Linguistic Fieldwork

Topics include the linguist's attitude, the work session and the roles of native speakers.

These essays consider language study in a natural setting, reviewing the techniques which worked best in practice. The authors discuss relevant topics, including the linguist's attitude, the structure/content of the work session, the roles of native speakers, and the practical/personal challenges of doing research in an unfamiliar environment.This book is a collection of original essays on the practice of linguistic fieldwork and language documentation. Twelve of the leading field linguists in the world have written personal essays about the study of languages in a natural setting. Drawing on extensive research experience, they pass on the lessons they have learnt, review the techniques that they found worked best in practice, and discuss a variety of relevant topics, including the attitude of the linguist, the structure and content of the work session, the varied roles of native speakers, and the practical and personal challenges of doing research in an unfamiliar environment. Covering a wide range of field areas, and written in an accessible manner, the book will be indispensable to fieldworkers in linguistics, anthropology, folklore and oral history.