TAILORING SPATIAL DESCRIPTIONS TO THE ADDRESSEE - A CONSTRAINT-BASED APPROACH

We present a model of the conceptual processes underlying the producti on of spatial descriptions. These processes are modeled as constraints that a speaker should satisfy in order to be communicatively successf ul. They encompass features that secure the tailoring of the descripti on to the listener and the satisfaction of the communicative task. The se features are rebated to certain properties of the spatial represent ation, relevant properties of the addressee as represented in the spea ker's addressee model, and properties of the communicative situation. Together they conduce the selection of specific strategies and of the points of view and influence the linearization of the individual local izations. Based on an analysis of village descriptions, a partially or dered set of constraints is presented, which take into consideration t he aforementioned properties and their influence on respective feature s of the conceptual processes, thereby ensuring that the speaker's des cription will enable the listener to construct an adequate mental repr esentation of the described state of affairs.