Research activities
Invited lectures and workshops
Gong, T. (2011). Using computer simulation to study language evolution. School of Humanities, Zhejiang University. Apr. 2011.
Gong, T. (2011). Simulating language evolution – A case study on the word order bias. Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, Chinese University of Hong Kong. Mar. 2011.
Gong, T. (2011). Computer simulation in linguistics research. Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Hong Kong. Mar. 2011.
Gong, T. (2010). Studying language change using the Price equation and Pόlya urn simulation. Center for Chaos and Complex Networks, City University of Hong Kong. Dec. 2010.
Ansaldo, U. & Gong, T. (2010). The origins of language and the destiny of linguistics. Society of Scholars in the Humanities, University of Hong Kong. Oct. 2010.
Gong, T. (2010). Using the category game to study color categorization. Department of Linguistics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. Jul. 2010.
Gong, T. (2010). Identifying selective pressures on language change. Department of Linguistics, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Mar. 2010. (PDF)
Gong, T. (2009). Exploring language evolution using behavioral simulations: What have been done and what to do. Language Evolution and Computation Research Unit (LEC), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. Oct. 2009. (PDF)
Gong, T. (2009). A simulation study on word order bias. Department of Linguistics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology,
Leipzig, Germany. Jun. 2009. (PDF).
Gong, T. (2009). A simulation study on the effect of social structures on language evolution. Kickoff Meeting "Linguistic Networks". Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, 2009/06/05. (PPT).
Gong, T. (2008). Exploring language evolution using behavioral computational models. IIAS Workshop on Language, Cognition & the Brain (SLEB08), Kyoto, 2008/10/29-31 (PPT).
Gong, T. (2008). Exploring language evolution using behavioral computational models. Department of Linguistics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany. 2008/10. (PPT).
Gong, T. (2007). Language contact
from a simulation perspective. Invited talk, Department of Chinese, Translation and
Linguistics, City University of Hong
Kong, Hong Kong. 2007/05. (PPT)
Gong, T. (2007). Language evolution
from a simulation perspective. Invited talk, The State Key Laboratory of Brain and
Cognitive Sciences, Hong Kong University,
Hong Kong. 2007/02. (PPT)
Gong, T. (2005). Mutual influence of semantics and syntax during language emergence.
Invited talk, Language Evolution and
Computation Research Unit (LEC), Edinburgh
University, Edinburgh, UK. 2005/09. (PPT)
Gong, T. (2005). Linguistic problem from simulation perspective. Invited talk, Oxford Center for Functional Magnetic
Resonance Imaging of the Brain (FMRIB), Oxford University, Oxford, UK. 2005/09. (PPT)
Gong, T. (2005). Simulation perspective on
language emergence. Invited talk, Institute of Cognitive Science, Hunan
University ,
Changsha, China. 2005/05. (PPT)
Gong, T., Ke, J., Minett, J. W., and Wang, W.
S-Y. (2003). Language emergence: A self-organized model using indirect
meaning transference based on interaction of multiply factors". Workshop on Exploratory Models of Language Acquisition, Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe
, NM, U.S.A., 2003/10. (PPT)
On computational simulation of language evolution
2009/09 – 2010/02
British Academy of Sciences Visiting fellow in School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, Department of Linguistics & English Language, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom: During this academic visit, I have conducted three aspects of research. I explored the selective pressures on language change based on the Price equation and a modified Polya urn model. This study identified the selective pressure of variant prestige and a neutral amplification role of complex networks. In addition, based on an empirical experiment on two-dimensional categorization, I developed a simple model to replicate the experimental procedure and the experiment results. Given a fixed semantic space, this model examined the convention between meanings and utterances, and illustrated that the structural measurement on categorization could be transmitted across generations of language learners based on incomplete language data. Finally, I examined the roles of various forms of cultural transmission on language evolution, and the coevolution of language-related abilities and language, the latter of which provided an alternative explanation on the high level of some language-related abilities in humans, compared with non-human primates.
2008/09 – 2009/08
Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship in Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany: During the period of this fellowship, I have conducted some simulation studies on language origin. Based on a lexicon-syntax coevolution model, I examined the word order bias shown in human languages. In this model, the artificial agents in my model were built in some general learning mechanisms, such as sequential learning and pattern extraction. By applying these abilities, agents could gradually build up a communal language in the form of shared lexical items and consistent word orders. By comparing the simulation results with the empirical data in the World Atlas of Language Structures, I examined the word order bias shown in this model, and ascribed the bias towards certain forms of word order to the semantic structure the language encodes and the local constraints on language processing. In addition, based on the coevolution model, I have examined the effects of some socio-cultural factors on language evolution. Finally, I conducted an experiment on categorical perception of tones based on German speakers. The experiment results, together with the results based on Cantonese and Mandarin speakers, illustrated the influence of mother tongue on the perception of tones in tone and non-tone language speakers.
