Selected Topics in Semantics and Discourse
(WS 2015/16)
Seminar / Hauptseminar
Lecturer: Manfred Pinkal
Place: C7 2, Konferenzraum 2.11
Time: Tue 10-12 and Wed 16-18
First meeting: 21/10/15 4:00 p.m.
End of seminar: Wed 09/12/15
Appropriate for: M.Sc. and advanced B.Sc. students
Overview
We will discuss topics in computational semantics and the semantics-discourse interface. Focus will be on recent approaches that combine and integrate machine learning and logic-based methods plus appropriate background reading. The program will be specified according to preferences and prerequisites of the participants.
Requirements
Participation: You are expected to be physically present throughout the seminar and take part in the discussion.
Reading: For each class, you are required to read one or two papers (see Schedule). For each paper, please send me two questions that you want to be answered/ discussed in class (on the day preceding the class, before midnight).
You may miss (maximally) one class without formal consequences. Please, send me an e-mail message in this case (just saying that you will not take part, no explanation necessary). In case you cannot make it a second or third time, you have to write and submit a (minimum one page) summary of the the papers to be read (per paper).
Presentation: An oral presentation of 20-25 minutes, typically based on a core paper and maybe some complementary reading. Please, contact me (1) when you have been assigned a topic/paper and want to start working on it; (2) when you have a pre-final draft version of the paper. After your presentation, I will provide feedback to you. The final version of your slides will be posted on the course pages.
Term Paper: All BSc students, as well as MSc student who choose the 7CP version have to write a term paper (deadlines see below). The topic of the paper need not be identical or overlap with the topic of your oral presentation.
Oral Exam: If you decide to take an oral exam, we will together select 2 topics, which are disjoint from the topics of your presentation (and term paper). The exam will take 15-20 minutes.
Formalities
| Degree | Credit Points / Leistungspunkte |
| M.Sc. | 4 (Talk only), 7 (Talk + Paper)
|
| B.Sc. | 7 (Talk + Paper)
Hauptseminar |
Subscription to mailing list via:
http://ml.coli.uni-saarland.de/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/comsem
Office Hour: Monday, 3:30-4:30 p.m. (Room 3.19, C7 4)
Deadlines:
Exam registration: 24/11/15
Draft version of seminar paper: 15/01/16
Final version of seminar paper: 01/03/16