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Communicating with Speakers and Listeners of Different Pragmatic Levels

Kata Naszadi, Frans A. Oliehoek, Christof Monz

Abstract

This paper explores the impact of variable pragmatic competence on communicative success through simulating language learning and conversing between speakers and listeners with different levels of reasoning abilities. Through studying this interaction, we hypothesize that matching levels of reasoning between communication partners would create a more beneficial environment for communicative success and language learning. Our research findings indicate that learning from more explicit, literal language is advantageous, irrespective of the learner's level of pragmatic competence. Furthermore, we find that integrating pragmatic reasoning during language learning, not just during evaluation, significantly enhances overall communication performance. This paper provides key insights into the importance of aligning reasoning levels and incorporating pragmatic reasoning in optimizing communicative interactions.

Communicating with Speakers and Listeners of Different Pragmatic Levels

Abstract

This paper explores the impact of variable pragmatic competence on communicative success through simulating language learning and conversing between speakers and listeners with different levels of reasoning abilities. Through studying this interaction, we hypothesize that matching levels of reasoning between communication partners would create a more beneficial environment for communicative success and language learning. Our research findings indicate that learning from more explicit, literal language is advantageous, irrespective of the learner's level of pragmatic competence. Furthermore, we find that integrating pragmatic reasoning during language learning, not just during evaluation, significantly enhances overall communication performance. This paper provides key insights into the importance of aligning reasoning levels and incorporating pragmatic reasoning in optimizing communicative interactions.
Paper Structure (16 sections, 4 equations, 3 figures, 3 tables)

This paper contains 16 sections, 4 equations, 3 figures, 3 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Background
  3. Literal meanings and the Rational Speech Act model
  4. Reasoning while learning
  5. Data
  6. Experiments
  7. Results
  8. Listening to speakers with different depth
  9. Learning from speakers with different depth
  10. Conclusions
  11. Limitations
  12. Acknowledgements
  13. Model training and implementation
  14. Concentration parameters of the image generators
  15. Benefits of pragmatic reasoning during learning
  16. ...and 1 more sections

Figures (3)

  • Figure 1: The speaker is asking for the red object. For a literal listener, this is ambiguous. A reasoning listener considers alternative messages about shape and color features and concludes that the speaker is asking for the red circle, as ”square" would have been a more informative message for the other red object.
  • Figure 2: During training, listeners are paired with speakers of different pragmatic competence. The listeners are trained in environments of increasing difficulty. $L_0$ learners paired with $S_1$ speakers have the same performance as $L_2$ paired with $S_3$.
  • Figure 3: Higher level listeners learn quicker. In this comparison all other parameters such as speaker level, number of distractors, correlation between shapes are left constant.