Rapid Grammar Collection

Quality. Efficiency. Ownership. 

Rapid Grammar Collection is an approach to language development that enables native speakers to quickly understand the grammar of their language while safeguarding the quality of linguistic analysis.

What is Rapid Grammar Collection (RGC)?

Rapid Grammar Collection (RGC) is a series of 2-week workshops designed to engage speakers in the process of adequately documenting and analyzing their language in the quickest way possible. During the workshop, representatives of a language community work alongside a facilitating linguist to document the sound patterns and structures of their language. They then use the results to make informed decisions for a tentative writing system. In the weeks following each workshop, word lists, narrative texts, documented grammar, and spelling rules from the workshop are made into a beginning dictionary and other reference tools for writers. The process of drafting and checking these materials according to the agreed-upon spelling rules trains writers to consistently use their writing system and empowers the language community to own the process of developing their written language.

The Approach: A Summary  

The RGC method is designed as 2 phases. The goal of Phase 1 is to research all the lanauge data necessary to make an informed decision on a tentative writing system. Depending on the areas of complexity in a language, this phase can be completed in 1 or 2 workshops, where each workshop is 2 weeks. In the time between Phase 1 & 2 (3 months - 1.5 years), the facilitating linguists works with the particpants to produce reference materials. 

The main purpose of Phase 2 is to research discourse grammar. This workshop usually takes another 2 weeks. At the end of Phase 2, the books created in Phase 1 are revised and a new grammar book is drafted of all the discourse grammar learned. The activities that take place in each phase are further described below. 

Phase 1: 

The first phase involves researching the langauge's sound system, morphology and basic syntax in order to develop an agreed-upon writing system. During the workshop(s), a linguist guides 6 speakers in analyzing 1,000 words and 10 interlinearized texts, which are prepared before in advance. 

Three main activities are used during the workshop: 

1. Sorting words on cards according to vowel, consonant and tonal contrasts to determine the languages phonemes and tone melodies.

2. Researching the alternation of sounds at moprheme boundaries by inserting representative words into prepared frames from natural texts.

3. Marking texts and using them to analyze various grammatical topics, such as word categories, morphophonology of nouns and verbs, adpositions, pronouns, relative and complement clauses, adjectives and particles. Participants then learn the function of each word category and morpheme in the context of these natural texts.

All conclusions are written on large whiteboards or blackboards. For each research topic, participants decide the alphabet symbols, spelling rules and/or other markings needed for the writing system. Phase 1 results in a tentative alphabet, several spelling rules (including word boundaries) and the representation of tone (if needed). 

Between Phases: 

In the time between Phase 1 & 2, the facilitating linguists works with the particpants to produce an alphabet book, a beginning dictionary, 2 grammar books, and a story book. The dictionary and grammar book provide documentation of the Phase 1 writing decisions and the language pattern and constructions that inform these decisions. Each reference book is written to be as accessible as possible to community members involved in language development. An alphabet book and a story book are also produced with the help of literacy personnel. These books are used to test the new writing system in the langauge community. Drafting and revising language materials helps workshop participants learn to read and write their language more fluently. Scripture translation typically begins around this time as well. 

Phase 2: 

Phase 2 involves revising the writing system, studying any remaining word and clause-level grammar and researching discourse. It starts with a review of all the materials already produced and a discussion of any necessary changes in spelling. Then new texts are marked and analyzed using various colors. Research is done on non-verbal phrases, quantities and numerals, adverbs, commands and interrogatives, conjunctions, negation, reported speech, word order changes (focus, topicalization, emphasis, etc.), the use of verbs forms, markers of scene changes (starting points), participant reference, ideophones and particles. At the end of the workshop, all conclusions are written in a new grammar book and applied to translation work.  

Workshop Results

RGC helps language communities to 1) decide their writing system, well-informed by factors affecting these decisions and 2) consistently use that writing system to produce reading materials that benefit the community. Although RGC approach does not complete the work of linguistic analysis, it establishes a solid linguistic foundation for a successful writing system and natural translation within a feasible time-frame.

A typical Workshop results in...

• An adequate lingustic foundation for beginning literacy work and translation

Literacy work and even translation can begin within in as short a time as 3 months following the first workshop.

• Reference tools for the community

These tools, namley a dictionary and 3 grammar books, are useful reference works to remind community stakeholders about the writing decisions that were made. Intentional training provided by the facilitator can help them learn to apply thsese writing rules as they draft each new material.

• Community ownership of the language development process 

RGC results in community members not just making writing decisions, but understanding the factors that affect these decisions. They also learn to use them to produce readable materials that benefit their communities. In this way, the community more fully own the language development process. What's more, language development and translation can proceed smoothly and quickly because mother-tongue language developers adequately understand the grammar of their language.

Intended Use 

RGC is intended for a single language community in the process of deciding a writing system and producing reading materials.

This approach is particularly useful in languages with complexities such as...

• A high functional load of tone

• Numerous sound changes at morpheme boundaries

• Morphemes that can arguably be written as either bound or free

RGC requires...

• The availability of an experienced linguist over a 6 months - 1.5 year period

• A language assistant who has been assigned to the language team 

• Language speakers who are motivated to prepare an extensive wordlist & translated texts. 

This website will specifically focus on how to faciliatate Phase 1.