This is the first year base amount funding of a five year PYI continuing award. The focus of this work is to increase the efficacy of communication with computer through natural language and other media. In particular, three central problems confront researchers; robustness, fluency, and modularity. These issues can be addressed through the use of systems of constraints as the underlying method for encoding the structures of natural language. The results of investigations of these issues will be tested through the implementation of prototype systems.
