In this paper, we translate sentence generation from TAG grammars with semantic and pragmatic information into a planning problem by encoding the contribution of each word declaratively and explicitly. This allows us to tap into the recent performance improvements in off-the-shelf planners. It also opens up new perspectives on referring expression generation and the relationship between languag...

The present investigation sought to comparatively explore the effect of length of residence (LOR) as well as EFL instruction on the pragmatic competence of Iranian learners. The participants were 45 EFL learners in Iran and 45 learners in Canada selected based on snowball sampling and each group was divided into three sub-groups based on the years of learning English in an EFL or a natural sett...

Collaborative communities are increasingly supported by systems of information and communication tools. Much current research and development focuses on the technical and semantic aspects of tool system interoperability. However, for developing effective tool systems, their pragmatic evaluation is also essential. This implies that the usage context of tools is taken into account. In this paper,...

This chapter focuses on the amount of pragmatics practice needed for promoting accurate and speedy recognition and production of requestmaking forms in L2 Chinese. Over four consecutive days, an input group (n=17) and an output group (n=17) practiced using target request-making forms via computerized input-based and output-based practice activities, respectively. Meanwhile, a control group (n=1...

Collaborative communities are increasingly supported by systems of information and communication tools. Much current research and development focuses on the technical and semantic aspects of tool system interoperability. However, for developing effective tool systems, their pragmatic evaluation is also essential. This implies that the usage context of tools is taken into account. In this paper,...

Graph-based notations form a significant subclass of visual languages. Studies of the use of such notations in practice have shown that users often employ pragmatic aspects, such as layout, to capture important domain information. Moreover this pragmatic information can support and guide reasoning over such representations. However, typical formalisations of graph-based notations often pay scan...

This paper explores preschooler’s knowledge of the linguistic principles (syntactic, semantic and pragmatic) regulating the interaction between universally quantified noun phrases and negation. Previous work has shown that 5-year-olds differ systematically from adults in the way they interpret sentences containing these elements (Musolino, 1998; Musolino, Crain and Thornton, 2000). On the basis...

The paper focuses on the interrelation of language use with linguistic structure and underlying conceptual structure. We proceed from the assumption that new meaning development involves both cognitive and pragmatic issues. We explore the cognitive basis of semantic innovations and the way the individual sense alterations that arise from deviations in the words use are developing into a new mea...

A multi-stakeholder symposium at the third annual Canadian Therapeutics Congress (May 2006) discussed the nature of pragmatic studies, and helped to further define their role in the drug regulatory system, formulary access decisions and in clinical practice. The symposium panel appeared to have agreed that pragmatic studies were beneficial, but revealed differences in how, when and where they s...