Rationale: 

Although not all linguists need to have a deep acquaintance with all aspects of articulatory and acoustic phonetics, a basic proficiency with the International Phonetic Alphabet and an understanding of articulatory principles are foundational for practically all linguistic activities.

Component 1: Phonetics General Component.

Progress to Level 1: 

• attend a basic phonetics course according to SIL’s SLOs (4-6 weeks)

• online courses (as shown in orthography)

Component 2: Can transcribe individual words and texts in a narrow phonetic transcription.

Progress to Level 1:

• study the basic transcription standards and the sign inventory of the IPA

• read two papers of the series “Illustrations of the IPA” in order to improve reading fluency

• read Ladefoged & Maddieson “The sounds of the world’s languages” (especially the boxes)

Progress to Level 2:

• in a language study situation, transcribe individual words in a narrow phonetic transcription

• transcribe a full wordlist of a particular language using the IPA, including suprasegmentals

• transcribe a text in a narrow transcription

• have your phonetic transcriptions checked by a skilled phonetician

Component 3: Understands that phonetic transcription is not an objective science, but is based on interpretation of the researcher, and therefore requires the inclusion of speaker intuition.

Progress to Level 1:

• Read Kutsch Lojenga “Participatory Research in Linguistics”

• Read Kent Rasmussen  "Phonology First"

Progress to Level 2:

• experiment with including speaker judgments into transcriptions, such as similarity judgments

• find out about the country-specific non-standard transcription conventions, if any

Component 4: Is able to apply methods such as whistling and similarity judgements.

Progress to level 1:

• attend field linguistics course or a similar venue where linguistic research methods are taught

• Work through Tone transcription trainer by Bickford

• Work through Ladefoged “Phonetic Data Analysis”

Rationale: 

All linguists need to understand the basic principles of the organization of sound systems, and of the language-specific rules that govern the formation of syllables, stems and words, as these issues have a great impact on other domains of linguistics, such as morphology and orthography design.

Component 1: Segmental Phonology General Component.

Progress to Level 1: 

• attend a basic phonology course according to SIL’s SLOs (Standard Learning Objectives)

• Marlett, Stephen A. 2022. An Introduction to Phonological Analysis.

• Burquest, Donald A. 1998. Phonological Analysis : A Functional Approach. Dallas, TX : Summer Institute of Linguistics.

• Virtual Linguistics Campus Phonology Course

• Bartram, Cathy. 2013. Introductory Phonology. Gloucester: Center for Translation, Linguistics and Literacy. (easy English)

Component 2: Can read and understand phonologies of individual languages of the language area.

Progress to Level 2:

• Read three phonology write-ups from the country or region and identify common features

Component 3: Can keep the different levels of phonetics, phonology and orthography apart.

Progress to Level 1: 

• Video on phonetic, phonological and orthographic transcription (Possible options: Orthographic, Phonetic and Phonemic Transcription)

Progress to Level 2:

• Go through language description and identify the respective level of all data presented

• Draft a chart to be used in an orthography statement for a given language

Component 4: Knows suitable methods for determining the phoneme inventory of a language.

Progress to Level 1:

• attend a basic phonology course according to SIL’s SLOs

• Marlett, Stephen A. 2022. An Introduction to Phonological Analysis.

• Burquest, Donald A. 1998. Phonological Analysis : A Functional Approach. Dallas, TX : Summer Institute of Linguistics.

• Virtual Linguistics Campus Phonology Course

Component 5: Knows criteria that help determine the status of ambiguous segments and sequences.

Progress to Level 1:

• Burquest, Donald A. 1998. Phonological Analysis : A Functional Approach. Dallas, TX : Summer Institute of Linguistics.

• Bartram, Cathy. 2013. Introductory Phonology. Gloucester: Center for Translation, Linguistics and Literacy. (easy English)

Component 6: Can identify problematic cases that require specialist input.

Progress to Level 2:

• Go through mock scenarios with mentor or consultant, identifying the points where expert input is needed

Rationale
Tonal changes do not only impact the description of the sound system of a given language, but have important influence on the morphology, syntax and even discourse features. A basic knowledge of tonal issues is therefore required of all linguists.

