Linguistics

SIL Global Linguistics Coordinator

Tim Stirtz

The SIL Global Linguistics Department works in collaboration with colleagues in SIL and other agencies to advance the linguistic expertise, practices, tools and research that create a supportive environment for language development and Scripture access worldwide.

Contents: (updated 27 February 2026)

Linguistic Tasks and Deliverables document
SIL Linguistics Coordination Team
SIL Senior Linguistics Consultants
Standard Learning Objectives (SLO) for Linguistics
Linguistics CBC Help Center for the Linguistics Consultant Competencies - Andreas Joswig
Linguistic Competencies for Translators - English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Mandarin, Korean
LingBits - Linguistics Newsletters
Useful Links

Linguistics Coordination Team

Tim Stirtz - SIL Global Linguistics Coordinator
Matthew Harley - SIL Global Associate Linguistics Coordinator
Andreas Joswig - SIL Global Grammar Writing Services Coordinator
Mary Pearce - SIL Global Linguistics Coordinator Adviser
Brian Migliazza - SIL Global Linguistics Communications Coordinator
Bernadet ("Bernie") van der Louw - Sign Languages Linguistics Coordinator
Josh Smolders & Thomas Blecke - Africa Linguistics Domain Team Leaders
Inga McKendry - Americas Linguistics Coordinator
Kathleen Sackett , Elissa Ikeda, Anette Tombleson - EurAsia Linguistics Coordination Team
Brian Migliazza, Mary Salisbury, Rynj Gonzales - AsiaPacific Linguistics Coordination Team

SIL Senior Linguistics Consultants

Tone Perception Training

Click here for Anita Bickford's Tone Perception Training which is now available.

These 19 lessons in tone perception are designed to take you through the various steps of learning how to hear tonal distinctions accurately in a tonal language.
It is independent study, with no input necessary from an instructor.
The lessons progress in difficulty. The earliest lessons contain only two level tones, then three level tones. The later lessons include contour tones that glide from one pitch level to another.
Overall, it is more important in working with tonal languages to be able to group words together that have the same tones than to label exactly what those tones are.
Therefore, some of the later lessons require sorting words into lists according to their tone patterns.

Helen Eaton, Ph.D.

René van den Berg, Ph.D.

J. Albert Bickford, Ph.D.

Thomas Blecke, Ph.D.

Robert L. Bradshaw, Ph.D.

David B. Frank, Ph.D.
And also Senior Translation Consultant

Phil King, Ph.D.
And also International Coordinator for Translation Training and Development

Paul R. Kroeger, Ph.D.

Constance Kutsch Lojenga, Ph.D.

Stephen Levinsohn, Ph.D.

Kenneth S. Olson, Ph.D.

Doris Payne, Ph.D.

Thomas Payne, Ph.D.

Keith Snider, D.Litt.

Andreas Joswig, Ph.D.

Steve Nicolle, D.Phil.

Ginger Boyd, Ph.D.

Keith Slater, Ph.D.

Elissa Ikeda, Ph.D.

Matthew Harley, Ph.D.

SLOs for Linguistics

Albert Bickford is coordinating the maintenance and updating of the Standard Learning Objectives (SLO) for Linguistics. You can see the current list of approved SLOs on the ILS Training webpage.

Advanced Grammar (Dec. 2016)
Advanced Phonology (Jan. 2018)
Discourse Analysis (March 2021) - new updated SLO
Linguistic Field Methods & Data Management (March 2021) - new updated SLO for these as a combined unit
Historical and Comparative Linguistics (Jul. 2012)
Morphology and Syntax (Apr 2014 - added 1 SLO, new #5)
Phonetics (Jan 2016 - major revision, including acoustic SLO and prose statement)
Phonology - Introduction (Apr 2012, Jul 2014, minor revision - suppletion removed)
Semantics and Pragmatics (Sep. 2018)
Tone (Nov 2016)

Linguistic Competencies for Translators

Attempts to answer the question: What do those translating into their own languages need to know about linguistics? It was created by focus groups on discourse, semantics and pragmatics, morphology and syntax, and phonology at the 2013 CLIC (Considering Linguistic Issues Carefully) conference in the Netherlands, organized by Brian O'Herin.

Korean: 번역가를 위한 언어학 능력
Mandarin: 译者的语言学能力
French: Competences En Linguistique Pour Traducteurs
Portuguese: Competências linguísticas para Tradutores
Spanish: Competencias Lingüísticas para los Traductores
English: Linguistic Competencies for Translators

Useful Links

Participatory Research in Linguistics (PRL) website
Collaborative Linguistics and Language Development Publications
- (1) Participatory Linguistics: Methods and Case Studies from Around the World. Tim Stirtz & Mike Cahill (2024). LD&C Special Pub 29
- (2) Discourse Functions of Demonstratives. Steve Nicolle (2024). SIL e-Books 086
- (3) Topic in Discourse: Areal Overviews and Case Studies. Brendon Yoder (2024). SIL e-Books 087
- (4) The Orthographic Word in Languages of the World. Helen Eaton (2025). Publications in Language Use and Education, Volume 8.
LOL-25 - Linguistics, Orthography, Literacy - Thailand (Feb 2025)
CLITICS 2019 in Thailand
SIL Linguistics on the SIL website
Orthography on the SIL website - Orthography Videos
Dictionaries & Lexicography on the SIL website - Webonary
Mentoring Matters website - Mentor Training Courses
Linguistics CBC Help Center for the Linguistics Consultant Competencies - Andreas Joswig

Linguistics on SIL Gateway - requires your password to access

Why Linguistics is Important
Best Practices Working Document
Academic Conferences and SIL attendees
LingBits Online from 2008 up through 2021
Linguistic Community of Practice meetings – including updated information on 2019 CLITICS (report and website)

Linguistics

SIL Global Linguistics Coordinator

Tim Stirtz

Contents: (updated 27 February 2026)

Linguistics Coordination Team

SIL Senior Linguistics Consultants

Other Links

Tone Perception Training

SLOs for Linguistics

Linguistic Competencies for Translators

Useful Links

LingBits Issues

2026

2025

2024

2023

2022

2020

2021