Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!think!ames!elroy!mahendo!jplgodo!wlbr!scgvaxd!trwrb!aero!venera.isi.edu!smoliar From: smoliar@vaxa.isi.edu (Stephen Smoliar) Newsgroups: comp.ai Subject: Re: Language Learning Message-ID: <4238@venera.isi.edu> Date: Thu, 3-Dec-87 20:45:55 EST Article-I.D.: venera.4238 Posted: Thu Dec 3 20:45:55 1987 Date-Received: Wed, 9-Dec-87 04:22:54 EST References: <386@cogen.UUCP> <1855@cognos.UUCP> Sender: daemon@venera.isi.edu Reply-To: smoliar@vaxa.isi.edu.UUCP (Stephen Smoliar) Organization: Information Sciences Institute Lines: 17 Keywords: phonemes Summary: Fodor strikes again! This account of learning the "beetle" sound reminds me of one of the sillier remarks in Jerry Fodor's THE LANGUAGE OF THOUGHT. While he was discussing the role of visual exemplars in understanding, I would think his remarks are as applicable to audible exemplars: The present point is that the process by which one becomes acquainted with the exemplar is not itself a process of hypothesis formation and testing; it is, rather, the process of opening one's eyes [ears] and looking [listening]. The accounts of both Alen Shaprio and Robert Stanley would indicate that phoneme learning is not just a matter of hearing good exemplars. Attempts by the learner to reproduce the phoneme clearly seem to be an indication of hypothesis formation on the learner's part (hypothesizing how to shape the mouth and control the breath) and testing based on both what the learner hears and how others react to it.