Component 1: Tone general component

Component 2: Knows suitable methods for distinguishing pitch in hearing, based on speaker intuition, similarity judgments, and whistling.

Progress to level 1

• Work through Tone transcription trainer

• Snider, Keith. 2018. Tone Analysis for Field Linguists. Dallas: SIL International.  (chapters 1, 2)

• Attend Field Linguistics Course

Progress to level 2

• Attend a Tone workshop

Progress to level 3

• Assist at a tone workshop

Component 3: Has read a recent and relevant introduction to tonal phenomena.

Progress to level 1

• Yip, Moira J.W. 2002. Tone. Cambridge University Press.  (ch. 1–2)

Component 4: Has read descriptions of tone systems in the language area.

Progress to level 2

• Read three descriptions of tone systems or stress systems in the language area or in a neighboring country

Component 5: Can produce write-up of the tone inventory of a given language.

Progress to level 3

• Create a summary of the suprasegmental inventory of a language, based on observed evidence, including examples of lexical and grammatical tone, if available

Rationale

Morphology stands very much at the heart of linguistic analysis. Dealing with word formation and inflection, it depends heavily on insights from phonology and semantics.

Component 1: Morphophonology & Morphology general component

Progress to level 1

• Payne, Thomas. 1997. Describing Morphosyntax: A Guide for Field Linguists. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (chapter 1–4)

• Kroeger, Paul R. 2005. Analyzing Grammar: An Introduction. Illustrated Edition. Cambridge, UK ; New York: Cambridge University Press.

Progress to level 2

• Produce a draft write-up of selected morphological features, including morphophonological alternations in grammatical paradigms

Component 2: Demonstrates ability to identify and describe morphophonological processes.

Progress to level 1

• Take introductory phonology course.

• Marlett, Stephen A. 2022. An Introduction to Phonological Analysis.

• Burquest, Donald A. 1998. Phonological Analysis : A Functional Approach. Dallas, TX : Summer Institute of Linguistics.

Progress to level 2

• Read two morphological descriptions of languages spoken in the country of assignment.

• Read up on common phonological processes in the language families of the country of assignment.

• Take an advanced phonology course that introduces phonological and morphophonological processes, and describe selected phonological processes of a language.

Component 3: Demonstrates ability to identify and classify the morpheme inventory of a language, including lexical and inflectional morphology.

Progress to level 1

• Take introductory morphosyntax course.

• Payne, Thomas. 1997. Describing Morphosyntax: A Guide for Field Linguists. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Component 4: Can produce a draft morphology write-up, including morphophonological alternations in grammatical paradigms.

Progress to level 2

• Write a short technical or non-technical consultant-reviewed paper describing the verbal or nominal morphology of a language in the country of assignment, according to any model. Alternatively, write a short paper describing the verbal or nominal morphology of the mother tongue, according to any model, including the semantics of the grammar.

• Assist as a co-facilitator or consultant at a local grammar workshop.

Component 5: Can investigate the semantic side of inflectional contrasts (morphosemantics).

Progress to level 1

• Phil King Videos

• SIL Linguistics Video series

• Dixon, R.M.W. 2010. Basic Linguistic Theory 3 Volumes. Hardback. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• Shopen: 3 Volumes

• Kroeger, Paul R. 2005. Analyzing Grammar: An Introduction. Illustrated Edition. Cambridge, UK ; New York: Cambridge University Press.

• Payne, Thomas. 1997. Describing Morphosyntax: A Guide for Field Linguists. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

• Payne, Thomas. 2006. Exploring Language Structure: A Student’s Guide. Cambridge University Press.

Progress to level 2

• Take an advanced morphosyntax course.

• Read at least two books on grammatical typology, dealing with issues that are relevant in the language under study, or with languages in the country of assignment.

Rationale:

Syntax is impacted by insights from other linguistic domains, such as phonology, morphology, tone, and discourse. In the same way knowledge of syntactic features sheds light on questions arising in other linguistic domains.

