The Alignment between Language Properties and Computational Algorithms Enhances Statistical Word Segmentation: Evidence from Korean Child-Directed Speech.

IF 2.1 2区文学 Q1 LINGUISTICS

Journal of Child Language Pub Date : 2026-04-29 DOI:10.1017/s0305000926100646

Jun Ho Chai,Seongmin Mun,Eon-Suk Ko

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Abstract

This study investigates whether child-directed speech (CDS) exhibits enhanced segmentability compared to adult-directed speech (ADS) and explores how specific linguistic properties of each register influence computational word segmentation performance in Korean. Employing a speaker-matched corpus of naturalistic Korean CDS and ADS, we observed that Korean CDS features shorter utterances and words, lower lexical diversity, fewer hapax legomena and interjections, a greater proportion of onomatopoeia and word play, a higher frequency of one-word utterances, and lower lexical ambiguity than ADS. Computational algorithms revealed significantly higher word segmentation F-scores for CDS than ADS, suggesting that child-oriented linguistic adaptations in CDS facilitate segmentation. This observation is further supported by statistical modelling, which indicates that the enhanced segmentability in CDS is modulated by the linguistic properties of the register. We discuss the nuanced roles of these properties in shaping the performance of segmentation algorithms.

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语言属性和计算算法之间的一致性增强了统计分词：来自韩语儿童导向语音的证据。

本研究探讨了儿童定向语音（CDS）是否比成人定向语音（ADS）表现出更强的分词能力，并探讨了每个语域的特定语言特性如何影响韩语的计算分词性能。使用与说话人匹配的自然主义韩语cd和ADS语料库，我们观察到韩语cd的特点是话语和单词较短，词汇多样性较低，偶合现象和感叹词较少，拟声词和文字游戏的比例较大，单词话语的频率较高，词汇歧义度较低。计算算法显示，CDS的分词f分明显高于ADS。这表明CDS中以儿童为导向的语言适应促进了分词。统计模型进一步支持了这一观察结果，该模型表明，CDS中增强的可分性受到语域的语言特性的调节。我们讨论了这些属性在塑造分割算法性能方面的微妙作用。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Child Language Multiple-

CiteScore

4.70

自引率

4.50%

发文量

142

期刊介绍： A key publication in the field, Journal of Child Language publishes articles on all aspects of the scientific study of language behaviour in children, the principles which underlie it, and the theories which may account for it. The international range of authors and breadth of coverage allow the journal to forge links between many different areas of research including psychology, linguistics, cognitive science and anthropology. This interdisciplinary approach spans a wide range of interests: phonology, phonetics, morphology, syntax, vocabulary, semantics, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, or any other recognised facet of language study.