Abstract
Recent iterated language learning studies have shown that artificial languages evolve over the generations towards regularity. This trend has been explained as a reflection of the learners’ biases. We test whether this learning bias for regularity is affected by culturally acquired knowledge, specifically by familiarity and literacy. The results of non-iterated learning experiments with miniature artificial musical and spoken languages suggest that familiarity helps us learn and reproduce the signals of a language, but literacy is required for regularities to be faithfully replicated. This in turn indicates that, by modifying human learning biases, literacy may play a role in the evolution of linguistic structure.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Title of host publication | The Evolution of Language: Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on the Evolution of Language |
Editors | Andrew D. M. Smith, Marieke Schouwstra, Bart de Boer, Kenny Smith |
Publisher | World Scientific Publishing |
Pages | 313-320 |
Number of pages | 8 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 978-981-4465-68-7 |
ISBN (Print) | 9814295213, 978-9814295215 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2010 |
Event | 8th International Conference on the Evolution of Language - Utrecht, Netherlands Duration: 14 Apr 2010 → 17 Apr 2010 |
Conference
Conference | 8th International Conference on the Evolution of Language |
---|---|
Abbreviated title | EvoLang 8 |
Country/Territory | Netherlands |
City | Utrecht |
Period | 14/04/10 → 17/04/10 |
Keywords
- Literacy
- language evolution
- compositionality
- musical literacy