Syllabus

1. Introduction
2. Characteristics of natural language
3. Tools and Techniques
4. Applications

Rationale for Course Design
I would like this course to be more like a seminar than lecture/lab/discussion. That means that each of you should plan to be an active participant in discussions, experiments, demonstrations, games, and whatever else we come up with to explore the world of NLP. The course does not require any linguistic background, but does require you to become active observers of language and language use. We will examine more than just the technology of NLP -- we will also look at the context in which the technology is used and its effects on human information use.

We will start out by studying basic components of language. After that, we will look at some of the basic techniques used for various processing tasks. Finally, we will look at a variety of applications and research projects that use NLP technologies. The assignments have several objectives: to help you examine the structure and complexity of language, to give you an opportunity to play with NLP tools, to study the state of the art of NLP, and to explore at least one topic in some depth.

I have been fascinated with words, language, and what people do with language for many years. Applications of technology to language is equally enthralling. I look forward to the opportunity to share my interests with you!

Course Objectives

1. Gain an appreciation of the wonderful complexity of natural language.
2. Describe some basic processes and representations used in syntax, semantics, discourse, and other components of natural language processing.
3. Survey major applications of natural language processing. Important aspects of each application include the goals of the task, the materials and methods used, the state of the art, and how to evaluate progress in the field.
4. Explore resources for natural language processing.
5. Provide an opportunity for individual investigations in chosen topics.

1. I will always be prepared for class, and will start class on time. If unforeseeable circumstances prevent this for any reason, I will try to notify you beforehand if at all possible. I expect the same of my students: be prepared for class, be ready to start class on time, and try to let me know if you can't be there.

2. Reading assignments should be done before the class for which they are assigned so you can ask questions and participate in discussions.

3. Assignments must be passed in at the beginning of the class in which they are due.

4. If there is something you don't understand, ask a question! If you don't want to ask during class, please come see me at some other time.

5. The Honor Code, which prohibits giving or receiving unauthorized aid in the completion of assignments, is in effect in this class. The Instrument of Student Judicial Governance gives examples of actions that constitute academic dishonesty. There are some specific guidelines for this class.
   • You may give and receive assistance regarding the use of hardware and software.
   • I encourage you to discuss issues raised in class or by the readings with each other. You may also ask your classmates for clarification of class notes.
   • Individual home work assignments are to be done individually. You may consult the course readings, your notes, and even other print or web sources. (Keep in mind, however, that what you find in other sources may not be consistent with what I want you to do.) You may not consult your classmates or other people; all questions should be addressed to me.
6. You are not required to bring your laptop computer to class every day, however, there will be some exercises where it will be useful. I'll give you advance notice of these.

Grading

Newspaper article analysis, 10%
Tool I, 12.5%
Tool II, 5%, optional
Research Summary, 15%
Project Presentation, 10%
Project Paper, 37.5% or 42.5%, depending on Tool II choice
Participation, 10%

All assignments will be graded on the following scale (graduate/undergraduate):

• 95 - 100% H / A
• 90 - 94% P+ / A-
• 85 - 89% P / B+, B, B-
• 80 - 84% P- / C+, C
• 70 - 79% L / C-, D
• 69% and below F