Acquiring Language Competence in the Field

This workshop has been cancelled.

Instructor: Hannah Sarvasy

Workshop description: It is highly beneficial in many circumstances for a linguist or language documenter to learn to speak the target language. Widely-known benefits include: preventing contact language interference with elicited language data, improved access to elderly and other members of the community, and the ability to engage in participant-observation. This workshop also introduces the notion that actively speaking the target language can be an essential ethical practice, akin to the Leave-No-Trace mantra for light-footprint camping and hiking, or the bioethical principle of primum non nocere. Despite these benefits, most academic Field Methods courses do not cover techniques for acquiring language competence. This means that even the best-intentioned fieldworkers and language documenters may not attain the level of language competence they desire. This workshop aims to familiarize students with the benefits of target language acquisition in combination with hands-on practice of acquisition techniques. Beyond specific techniques, mental focus and the willingness to make mistakes are emphasized as keys to language acquisition success. Early recording and transcription of narrative texts is shown to be crucial to speeding up learning. Other fieldworkers’ anecdotes on language competence are included throughout.

Course materials: Handouts and props supplied by instructor; notebook, pen/pencil

Course goals: It is highly beneficial in many circumstances for a linguist or language documenter to learn to speak the target language. Widely-known benefits include: preventing contact language interference with elicited language data, improved access to elderly and other members of the community, and the ability to engage in participant-observation. This workshop also introduces the notion that actively speaking the target language can be an essential ethical practice, akin to the Leave-No-Trace mantra for light-footprint camping and hiking, or the bioethical principle of primum non nocere.

Despite these benefits, most academic Field Methods courses do not cover techniques for acquiring language competence. This means that even the best-intentioned fieldworkers and language documenters may not attain the level of language competence they desire.

This workshop aims to familiarize students with the benefits of target language acquisition in combination with hands-on practice of acquisition techniques. Beyond specific techniques, mental focus and the willingness to make mistakes are emphasized as keys to language acquisition success. Early recording and transcription of narrative texts is shown to be crucial to speeding up learning. Other fieldworkers’ anecdotes on language competence are included throughout.

Instructional methods: Combined lecture, hands-on practice, and discussion. Class sessions will involve brief lectures, presentation of techniques for language acquisition in the field, hands-on practice of the technique, and wrap-up discussion. Some literature will be surveyed on language learning and on the benefits and potential drawbacks of language acquisition. Contributions from students will be highly valued.

Student learning objectives: By the end of the workshop, students will have gained familiarity with practical techniques for acquiring competence in non-written languages in the field. They will have an idea of the time frame within which they might plan to acquire the target language, and which techniques are most appropriate for which stages of language acquisition. Finally, they will also be familiar with arguments for and against language competence acquisition in the field.

Evaluation: Students will be evaluated on the basis of brief monolingual demonstrations on the final day of the workshop. These emphasize application of techniques practiced during the workshop.

Disability Services: The Office of Disability Services implements the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and insures that UAF students have equal access to the campus and course materials. The instructor will work with the Office of Disability Services (208 WHIT, 474-5655) to provide reasonable accommodation to students with disabilities.