Field Methods: data collection
Code:
Ling 102 Course Description
This course is a practical introduction to the basic methodologies for undertaking field research in linguistics. It includes data collection of an African language, record keeping, use of computer software and analysis. The students will start to analyse phonetic data of an African language, in order to discover the phonological system and some of the grammatical structures of the language. They are encouraged to consult relevant literature on the typological characteristics of the language families to which their languages of study belong, and also on the particular topics being studied in class, as they may apply to those languages.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course the students should be able to:
- Work with a language helper in order to collect data;
- File the data collected in a useful way;
- Record, store, and transcribe phonetic data;
- Use relevant computer software which is helpful in linguistic field work;
- Do their first steps in analysing the phonology and the grammar of an African language;
- Consider basic ethical questions relating to the domain of linguistic field work.