# Event Details - **Event Name**: Can 4-year-olds’ language learning be driven by prediction errors? - **Event Start and End Date**: Wed, 29 Apr, 2026 at 12:00 pm – Wed, 29 Apr, 2026 at 01:00 pm (+01:00) - **Event Description**: Join us for a PASE x Bristol Conversations seminar with Dr Ed DonnellanAbout this EventThis event is part of the School of Education's . These seminars are free and open to the public.Host: Centre for Psychological Approaches for Studying Education (PASE)Speaker: Dr Ed Donnellan (University of Warwick)Can 4-year-olds’ language learning be driven by prediction errors?Prediction errors are a fundamental component of influential accounts of learning and memory. However, the role of prediction errors in language learning is unclear. To clarify their role in English 4-year-old’s developing comprehension of sentence structure, we focus on a particular structure that they are known to struggle with - double object datives (DOs).These are sentences in which the recipient of a transfer action (e.g., giving) precedes the theme (e.g., the given object), e.g., “Marshall will give the elephant [recipient] an apple [theme]”. Recently, Gambi & Messenger (2023) found tentative evidence that 4-year-olds exposed to DO sentences encouraging generation of stronger incorrect linguistic predictions showed greater improvement in comprehension of DOs (measured by “acting out” the sentence) than those exposed to DO sentences that did not encourage strong predictions.This provided indirect evidence of prediction error-based learning. In this talk, I will present data from two replications (one on-going) of Gambi & Messenger (2023) which seek to provide both further indirect evidence of prediction-error based learning, and more direct measures of prediction-errors from eyetracking data, as well as introducing an ongoing study into prediction errors in 4-year-olds structure and word learning.BioAfter completing my PhD at Sheffield looking at intentional communication in infants, I have been a postdoc in York, Reading, UCL and am now at Warwick. My current postdoctoral research focuses on prediction-error based language learning in 4 year olds and the role of prediction-error and curiosity on memory/learning in children and adults. Additionally, my research focuses on deception in children and multimodal communication (vocalisations, gestures, facial movements) in both humans and chimpanzees. https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/e42e22b0-0b3f-11f1-b2fb-65d8a903a7c7-rimg-w1200-h382-dcffdc68-gmir.jpg - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/bristol/can-4-year-olds’-language-learning-be-driven-by-prediction-errors/100001982495099209 - **Event Categories**: workshops, art, theatre - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 0, currency: GBP ## Event venue details - **city**: Bristol - **state**: EN - **country**: United Kingdom - **location**: Please find details on how to attend at the end of your order confirmation email. | School of Education, University of Bristol - **lat**: 51.4553109 - **long**: -2.6051370000000134 - **full address**: Please find details on how to attend at the end of your order confirmation email. | School of Education, University of Bristol, 35 Berkeley Square, Bristol, United Kingdom ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Can 4-year-olds’ language learning be driven by prediction errors? - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/c9193f46bd0c0a786eff1a20e0be42582043fd14733d67db2096a6594cb30f16-rimg-w1200-h600-dcf0f3f1-gmir.jpg?v=1771341021 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Can 4-year-olds’ language learning be driven by prediction errors? being held? - **A:** Can 4-year-olds’ language learning be driven by prediction errors? takes place on Wed, 29 Apr, 2026 at 12:00 pm to Wed, 29 Apr, 2026 at 01:00 pm at Please find details on how to attend at the end of your order confirmation email. | School of Education, University of Bristol, 35 Berkeley Square, Bristol, United Kingdom. - **Q**: Who is organizing Can 4-year-olds’ language learning be driven by prediction errors?? - **A:** Can 4-year-olds’ language learning be driven by prediction errors? is organized by School of Education, University of Bristol. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Can 4-year-olds’ language learning be driven by prediction errors? is ideal for curious learners, students, and skill-builders looking to gain hands-on knowledge and practical expertise in a focused, interactive setting. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Bristol, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. 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