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Wrapping Up Unit 2
By this stage, the workshop team will have accomplished the following:
Identified various nominal affixes, including any existing noun class markings
Determined the ordering of bound morphemes in relation to the noun root
Discovered the types of modifiers occurring within the NP
Created a noun phrase position chart
Discussed orthographic conventions to address any grammatical tone occurring within the NP
The remaining time can be used to resolve pending orthography decisions and update materials drafted in Unit 1. Participants may also want to begin writing a few simple folktales.
Photo Credit: Soren Kjeldgaard
Overview: Unit 2 Outputs
Output Goals:
Resolve any remaining orthography questions related to nouns and NPs
Edit materials drafted during Unit 1
Write new material, particularly sentences and short stories
Time Estimate:
1-2 days
Materials Needed:
Alphabet charts & other materials created in Unit 1
Illustrations for teaching aids (as applicable)
Computer + access to FLEx
Notebooks (for writing phrases & sentences)
Writing utensils (Pens, pencils, etc)
Revisit Pending Orthography Decisions
If orthographic decisions are still pending for any topics covered in Units 1 and 2, take time to resolve as many of these issues as possible.
Create & Edit Materials
The editing and expanding of materials will be an ongoing, and perhaps an evergoing, process. Below are a few examples of materials that the workshop team may want to edit or create during the final days of Unit 2.
Check Alphabet Charts
Check Alphabet Charts
Consider taking a half-day to check any alphabet charts and booklets that were created during Unit 1. Double-check that all example words accurately reflect the proposed orthography. Also, review as a group any images that have been drawn or selected to illustrate example words. Assign someone to gather updated images, as needed.
Write Example Sentences
Write Example Sentences
Consider setting aside a half-day for participants to write sentences using words in the alphabet chart.* The sentences can later be used to create an alphabet book.
Encourage everyone to write sentences for each word in the chart. Then, with help from a literacy specialist, have the group choose the best example sentence for each word. Ensure that everyone contributes to the book.
*This activity could also be done in Unit 3, if time does not allow for it to be incorporated into Unit 2
Update Lexical Entries
Update Lexical Entries
Review the words and glosses that were added to FLEx (or other dictionary database) at the end of Unit 1 and make corrections, as needed. If the language has noun classes, add class information to the noun entries. Also create entries for new words collected during Unit 2, particularly demonstratives, quantifiers, and other modifiers.
Draft Simple Folktales
Draft Simple Folktales
Writing connected text, such as folktales and other short stories, will help the language community establish norms for word boundaries. Some word boundaries will be easy to decide (e.g. divisions between nouns and verbs) while other boundary rules will take practical writing experience and community discussion to establish. As Unit 2 comes to an end, encourage participants to try writing simple stories, with the understanding that verb conjugations and verb phrases still need to be investigated in Unit 3.
"The [participants] were excited to start using the orthography for writing stories in the second week of the workshop…[and] to teach it to other people in their communities.”
-Shane Devereux & Jenita Van den Belt, Facilitators (Southeast Asia)
Post-Unit 2 Assignments
The following tasks are recommended between Units 2 and 3, for linguists and participants respectively:
Workshop Leader & Linguist Facilitators:
Write up a brief summary of workshop findings, including nominal affixes and their ordering in relation to the noun root, paradigms for any existing noun classes, types of modifiers occurring within the NP, and a noun phrase position chart
Note any orthographic decisions made during Unit 2
Draft an electronic version of the alphabet book
Participants:
Continue collecting words for the lexicon
Write additional proverbs and stories with the proposed orthography
Gather more pictures and examples (as needed) to be included in teaching aids
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