ANLP: Should I take this course?

This course assumes somewhat less previous programming and/or mathematics knowledge than many other Semester 1 MSc courses in Informatics (in particular: Text Technologies and the machine learning courses). However, that does not mean it is an easy course. It covers a lot of material rapidly, and nearly all students will find parts of the course challenging, whether it is the mathematics, programming, or linguistics and writing.

Please read through the Required Background section below to help you prepare.

Relationship to other Informatics courses

This course is a core course for students specializing in NLP, and it is required as a prerequisite for the Semester 2 course NLU+, as well as for most MSc students who wish to do summer projects in NLP. It covers (among other things) aspects of language processing related to the syntax and meaning of sentences; that is, where the order of words matters.

This course also covers some important concepts and methods in machine learning as they relate to NLP. However, students who want a more thorough background in machine learning should register for one of the machine learning courses.

There is an alternative text processing course that can be taken without prerequisites: Text Technologies for Data Science. TTDS is a Level 11 course that runs in semester 1 and the first half of Semester 2. It covers different aspects of text processing, mainly those that do not require dealing with the structure of sentences and word order. It focuses more on information retrieval and other web-based technologies, and includes less linguistic content. You may register for both TTDS and ANLP.

Required background and how to prepare

Mathematics

This course assumes you are willing to engage with mathematical notation and concepts. Previous knowledge of probability theory is helpful but not required. However, if you do not have this background already, you will need to devote extra effort to learning it.

You should plan to work through the tutorials linked below during the first two weeks of class, and start now if you can! Once courses start you will only get busier. Even if you're not sure of taking this course, this background will be useful in many other Informatics courses too!

Programming

Labs and assignments use the Python programming language. We assume you either already know how to program, or are concurrently taking the Computer Programming for Speech and Language Processing course.

If you are already fluent in one or more programming languages, but not in Python, probably the best way to pick up what you need to know is by going through the official Python tutorial. Again, start sooner rather than later, as you'll only get busier.

Linguistics and English

This course introduces fundamental concepts in linguistics, and does not assume any previous linguistics background. Linguistic concepts are mainly introduced using examples from English, and students are expected to be able to explain both linguistic and technical concepts clearly in writing. Therefore, good English skills are necessary to do well in this course.


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