Component 1: Syntax & Syntax-Related Semantics general component

Progress to level 1: 

• Attend Morphosyntax 1 course

• Participant Reference video

Progress to level 2: 

• Attend Morphosyntax 2 course

Component 2: Knows the descriptive levels (formal, semantic and pragmatic) and the basic concepts of syntactic analysis according to a theory-neutral perspective.

Progress to level 1:

• Dixon, R.M.W. 2010. Basic Linguistic Theory: Volumes 1-3: Methodology. Hardback. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• Kroeger, Paul R. 2005. Analyzing Grammar: An Introduction. Illustrated Edition. Cambridge, UK ; New York: Cambridge University Press.

• Payne, Thomas. 1997. Describing Morphosyntax: A Guide for Field Linguists. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Progress to level 2: 

• Read a descriptive grammar written past the year 2000

Component 3: Demonstrates ability to analyze syntactic structures of a language and to apply common-ground terminology.

Progress to level 2: 

• Assist language team at a grammar workshop

• Research and present a grammatical topic at a conference or in another appropriate setting (2x)

Component 4: Can produce a write-up describing syntactic structures on the phrase, clause and sentence level.

Progress to level 2: 

• Submit (to journal or to REAP) a short technical or non-technical consultant-reviewed article on a grammatical topic

Rationale:

Dictionaries are a popular linguistic product. Therefore, some basic principles of dictionary making need to be at the disposal of all linguists, as well as the main concepts of lexical semantic analysis.

Component 1: Lexicography & Lexical Semantics general component

Progress to level 1:

• Take a course aligned with SIL’s SLOs on lexicography

• Dictionary & Lexicography Course

Component 2: Demonstrates basic knowledge of lexical semantics.

Progress to level 1:

• Take a course aligned with SIL’s SLOs on semantics and pragmatics

• Schmid, Hans-Jörg. 2020. The Dynamics of the Linguistic System: Usage, Conventionalization, and Entrenchment. Illustrated Edition. OUP Oxford.

• Two videos by Phil King on lexical relations  and prototype semantics in this playlist

Component 3: Knows the differences between different types of dictionaries.

Progress to level 1:

• Bo Svensén: A Handbook of Lexicography: The Theory and Practice of Dictionary-Making. 

• Atkins, B.T. Sue, and Michael Rundell. 2008. The Oxford Guide to Practical Lexicography. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• Newell, Leonard E. 1995. Handbook on Lexicography for Philippine and Other Languages. Manila: Linguistic Society of the Philippines.

• Bartholomew & Schoenhals 2020: Bilingual dictionaries for indigenous languages. 2nd edition.

• Webonary example dictionaries

Progress to level 2:

• Compare five dictionaries used in the country of assignment and note down their purpose, their intended audience, their structure, and their strengths and weaknesses

Component 4: Can set up and grow a simple dictionary project.

Progress to level 1:

• Ron Moe’s Introduction to Lexicography (within FLEx help resources)

Progress to level 2:

• Set up a FLEx database displaying multi-sense relationships, homonymy and polysemy

Rationale:

Insights from the discourse level complete the understanding of morphosyntactic phenomena and are indispensable for successful translation activities.

Component 1: Discourse Structures general component

Progress to level 1:

• Successfully complete a course aligned with SIL Standard Learning Objectives for Discourse

Progress to level 2:

• Assist at a discourse workshop in the country or area

Component 2: Knows how to research and describe the following discourse features in a language: text genres, participant reference, focus and topic, paragraph marking, foreground vs. background, discourse markers.

Progress to level 1:

• Dooley, Robert A., and Stephen H. Levinsohn. 2000. Analyzing Discourse: A Manual of Basic Concepts. Dallas: SIL International.

• Levinsohn, Stephen H. 2023. Self-Instruction Materials on Narrative Discourse Analysis. Dallas, Texas: SIL International.

• Levinsohn, Stephen H., Steve Nicolle, and Tim Stirtz. 2024. Discourse Analysis and Bible Translation. SIL International.

• Take the Digital Training Library Discourse Course

Progress to level 2:

• If available, read discourse grammar descriptions from the local context

• Write a short paper describing selected discourse features of a language with example applications to Scripture

Rationale:

All linguists benefit from basic sociolinguistic knowledge, as it impacts their own work in various foundational ways.

