class: center, middle, inverse, title-slide # Techniques in language documentation ## Brief Intro ### Bradley McDonnell ### 2022/1/10 (updated: 2022-01-10) --- class: center, middle # Language documentation & technology --- # Language documentation & technology - Language documentation from its emergence 25+ years ago was almost synonymous with technology. - Consider the quote below from Austin (2016: 164, emphasis mine) > The past 20 years has seen the emergence and gradual development of a new sub-field of research called 'documentary linguistics' or 'language documentation' which has concentrated on recording, analysing, preserving and disseminating records of languages in use in ways that can serve a wide range of constituencies, particularly the language communities themselves. -- > **In the early period of its development there was a concentration on defining a model for language documentation and specifying best practices, tools and analytical categories, however the past 10 years have seen a shift in perspective responding to criticism of these early concerns. Today, there is more recognition of diversity of contexts, goals, methods and outcomes of language documentation, and indications of the introduction of social models of research, especially in the area of archiving.** --- # Language documentation & technology - Consider the a different perspective from Arkipov & Thieberger (2018: 141) > The landscape for computer-assisted linguistic processing has changed considerably over the past 20 years. Fieldwork techniques have dramatically improved, with lightweight video and audio recording equipment, and new tools for annotating, analyzing and archiving language data. Further, with the emphasis on archiving has come better data management and methods for delivery of language records back to the source communities, not something that was easily or commonly done with analog recordings. Making these recordings available exemplifies the responsibility of academic researchers to work collaboratively and to ensure reusability of their data. As materials go back to the source community so also are new materials being created by members of that community. --- # Language documentation & technology My own work has changed... - Still trying innovative methods (e.g. 360 cameras) - Much more focus on training and capacity building  --- class: center, middle # [Let's consider a foundational article from 2003](https://mcdonn.github.io/2022-710/slides/01-bird-simmons-2003/slides.html)