CRITICAL JOURNAL REVIEW

“Some Aspects of Optimality in Natural Language Interpretaion”

General Interpretation

Lecturer : Syamsul Bahri, S.S., M.Hum.

Arranged by : Arief Armedi 2233220030

ENGLISH LITERATURE DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS
UNIVERSITY STATE OF MEDAN
 PREFACE
This work is intended to evaluate on a specific subject, that is General Interpretation.
This work, namely the Critical Journal Review (CJR in short) has been arranged to consist of
several elaboration and evaluation including the journal article that is to be reviewed—titled:
Some Aspects of Optimality in Natural Language Interpretation. To be precise in this Critical
Journal Review, it is intended to refer the identity of the work, as well as its whole summart
and to evaluate uts strengths and weaknesses.

Arief Armedi
 INTRODUCTION
Critical Journal Review is a work intended for students to carry out their elaboration
and evaluation skills. In order to increase critical thoughts and ideas, while also admiring
works of various of scholars—in a way to also acquire more knowledge.

Identity of Journal
Arranged by : Reinhard Bultner
Title : Some Aspects of Optimality in Natural Language Interpretation
Publisher : Humbolt University Berlin
Journal : Journal of Semantics 17 (189-216)
Volume :3
Year : 2000
Pages : 28
This work is dedicated to Manfred Bierwisch on the occasion of his 70th birthday.
This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeindschaft (DFG).

SUMMARY
This work (this journal article) focuses mainly in the term of Optimality Theory—
they refer it to OT most of the time it is mentioned in the work. The work elaborates on
learning to interpreate based on terms such as semantics, pragmatics, syntax, phonology, and
morphology which supports the Optimality Theory. The work mentions a few of scholars in
which they have their opinion of how OT is visualized and studied. These scholars argue that
there is a fundamental difference between the form of Optimality Theory as used on the one
hand and its form as used on the other hand. Whereas in the first case Optimality Theory
takes the point of view of the speaker, in the second case the point of view of the hearer is
taken. The purpose of this work is to argue that the proper treatment of Optimality Theory in
natural language which interpretation has to take both perspectives at the same time. A
conceptual framework is established (Generative, Evaluative, and Constraints) that realizes
the integration of both perspectives, balancing between informativeness and efficiency in
natural language processing. The ideas are then applied to resolve some puzzles in natural
language interpretation.
 DISCUSSION
Strengths
This journal elaborates its information very through and thoughtfully, a lot of
explanation is to be included in every point when it is mentioned. Furthermore, small
extended elaboration in pages helps give context in which the information might be
missunderstood thus giving great understanding of the original information. This journal also
provide great examples that can be understood, although it needs extra care in paying
attention to its explanation. Additionally, the way the journal is written is pretty expressive,
as in the writer is informing as well as educating the readers. Lastly, the journal is arranged
and divided neat and easy to notice, giving readers a great time to understand on informations
and knowledge that the work provided.

Weaknesses
Most of explanation of this journal are very hard to understand, as this journal used
many big terms to explain such a specific information. Another one is the use of complex
method in explaining points in this journal are not very likely to be understood in certain
amount of time. Attempting to take understanding for the information in this journal can take
up to a long consumption of time (which is not entirely problematic).

Suggestion
Suppose this journal is intended for a wider-more advanced audience, in which this
weakness could be avoided. Another matter is that in terms of understanding this work, it is
very subjective—thus the matter of it is being complex underlies from the readers bare
knowledge of vocabularies.

It is suggested that for understanding complex and advanced learning materials,

requires discovering knowledge in terms of the english language far beyond. In the process of
learning various terms in english open up a big chance in comprehension, that is to
understand words, enabling to engage in wider range of ideas. In other words, vocabulary
acquisitions enhance skills to interpret furhter and wider range of terms.
 CONCLUSION
In further learning and advancing Interpretation a skillset of Optimality Theory in
which elaborates on generative, evaluative, and noticing constraints supports in methods of
Interpetation. This journal includes heavily on advancing the skill of interpretation through
scholars arguments, with their complex features of methods in ways to understand how terms
are to be acquire and exchange. Regardless of this journal weaknesses in its complex methods
which a part of audience might find it hard to understand, the whole information it provided
are very excellent in the subject of Interpretation.
 REFFERENCES
Reinhard Bultner 2004, Some Aspects of Optimality in Natural Language Interpretation,
Humbolt University Berlin, Journal of Semantics 17 (189-216)