Component 1: Sociolinguistics general component

Component 2: Knows about the basic concepts of sociolinguistic studies, such as dialects, language varieties, language contact, language attitude, and language use.

Progress to level 1:

• Fasold, Ralph W. 1991. The Sociolinguistics of Society. 1st ed. Oxford New York, NY: Wiley-Blackwell.

• Karan, Mark E. 2011. "Understanding and Forecasting Ethnolinguistic Vitality". Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 32 (2): 137–49.

• Gary Simons: Sustainable Use Model (SUM) Sustaining Language Use: Perspectives on Community-Based Language Development | SIL Global

• Lahn, Carletta. 2024. “A Guide for Planning the Future of Our Language: A Participatory Approach to Community-Based Language Development.” In Participatory Linguistics: Methods and Case Studies from around the World, edited by Timothy Stirtz, Michael Cahill, and Philip Davison, 64–90. Language Documentation & Conservation Special Publication 29. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.

• Work through Language & Identity Journey

• Lewis, M. Paul, and Gary F. Simons. 2014. Sustaining Language Use. Pike Center for Integrative Scholarship. Dallas, Texas: Leanpub.

• Wardhaugh, Ronald, and Janet M. Fuller. 2021. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. 8th ed. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

Progress to level 2:

• Be familiar with all Ethnologue information for the languages of your area. 

• Observe or assist with a Language & Identity Journey workshop.

Component 3: Is able to draw sociolinguistic information on a given language situation from available sources

Progress to level 1:

• Get account at Ethnologue

Progress to level 2:

• Create a brief profile on sociolinguistic information for a particular language

Rationale:

A linguist needs to know how the results of linguistic work impact language assessment efforts, and how language assessment plays a role in the work of a linguist.

Component 1: Language assessment general component

Component 2: Understands about current language assessment methodology, including on sociolinguistic interviews, collection of statistical data, lexicostatistics, comparative method and dialect intelligibility testing.

Progress to level 1:

• Decker, Kendall D., and John Grummit. 2012. Understanding Language Choices: A Guide to Sociolinguistic Assessment. Dallas, Texas: SIL International.

• Karan, Mark E. 2011. "Understanding and Forecasting Ethnolinguistic Vitality". Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 32 (2): 137–49.

•  Lewis, M. Paul, and Gary F. Simons. 2014. Sustaining Language Use. Pike Center for Integrative Scholarship. Dallas, Texas: Leanpub.

• Lahn, Carletta. 2024. “A Guide for Planning the Future of Our Language: A Participatory Approach to Community-Based Language Development.” In Participatory Linguistics: Methods and Case Studies from around the World, edited by Timothy Stirtz, Michael Cahill, and Philip Davison, 64–90. Language Documentation & Conservation Special Publication 29. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.

• Casad, Eugene H. 1974. Dialect Intelligibility Testing. Summer Institute of Linguistics of the University of Oklahoma. (free pdf!)

• Understand the use of the following software packages:

  • Cog (word list comparison software), 

  • ArcGIS (mapping), 

  • R and R Studio (statistical analysis tool).

Component 3: Understands about language vitality and the EGIDS evaluation

Progress to level 2:

• Get account at Ethnologue.

Component 4: Can base strategic decisions about linguistic research on a thorough understanding of the available language assessment information

Progress to level 2:

• Read 5 language assessment reports and discuss the most relevant information learned for linguistic work with your mentor.

• Make a habit of contributing relevant information to the Ethnologue, Wikipedia, and other outlets found out through regular linguistic activities, such as workshops, visiting communities, etc.

Component 5: Can contribute relevant information on a given language to databases and organizations collecting language assessment information, such as Ethnologue, WALS, Glottolog, or SIL language status databases.

Progress to level 2:

• Make a habit of contributing relevant information to the Ethnologue, Wikipedia, and other outlets found out through regular linguistic activities, such as workshops, visiting communities, etc.

Component 6: Can contribute to and participate in entity language assessment committees.

Progress to level 2:

• Do that!

Component 7: Can participate in a language survey for a given language area particularly with linguistic tasks such as recording wordlists, conducting sociolinguistic interviews, doing lexicostatistics or comparing phonological systems.

