Define Computational Linguistics-01887

The branch of linguistics in which the techniques of computer science are applied to the analysis and synthesis of language and speech.

There has been a dream of human science fiction in recent years that computer could use language like humans. At present scientists have developed programs that can understand and learn aspects of human language both written and spoken. Varying degrees of translating between languages is possible. Computational linguistics seeks to develop the computational machinery needed for an agent to exhibit various forms of linguistic behaviour. Agent means human being and artificial agents such as computer program. Machinery mean computer programs as well as linguistics knowledge that they contain. Computers have no intelligence. Their linguistic capabilities derive from programs that are written for them. Computational understanding of language also provides insight into thinking and intelligence.

The connection between these two fields is hardly accidental. Language involves complex symbols system and computers are very fast mechanical symbol-processor. Computational linguistics draws upon the involvement of linguists, computer scientists, and experts in artificial intelligence, mathematicians, logicians, philosophers, cognitive scientists, cognitive psychologists, psycholinguists, anthropologists and neuroscientists, among others. 'Human knowledge is expressed in language. So, computational linguistics is very important.' (Mark Steedman)