 28) and Putnam(Chap. 29) debate, I just look | back myself who are still struggling to learn the language. Keep in mind that your learning English as a second language is not the same thing that Chomsky and Putnam are debating, which is how infants learn their *first* language. I hope to discuss much of this later in class, but, briefly now: Chomsky claims that initial language learning requires a language-learning module, which he calls the Language Acquisition Device (LAD), specialized for learning (initial) language. This device is, presumably, not used for any other task and ceases to operate around puberty (after which time, learning any language, but especially a first language, is difficult). Putnam claims that initial (and, presumably, second) language learning does not require the LAD, but instead depends on general learning mechanisms. | But let me point out one thing about | the learning. That is something looking like learning, but it is not | actually learning. That is so-called the chance of 'mistake' | and 'failure'. There are some technical results that discuss the relative merits of learning in the face of positive evidence only vs. both positive and negative evidence (negative in the sense of "corrections"). In any case, the (anecdotal?) evidence suggests that real, initial language learning does *not* have a significant amount of negative evidence (children are rarely "corrected" when they err, and, when they are corrected, they usually ignore the correction). Note, by the way, that what Chomsky calls the "primary linguistic data", i.e., what the child hears, often includes what a prescriptive grammarian would call "incorrect" uses of language. Yet the child learns anyway. (Perhaps this is one source of language *change*!)