Progress to level 2:

• Do that!

Rationale:

Practically all domains of linguistics benefit from the provision of computerized tools that enable the linguist to securely store information, to query large amounts of data, and to present information in a structured way. All linguists need to know which tools are available for their particular domain, and how to use them.

Component 1: Technology general component

Progress to level 1:

• Get basic introduction into the pertinent tools for your domain, such as:

  • FLEx

  • Phonology Assistant/Dekereke

  • Keyman

  • Dictionary App Builder

  • Saymore

  • Speech Analyzer/Praat

  • Audacity

  • Paratext

  • REAP/RAMP

Progress to level 2:

• attend courses for software that is relevant for your domain, such as:

  • FLEx Lexicography

  • FLEx Parser

  • ParaText

  • Keyman

  • FLExTrans

Progress to level 3:

• Help others use software that is relevant for your domain

• teach at a workshop on a linguistics software tool

Component 2: Understands the ways in which technology can support the work of a linguist.

Progress to level 2:

• Interview a linguistics consultant about which tools (s)he uses and why.

Component 3: Demonstrates sufficient word-processing skills.

Progress to level 1:

• Obtain editing experience using relevant tools such as

  • Excel

  • WORD/Open office/Libre office/ExLingPaper/LaTeX

  • PowerPoint

  • Zotero

Progress to level 2:

• Produce a properly formatted write-up and discuss the appearance with your mentor.

• Attend an Academic Writing Workshop

Progress to level 3:

• Help others with their academic writing

Component 4: Successfully uses the current domain-specific linguistic hard- and software tools, such as analysis software, recording devices, and archiving standards.

Progress to level 2:

• Set up tools in your domain for a specific language

Rationale:

The need for linguistic research needs to be justified and explained to colleagues, partners and donors.

Component 1: Awareness raising general component

Component 2: Knows how to influence administrators in SIL and partner organizations to invest time, resources and personnel into the research of linguistic structures.

Progress to level 1:

• Familiarize yourself with SIL’s core values, purpose, mission and vision

• Ask Chat GPT to summarise How to Win Friends and Influence People

Progress to level 2:

• Listen to the priorities and goals of the administrators, partners, and donors

• Collect stories that illustrate the need for linguistic research

• Maintain positive relations with partners, donors and administrators

• Participate in SIL internal communication forums such as the BT list or area communication letters

Component 3: Can encourage colleagues to publish their linguistic research findings.

Progress to level 1:

• Mike Cahill Article on motivation for publications

• Pike Center resources

• Explore Publishing Outlets, with understanding of advantages and disadvantages (list here: https://gateway.sil.org/display/ou2291ling/Publishing+outlets+for+descriptive+materials)

Progress to level 2:

• Attend a writing and editing workshop

• Provide feedback on two writings of others

• Guidelines for good feedback: HEA Feedback toolkit | Advance HE

Progress to level 3:

• Mentor someone on their way to publish a research write-up

• Conduct or assist at a local AWE workshop

Rationale:

All products of linguistic research are geared towards an intended audience and need to be presented in a way that meets the needs and expectations of this audience, which can come from a variety of differing educational and cultural backgrounds.

Component 1: Writing and Presentation general component

Progress to level 1:

• Regularly read linguistic descriptions and typological literature.

Progress to level 2:

• Regularly read linguistic descriptions and typological literature.

Progress to level 3:

• Regularly read linguistic descriptions and typological literature.

Component 2: Knows what concepts are relevant for linguistic description, and how they are approached in the literature

Progress to level 1:

• Read a full grammar of a language and note the level of description for each language feature, such as language examples and wording.

• Read four articles in peer-reviewed descriptive journals and note the way the topic is introduced, backed up with evidence and summarized.

Component 3: Can orally present linguistic findings and their application for language development to the language community, translation team or another non-technical audience

Progress to level 1:

• Attend a language community meeting where a language development issue is discussed after the language patterns relating to that issue are presented. Note how the language patterns are articulated and the discussion is informed by them.

Progress to level 2:

• At a language community meeting, present the language patterns that may inform a discussion about a language development issue.

