Lang Documentation/field Mthds · Linguistics
how to document an unfamiliar language; hands-on skills of elicitation, transcription, and language data organization; also linguistic descriptions writing.
Long phonology midterm report Very long final project Two elicitations Occasional Reading Responses
How to record original linguistic data and create a sketch grammar for a language.
Linguistics people: Take this class, though I can't guarantee you'll like it. This class is an acquired taste. We had a native speaker of a rare language come in and each student ran two elicitation sessions throughout the semester where each of us found ways to figure out the phonology, grammar, lexicon, etc. of said language. Each of us were also responsible for doing recordings, working in PRAAT, and taking notes on an elicitation. Maybe you won't like fieldwork. Some didn't. But you're cheating yourself if you don't try it out. This was a prime opportunity to see how fieldwork works, as both the professor and native speaker were really excellent at their roles. This class is pretty worth it to get a taste of fieldwork. Also, know your IPA chart cold.
I highly recommend this course to anyone who is interested in language documentation just a reminder that fluency in IPA transcription is super important to start this course.
Anyone interested in linguistics should take this course. 1 Columbia University: Arts & Sciences Spring 2021 Course: LINGGU4120 : FIELD METHODS-LINGGU4120_001_2021_1 - LANG DOCUMENTATION/FIELD MTHDS Instructor: Meredith Landman
I learned how to transcribe a languages sound system from elicitation sessions; how to evaluate raw linguistic data and draw conclusions from it; how to elicit certain phonological or grammatical data from a speaker of another language; how to conduct an elicitation session and be personable with a language consultant.
I became more fluent in IPA transcription, I practiced hypothesis formation and testing, and I learned about common language change phenomena.
How to conduct linguistics field research, including elicitation sessions and data analysis
How to collect data to document an underresourced language. How to work with a native speaker of the language as a consultant during data collection. Transcribing speech using the International Phonetic Alphabet. Analyzing phonology, morphology, and syntax in an unfamiliar language using data I collected myself. How to apply knowledge from readings to analyzing linguistic phenomena in the real world. New perspectives on language and identity (we spent some time learning about the culture of the people who speak the language we studied).