Theorie et Praxis Une optique sur les travaux en TAL sur le discours et le dialogue
Nicholas Asher
Abstract : Discourse parsing is a relatively new field and it differs from parsing in syntax in its pedegree. Parsing and computational models of syntax have the benefit of 50 years of research in generative syntax and reactions to it. Discourse parsing has on the other hand little conceptual help from linguistics or philosophy. Though impressive gains have been registered in discourse parsing with superficial features, theoretical not really come to grips with the theoretical underpinnings of text interpretation, and its interaction especially with lexical semantics, a rather neglected branch of formal semantics. In my talk I will assess the interaction between theoretical linguistics, formal methods, and experimental work on discourse structure and interpretation. Sounding a note of optimism, I will then turn to assessing the situation for the computational analysis of dialogue. I will argue that the view that we are saddled with from Grice and the philosophy of the seventies is inadequate and is great need of revision from work on communication from economics and theoretical computer science