Progress to level 3:

• Plan the discussion during a  language community meeting.

Component 4: Can discuss a problem issue in language development that results when development team members do not yet fully understand certain language structures, and can lead them through the structures in a way that will increase their ability to make informed language development decisions

Progress to level 1:

• Attend a participatory linguistics workshop and note how the facilitators organize lessons and data to lead speakers in the discovery of the language patterns, articulating the language patterns and their significance for language development when needed. 

Progress to level 2:

• Lead 5 sessions of a participatory linguistics workshop, organizing lessons and data so that speakers discover language patterns. Articulate the patterns and their significance for language development as needed.

Progress to level 3:

• Organize the content of a participatory linguistics workshop or a language development meeting involving representatives of the language community.

• Mentor others who present material at a participatory workshop or who lead a discussion at a language-community meeting.

Component 5: Can publish linguistic papers while following a given style-sheet and while interacting with peer reviewers, editors and academic publishers

Progress to level 1:

• Become confident in the use of the orthography of your academic language.

Progress to level 2:

• Attend an academic-writing-and-editing course.

• Publish two articles in a peer-reviewed journal. 

Progress to level 3:

• Help others to publish an article in a peer-reviewed journal. 

Component 6: Can write a language description, including its application to language development, for the language community, language development teams, government officials, educators or another non-technical audience

Progress to level 1:

• Read 5 non-technical language descriptions and note how language features are presented and described with simple wording and non-technical terms, and with data in context that is accessible for community members. 

Progress to level 2:

• Write non-technical descriptions of 10 language features and revise according to the feedback from the language community.

Progress to level 3:

• Give constructive feedback to colleagues writing up non-technical descriptions of language phenomena.

Component 7: Can present a linguistic topic at a professional meeting of linguists.

Progress to level 1:

• Attend 3 professional meetings and note which topics are relevant, how they are presented, and how to form appropriate questions and comments in response.

Progress to level 2:

• Present a paper at 2 professional meetings and afterwards request feedback from your mentor or peers.

Progress to level 3:

• Help others to prepare a presentation at a professional meeting, and give constructive feedback afterwards.

Component 8: Can use current authoring systems for achieving high academic standards with regard to data presentation, cross referencing, tables of content, indices and bibliographies

Progress to level 1:

• Become confident in the use of the orthography of your academic language.

• Read 3 papers written in different authoring systems, including one in XLingPaper.

Progress to level 2:

• Write a paper using the various features of an authoring system.

Progress to level 3:

• Help others in their use of authoring systems, so that their writing becomes more professional.

Component 9: Can edit and review linguistic papers written by others

Progress to level 1:

• Become confident in the use of the orthography of your academic language.

Progress to level 2:

• Attend an academic-writing-and-editing course.

• Review 3 linguistics papers before they are submitted for publication, giving feedback as you might expect the publisher to give.

Progress to level 3:

• Give a formal peer-review to a linguistic paper, or be the external reviewer of a linguistic dissertation.

This competency needs to be brought up to level 3 in order to qualify as a consultant, in spite of the current settings on the CBC website.

Rationale:

Knowledge of linguistics is important for the process of translating any kind of text, including scripture. The linguist needs to know the place and contribution of linguistics in the wider picture.

Component 1: Translation for linguists general component

Component 2: Understands the contributions of linguistics to translation in the areas of orthography development, morphosyntax, text grammar and semantics

Progress to level 1:

• Chapters by Schroeder, and Stirtz and Cahill in Quality in Translation

• Joswig: Grammar for translation powerpoint

• Levinsohn et al.: Discourse Analysis and BT

• Pauw "Discover Your Language Training in Papua New Guinea"

• Nicolle: Workshops in Discourse Analysis for Translation

• Bartsch:Mentored Participatory Discourse Linguistic Training

Progress to level 3:

• contribute to a discussion on key terms from a lexical semantics perspective.

Component  3: Can determine which linguistic contributions are needed in a given translation project, and prioritise their provision

Progress to level 1:

• Familiarise yourself with different potential linguistic contributions (deliverables) that could be offered to a project (grammar writeups, DYL courses, orthography development services).

