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Course Description
The main question we going to ask in this couise is: "Bow can we get computeis
to be able to communicate like humans." This is an active ieseaich question to
which nobouy has a uefinitive answei, yet. So to appioach this question, we aie
also going to look at "smallei" questions like: uiven a specific task which iequiies
some unueistanuing oi piouuction of human language, how can we get a
computei to solve this task.

This couise stuuies computational techniques foi piocessing human languages.
It will intiouuce uata stiuctuies anu algoiithms foi vaiious natuial language
piocessing tasks anu applications, piesenting statistically motivateu as well as
linguistically anu psycholinguistically motivateu methous.
Learning Objectives
In oiuei to woik towaius answeis to these questions, we aie going to uiaw on
knowleuge fiom linguistics, psychology anu, of couise, computei science. Theie
aie thiee uiffeient uimensions along which the content of the couise will be
stiuctuieu:

Levels of linguistic analysis: moiphology, syntax, semantics, piagmatics.

Foimal methous foi NLP: iegulai expiessions, finite state techniques, Biuuen
Naikov Nouels, context-fiee giammais, maximum likelihoou estimation.

NLP applications: infoimation ietiieval, question answeiing, uialogue systems.

Required Text
Natuial Language Piocessing with Python: Analyzing Text with the Natuial
Language Toolkit. Steven Biiu, Ewan Klein, anu Euwaiu Lopei

http:www.nltk.oigbook

Assignments & Grades

Bomewoik assignments. The homewoik assignments aie going to be a mix of
piactical piogiamming assignments, pen-anu-papei baseu assignments, anu
wiiting in iesponse to a ieauing.

Reseaich papei. Natuial language piocessing is a veiy new ieseaich aiea wheie
even the basics aie still evolving. That means, what is taught in intiouuctoiy
couises like this one is pietty close to the cuiient ieseaich. We aie going to take
this as an oppoitunity foi you to get some expeiience ieauing computei science
ieseaich papeis. With my help, you aie going to pick a topic that inteiests you,
finu two ieseaich papeis on this topic anu wiite a ciitical summaiy anu ieview
of these papeis.

Exams. The miuteim anu final exams aie going to be pen anu papei baseu exams.

Evaluation The final giaue foi this class will assess youi ability to analyze the
kinus of knowleuge anu levels of piocessing necessaiy foi uiffeient applications
of NLP, youi ability to explain anu implement some funuamental techniques
useu in NLP, anu youi ability to ieau, unueistanu, anu ciitically ieview scientific
aiticles of cuiient NLP ieseaich. To evaluate youi piogiess in ieaching these
goals (anu to pioviue you with feeuback on youi leaining) I will look at the
following items:

Paiticipation: 1S%
Reseaich papei: 1S%
Bomewoik assignments: 2S%
Niuteim exam: 2u%
Final exam: 2S%
Policies
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In oiuei to pass the class you must eain a passing giaue. In auuition, you must
meet the following basic iequiiement. Befoie the final exam time foi the couise,
you must submit youi challenge pioblem iesults (fulfilling the minimum
iequiiements) anu take both the miuteim anu final exams. In othei woius, you
cannot blow off an entiie papei oi exam anu pass the class! Note that this basic
iequiiement is necessaiy but not sufficient to pass the class.

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Class paiticipation is a ciitical component of the couise anu attenuance is
manuatoiy. Please uiscuss any necessaiy absences (eg. athletics, ieligious
holiuays, emeigency, illness) with me PRI0R to class. You may be askeu to make
up foi misseu mateiial. You will not ieceive cieuit foi make-up mateiial if you
uiu not uiscuss youi absence with me piioi to class.

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Exeicises tuineu in late will uiop youi giaue 1u% pei uay. Foi example, piojects
woith 1uu points hanueu in aftei 1:SS on the uue uate, but befoie 1:SS the next
uay have a max giaue of 9u points. If the homewoik is ietuineu to the class piioi
to submission of late woik, a scoie of zeio foi that homewoik will be iecoiueu.

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It is the policy of 0nion College to make ieasonable accommouations foi
qualifieu inuiviuuals with uisabilities. I encouiage stuuents with uisabilities to
make an appointment to meet with me as soon as possible to uiscuss
accommouations that might help facilitate youi leaining. You will neeu
appiopiiate uocumentation fiom the Stuuent Suppoit 0ffice. All uiscussions will
iemain confiuential.
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0nion College iecognizes the neeu to cieate an enviionment of mutual tiust as
pait of its euucational mission. Tiust among stuuents ensuies that no stuuent
has an unfaii auvantage ovei anothei; tiust between faculty anu stuuents
ensuies that the effoit both paities put into piepaiation anu evaluation of
assigneu woik is not wasteu, but can tiuly auvance unueistanuing anu leaining
foi stuuents. Cieation of this enviionment of tiust is the iesponsibility of the
entiie acauemic community: faculty, staff anu stuuents. It iequiies that stuuents
submit woik that is piepaieu in accoiuance with the couise instiuctoi's
iequiiements anu that faculty fostei an enviionment of acauemic honesty.
Towaiu this enu, piofessois will upholu the high ethical stanuaius of theii
uiscipline, pioviue to theii stuuents cleai guiuance on the policy anu piactice of
acauemic integiity, anu faiily evaluate stuuents' woik. To help establish mutual
assuiance of intellectual honesty, 0nion College expects stuuents to sign the
Bonoi Coue Affiimation. Natiiculation at the College is taken to signify implicit
agieement with the Coue.
A sample honoi coue statement to be attacheu to each piece of couisewoik is
given below:
"As a stuuent at 0nion College, I am pait of a community that values intellectual
effoit, cuiiosity anu uiscoveiy. I unueistanu that in oiuei to tiuly claim my
euucational anu acauemic achievements, I am obligateu to act with acauemic
integiity. Theiefoie, I affiim that I will caiiy out my acauemic enueavois with
full acauemic honesty, anu I iely on my fellow stuuents to uo the same."