PhD defence

Emergence of Linguistic Universals in Neural Agents via Artificial Language Learning and Communication

• Y. Lian

Date

Friday 12 December 2025

Time

11:30 - 12:30 hour

Address

Academy Building
Rapenburg 73
2311 GJ Leiden

Supervisor(s)

• Prof.dr. A. Plaat
• dr. T. Verhoef
• dr. A. Bisazza

Summary

Human language is constantly evolving with its linguistic structure being shaped by language users at both individual and population levels. Focusing on the interplay between processes of language acquisition and communicative need in shaping human languages, this thesis introduces a novel computational framework for simulating language emergence: NeLLCom (Neural-agent Language Learning and Communication). Unlike most recent emergent communication models, our agents are first trained on a pre-defined artificial language, matching methods used in experiments with human participants. Specifically, NeLLCom agents first learn these artificial languages individually through supervised learning, and then interact in pairs or groups through interactive language games, where they dynamically learn from these interactions through reinforcement learning.

In this thesis, we focused on two widely attested language phenomena: (i) the trade-off between word order flexibility and case marking, and (ii) differential case marking. In both cases, we strictly followed the artificial language design as previously studied in human experiments. Our results show that neural agents can successfully replicate both phenomena. Moreover, our new framework allows to extend prior results with humans to a larger scale, and we were able to show that a word-order/case-marking trade-off also emerges at the group level. This framework can be used for conducting controlled experiments, complementing experimental research with humans on language evolution, to facilitate exploring the end goal of explaining why human languages look the way they do.

PhD dissertations

Approximately one week after the defence, PhD dissertations by Leiden PhD students are available digitally through the Leiden Repository, that offers free access to these PhD dissertations. Please note that in some cases a dissertation may be under embargo temporarily and access to its full-text version will only be granted later.

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