• Evaluate the linguistic situation according to the Linguistics Standards and Deliverables website (not yet completed).

Progress to level 2:

• Assist a consultant in interacting with the translation team on the linguistics needs analysis.

Progress to level 3:

• Interact with a translation team on the needs for the project, and create an action plan, such as condensing a comprehensive grammar to a relevant 10-page document, or running a DYL course.

Component 4: Can advocate the pursuit of linguistic goals towards translation partners and donors

Progress to level 1:

• Grammar for Translation PPT

• Grammar for Translation video

Progress to level 3:

• Give a presentation to a relevant audience on the need for doing linguistics in Bible translation.

• Produce a short writeup on the need of linguistics in Bible translation.

Rationale:

Both linguists and anthropologists benefit from each other’s knowledge, and therefore a linguist needs to know what can be learned from anthropology, and what linguistics can contribute to the study of anthropology.

Component 1: Anthropology general component

Progress to level 1:

• attend anthropology course according to SIL SLOs for anthropology/ICC

Progress to level 2:

• Record in writing 5 anthropological field notes

Progress to level 3:

• maintain an anthropological database on a community related to your work

Component 2: Knows areas of  interaction between linguistics and anthropology

Progress to level 1:

• Read Merz et al: Translating the Bible with People for People. Discuss your observations with your mentor.

• Read Merz et al: What is Anthropology's Role in SIL?. Discuss your observations with your mentor.

• Subscribe to the Anthropology Allspice newsletter

• SIL Anthropology Resources

Progress to level 2:

• Interview an Anthropology consultant about specific sociocultural features of a community that inform linguistic structures or vice versa.

Progress to level 3:

• Research the authority structure, decision-making and information collecting processes of a community, their honorifics, and other behaviours that affect linguistic decision making or can assist linguists in more effectively working with the community.

Component 3: Is acquainted with anthropological literature on relevant ethnic groups in the language area.

Progress to level 2:

• Find and read the anthropological literature about the people of the language communities you work with, and their wider context. Provide feedback to your mentor.

Component  4: Can investigate linguistic questions, such as sociolinguistics, dialect formation, semantics and pragmatics from the perspective of how these are impacted by the realities of the speakers.

Progress to level 1:

• Read George Lakoff: Women, fire and dangerous things

Progress to level 2:

• Collect data where the anthropological environment impacts a linguistic feature of a language you are familiar with (e.g. kinship terms, deixis categories, semantic fields, honorifics).

Progress to level 3:

• Choose one of the features and write up your data as a short research paper.

Component  5: Can cooperate with anthropologists do document how people live, their understanding of the world and their language.

Progress to level 2:

• Seek out anthropologists working with the groups whose language you study, and maintain good professional relationships.

Rationale:

Some linguistic information may have an impact on Scripture Engagement strategies. Therefore, a linguist familiar with a particular language situation needs to know what information to pass on to SE planners.

Component 1: Scripture Engagement for linguists general component

Progress to level 1:

• Read Dye, T. Wayne. 2009. “The Eight Conditions of Scripture Engagement”. 

Component 2: Can research the linguistic information that is needed for SE planning.

Progress to level 2:

• Interview an SE consultant on the register of Scripture desired by local churches (so as to appropriately apply discourse analysis)

Component  3: Can pass on the relevant information on a given language situation to SE decision makers

Progress to level 2:

• Interview an SE consultant on the desires of local communities regarding materials in which media and which Scripture portions, etc.

Progress to level 3:

• Pass on information on sociolinguistics, orthography to SE practitioners

Component 4: Can evaluate a Scripture Engagement program from a linguistic perspective

Progress to level 2:

• Collect information about register and standard variety about a given language situation

• Give input about the reliability or acceptability of written materials based on their consistency or in how well they follow the proposed writing rules. 

Progress to level 3:

• Identify linguistic problem areas in the material or plan of a given SE project, with reference to relevant survey work, and propose next steps to the SE team

Rationale:

Orthography decisions are to a large part affected by the linguistic situation of the given language, but not entirely so. Therefore, linguists need to understand what linguistic data is needed for good orthography decisions, but they also need to understand that other factors may turn out to be even more important than linguistics in orthography design.

