  In this paper, we propose and consider the problem of cooperative language
acquisition as a particular form of the ad hoc team play problem. We then
present a probabilistic model for inferring a speaker's intentions and a
listener's semantics from observing communications between a team of
language-users. This model builds on the assumptions that speakers are engaged
in positive signalling and listeners are exhibiting positive listening, which
is to say the messages convey hidden information from the listener, that then
causes them to change their behaviour. Further, it accounts for potential
sub-optimality in the speaker's ability to convey the right information
(according to the given task). Finally, we discuss further work for testing and
developing this framework.
