Linguistic Fieldwork - by Claire Bowern (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

This is a practical guide to all aspects of linguistic fieldwork. It not only discusses techniques for working on the phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and discourse of an undescribed language, but also considers field technology, grant application preparation, ethical research methods and problems which might arise when in the field.

Review Quotes

'Good book! We will use it in our field methods course and recommend it to our students who engage in fieldwork [it] addresses issues that every new field linguist has to face, but that are not discussed much in other sources. It is very useful as a beginner's introduction'. - Anthropological Linguistics

'[It] is very directly oriented to students in a field methods class or similar sort of course, with the focus on clarity and detail of information, while also making direct reference from time to time to Bowern's own experiences as a fieldworker'. Australian Journal of Linguistics

'Bowern's Linguistic Fieldwork: A Practical Guide is an excellent contribution. It offers a comprehensive, thorough approach to virtually all aspects of fieldwork, with meticulous attention to details, many of which only an experienced fieldworker could anticipate A particularly noteworthy feature of the book is the supplements to the text Most noteworthy of all is the website that accompanies the book This is an extremely useful resource and will prolong the lifespan of the book The book is an excellent resource both for use in a field methods class and for actual on-site fieldwork, and gives though to both types of context when presenting suggestions for data collection and elicitation [It] is the most comprehensive and up-to-date linguistic field manual currently available'. Linguistic Typology

'This book provides a nice compact introduction to linguistic fieldwork, especially valuable for going beyond elicitation methods into essentials such as funding, ethics, and technology. Written in a non-technical, easy to follow style, it would be an excellent starting point for a beginner, and it offers some tips that even experienced fieldworkers will find useful.' Language Documentation & Conservation

'This engaging textbook covers all conceivable aspects of fieldwork, from the preparation stage of writing grant proposals and obtaining visas, to the final stages of archiving the data This book is designed both for students taking a field methods class, and for those undertaking fieldwork in a community other than their own In sum, this is an extremely readable, interesting, and useful book, which I would definitely recommend.' Project Muse

About the Author

CLAIRE BOWERN is Assistant Professor of Linguistics at Rice University, USA and a member of the Australian National University's Centre for Research on Language Change. Her primary areas of research are language documentation/description and historical linguistics, particularly in Northern Australia.