2007/11 – 2008/08
Postdoctoral and invitation scholarships in PIL Group, Physics Department, “La Sapienza” University, Rome, Italy: Under the supervision of Prof. Vittorio Loreto, I participated the concluding phase of the EU project (ECAgent). During this project, I
replicated and modified the category game model studying the coevolution of linguistic categories and their word labels. I implemented many
statistical methods to analyze the performance of this model, which included the calculation of distributions of perceptual/linguistic categories
during the evolution, the peak values of these distributions, and some further analysis on the “aging” of linguistic categories. These analyses
helped provide further quantitative understanding about the evolution of linguistic categories. In addition, I imported the empirical human
discerning abilities on colors into the model, and evaluated the simulation results based on the data in World Color Survey.
2007/07
Participation of International Summer Atelier: Modeling Language Evolution with Computational Construction Grammar
together with Satellite-atelier of Statistical Physics of Social Dynamics and Language: I attended 6 days of comprehensive lectures on many
aspects of construction grammar and linguistic theory, symbolic programming, complex systems, etc. I was trained on how to design and
implement experiments on the origins and evolution of language through a small project. I also presented the results of the project and my PhD
research to a broader audience of scientists.
2005/09
Invitation to Language Evolution and Computation Research Unit (LEC) in Edinburgh University and Oxford Center for
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain (FMRIB): During the attendance of IEEE CEC 2005, I was invited to the LEC in
Edinburgh University and gave a talk on my current work, Prof. Jim Hurford and Prof. Simon Kirby gave valuable advices on my work.
Meanwhile, I also gave a talk to the FMRIB in Oxford University. I got an opportunity to visit FMRIB’s research lab led by Prof. Devlin. This
visit paves the way of future cooperation with their empirical studies and our simulation work.
2005/05
Invitation to Institute of Cognitive Science, Hunan University, Changsha, China: During the visit, I gave a general talk
introducing the computational simulation on language evolution to Prof. Thomas Lee’s group, which greatly inspired the students who wished
to explore in this direction. They also introduced their work on language acquisition, which helped me to further extend my work to simulate
the cultural transmission.
2004/07 – 2004/08
Participation of Complex System Summer School 2004 (organized by Santa Fe Institute (SFI) and Qingdao
University): I attended 4 weeks of intensive lectures on Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) and their applications in biology, language
evolution and mathematics. Through cooperating with many international students from different backgrounds, we developed and presented a
multi-agent computational model on music evolution as a research project. This project was reported to the vice president of SFI during the
summer school and was modified as a conference paper submitted to IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation (IEEE CEC 2005) (see the
list of publications).
2003/12
Invitation to Workshop on Exploratory Models of Language Acquisition organized by Santa Fe Institute: This was my debut
in the international workshop of my field. During this workshop, I got an opportunity to present my preliminary work to several famous
frontier scholars on evolutionary linguistics. Their comments and encouragement helped me to develop my computational model to study the
coevolution of compositionality and regularity.
2002/06 – 2002/10
Simulation of Global Polarization and Local Convergence (sponsored by City University of Hong Kong Grant): I
implemented a computational model to simulate the convergence and divergence phenomena during language emergence. This model
modified some previous work on language change and language contact. The results were presented by Prof. William S-Y Wang in Academia
Sinica, Taiwan, in late 2002.
On signal processing
2001/06 – 2003/06
Motion estimation and compensation Project (Tianjin Nature Science Foundation Project): I independently
developed three algorithms based on MPEG-4 compressed motion images: the Pseudo-diamond Search Algorithm, the Wavelet Transform
based block motion estimation algorithm, and the Genetic Algorithm based estimation algorithm. All these algorithms were published in
national first-level EE journals (see the list of publications).
2003/10
National Undergraduate Students Electronic Design Competition: I, together with two other colleagues, developed a wide-range
(10--10K) frequency analyzer, and we won the 3rd prize in Hua Bei competition area.
2000/02 – 2001/12
Images De-noising and Edge Detection Project (National Nature Science Foundation Project): I participated in the
modification of several signal processing algorithms, such as Quad-tree Edge Detection, Median Edge Detection, to reconstruct images under
severe noisy conditions.
1999/12 – 2000/09
The Residential Area Alarming System Project (Tianjin University Natural Science Project): Our group designed a
microprocessor controlled self-learning, and the product was put into markets in 2001.
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