Admission requirements
‘N.B. Course descriptions are subject to change’
The examination and, if indicated, the teaching of the following units of study can only be taken if the examinations of the preceding units of study have been passed of Linguistic Fieldwork A.
Linguistic Fieldwork B can only be followed after successful completion of Linguistic Fieldwork A. This also means that the pre-requisites that apply to Linguistic Fieldwork A apply for Linguistic Fieldwork B.
Description
Linguistic Fieldwork B builds on Linguistic Fieldwork A, where the students have been introduced to the methods of linguistic fieldwork.
In Linguistic Fieldwork B, students continue working with a native speaker of a language of an unfamiliar or under-described language. This may be the same speaker that was available during Fieldwork A.
In Fieldwork B, the focus will first be on deepening the understanding of the target language, for instance, by studying the grammar beyond the clause level (clause combining strategies, embedded constructions, or ‘information structure’). In the second half of the course, students also work on a topic of their own choice. At least once a week students work independently with the speaker, in groups of 2-3 students.
If the speaker of Linguisic Fieldwork A is not available for Linguistic Fieldwork B, we will work with a speaker of a different language. In this case, the first half of the course will be spent on investigating the basic phonology and morpho-syntax of the language, while in the second half, students work on a topic of their own choice.
Course objectives
At the end of the course, students will have experience working with an unfamiliar language and will be able to:
record, transcribe, and annotate speech data of the language through the interaction with a native speaker
collect data through applying various fieldwork methods
compile a lexicon and textual materials using Fieldworks Language Explorer
transcribe texts in ELAN and provide time-aligned glossed texts by working with FLEx and ELAN together
apply adequate data management techniques and store the collected data in a systematic and transparent manner
apply theoretical and descriptive linguistic knowledge to analyse primary data
write a coherent description of a linguistic topic
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminars, own research and hands-on training.
Assessment method
As midterm paper, students submit a first draft of the description of their research results. The revision of this paper will be part of the final paper. The final paper will also contain a section about the topic of their own choice.
Appendix with a lexicon and a glossed and translated text in the language that has been researched.
The final mark is a weighted average of the following components:
*Class attendance and performance in field sessions: 30%
*Midterm paper or presentation: 20%
*Final paper (revised midterm paper/presentation, with lexicon and glossed & translated text): 50%
Resit
Students can resit the final paper.
Exam review
Mid-term papers are thoroughly discussed in class. Students will be given the opportunity to inspect their graded papers within a month after disclosure of the results.
Reading list
We will use chapters of the following textbook as background literature during the course. The book is available in the library.
Bowern, Claire. 2008. Linguistic Fieldwork: A practical guide. Palgrave Macmillan.
Registration
Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available on the website
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Not applicable
Contact
For questions related to the content of the course, please contact the lecturer, you can find their contact information by clicking on their name in the sidebar.
For questions regarding enrollment please contact the Education Administration Office Reuvensplaats
E-mail address Education Administration Office Reuvensplaats: osz-oa-reuvensplaats@hum.leidenuniv.nl
For questions regarding your studyprogress contact the Coordinator of Studies
Remarks
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