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Exponential Learning with Sigmoidal Decay (ELSD) model of syntax acquisition

Research Method · All research methods
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 associational), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description

The ELSD model represents syntax acquisition as "a simple exponential learning process" in which grammatical proficiency grows with experience, with an experience discount factor modeled separately for simultaneous bilinguals, immigrants, and non-immersion learners. The learning rate is a piecewise function: constant from birth to age tc, then declining according to a sigmoid whose parameters control steepness and center. The authors state this structure "allows it to capture a very wide range of developmental trajectories", and they fit it simultaneously to monolingual, immersion, and non-immersion performance curves to estimate when underlying learning ability declines.

Accounts

  • Exponential Learning with Sigmoidal Decay (ELSD) model of syntax acquisition: The ELSD model represents syntax acquisition as "a simple exponential learning process" in which grammatical proficiency grows with experience, with an experience discount factor modeled separately for simultaneous bilinguals, immigrants, and non-immersion learners. The learning rate is a piecewise function: constant from birth to age tc, then declining according to a sigmoid whose parameters control steepness and center. The authors state this structure "allows it to capture a very wide range of developmental trajectories", and they fit it simultaneously to monolingual, immersion, and non-immersion performance curves to estimate when underlying learning ability declines. (Hartshorne Joshua K. et al. (2018))

Claims

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Key Sources

  • Hartshorne Joshua K., Tenenbaum Joshua B., Pinker Steven. (2018). A critical period for second language acquisition: Evidence from 2/3 million English speakers. Cognition. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6559801/
Page metadata
Field Value
type research-method
id exponential-learning-with-sigmoidal-decay-elsd-model-of-syntax-acquisition
title Exponential Learning with Sigmoidal Decay (ELSD) model of syntax acquisition
description The ELSD model represents syntax acquisition as "a simple exponential learning process" in which grammatical proficiency grows with experience, with an experience discount factor modeled separately for simultaneous bilinguals, immigrants, and non-immersion learners.
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generated by process:settle-candidates on 2026-10-17
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