Constructing adequate language documentation for multifaceted cross-linguistic data

Abstract

This paper confronts the challenge of constructing language documentation and data management in the face of continually expanding sets of cross-linguistic multi-media data arising in collaborative language acquisition research. It describes the development of an infrastructure and methods for creating and managing such shared language data across a Virtual Center for Language Acquisition(VCLA) by fostering collaborative scientific research in the language sciences across multiple institutions. The infrastructure reflects a research lab/academic library collaboration that integrates metadata organization in research methods. This paper describes both the research and educational components involved in the development of the VCLA

Transforming the Primary Research Process through a Virtual Linguistic Lab for the Study of Language Acquisition and Use: Challenges and Accomplishments

“…These background data are fundamental both as a teaching tool and as a prerequisite for data reliability and researcher collaboration. Data must be described and preserved with systematic and significant metadata, which include general concepts recognized across fields and linguistic concepts for specific inquiries (see [27] for further description of issues related to language documentation). 13 …”

“…The utterances in these transcriptions, once they are reliability checked, constitute the basis for linguistic analyses. 27 Finally, researchers and students can code their data.…”

“…Figure 11 illustrates a specific coding set created for an utterance from a Peruvian child participant in the experimental Project, "Discourse Morphosyntax Interface in Spanish Non-Finite Verbs-Blume" where language production is being systematically elicited from a child by the experimenter following an experimental design. 27 The DTA tool keeps a record of all recordings and transcriptions available for a particular session. The user can easily switch between recordings and transcriptions to view all versions of the raw and primary data.…”

“…Section 7 presents future challenges and lessons learned. A description of the VLL especially with regard to its role in language documentation can be found in Lust et al 2010 [27]. A description of cybertool development in the VLL can be found in Blume et al 2012 [8].…”