Component 1: Orthography general component

Progress to level 1:

• Take a 2-4 hour orthography lesson

• Do Lessons 1-9 of Cahill’s orthography videos

• ScriptSource Website

• Read “The Alphabet Makers”

• Read chapters 7 (linguistic factors) and 8 (non-linguistic factors) of Elke Karan’s thesis

• Read Cahill and Karan

• Other resources on the SIL literacy and education site for orthography

Progress to level 2:

• Successfully take an orthography course (such as by TWftW, Moorlands, iDelta)

• Complete Cahill’s videos (10-22)

• Read Cahill and Rice

• Online Orthography Course (see Elke Karan)

• Work through Orthography resources by Leila Schroeder

Component 2: Understands the many factors that affect orthography design: phonology and morphophonology; psycholinguistics; pedagogics; politics; sociolinguistics; technology

Progress to level 1:

• Read Smalley

• Consider the orthography of your language and the steps it would take to improve it

Progress to level 2:

• Read three reports of orthography decision workshops and isolate the various discussion points (the reasons for each decision)

• Read orthography statements and compare them to best practices

• Discuss with your mentor a list of your orthography related observations from a language project

Component  3: Can advise decision makers about linguistic problems with a given orthography

Progress to level 2:

• Observe an orthography decision event, with available knowledge of the linguistic structure of the language or neighboring languages. Discuss observations with a consultant.

Progress to level 3:

• Give appropriate linguistic input to orthography decision making

• Create a mock proposal for an orthography for a language of the region and discuss it with a consultant

Component 4: Can advise decision makers on linguistics factors during an orthography development event

Progress to level 2:

• Observe an orthography decision event, with available knowledge of the linguistic structure of the language or neighboring languages. Discuss observations with a consultant.

Progress to level 3:

• Create a presentation of the various options of a decision point in a way that the participants of a workshop can make an informed decision.

• Take responsibility for one aspect of an orthography decision making event, under consultant supervision

• Contribute to an orthography statement or report

Rationale:

Literacy decision makers to some extent depend on linguistic information about the subject language. Linguists therefore need to know where their expertise is of value to literacy efforts.

Component 1: Literacy general component

Progress to level 1:

• Read Trudell & Schroeder 2007 Reading Methodologies for African Languages

Component 2: Knows how the following factors are relevant for literacy decision making and material production: phoneme frequency, syllable structure, word length, morpheme boundaries, functional load of tone, morphosyntactic structures, discourse

Progress to level 1:

• Read Trudell: Key Principles of Literacy Acquisition in Africa

Progress to level 2:

• Interview literacy consultants in your area of specific instances where knowledge of linguistic structures of languages was helpful in literacy materials, and their recommendations for additional or alternate ways linguistics can be helpful.

• Interview an educator about the differences in structures between the dominant language and L1 and how these are reflected in teaching the L1, or what alternative ways of teaching them would be helpful.

Component  3: Can present linguistic factors relevant for literacy in a way that they can be used by literacy decision makers and textbook authors

Progress to level 2:

• Study a specific language curriculum and see where linguistic information is relevant.

• Compare the dominant language with a local language to see what transitional reading issues need to be addressed.

Progress to level 3:

• Advise a literacy project on linguistic factors.

• Advise a literacy project on transitional reading issues.

Component 4: Can determine which linguistic contributions are needed in a given literacy project, and prioritise their provision

Progress to level 2:

• Interview a literacy teacher, finding out the biggest challenges for reading having to do with language patterns and constructions, and what they recommend for improving the teacher training.

Progress to level 3:

• Interact with a language project about the need and priorities for linguistic intervention.

Component 5: Can advocate the pursuit of linguistic goals towards literacy project partners and donors

Progress to level 2:

• Accompany an experienced consultant in their interaction with literacy decision makers.

Progress to level 3:

• Give presentations to decision makers on all levels about linguistic products helpful for successful literacy.

Rationale:

Phonetics is the scientific foundation of all phonology research. Phonologists need to be able to read and write the International Phonetic Alphabet, and to distinguish all sounds of the language area. The ability to handle and interpret raw acoustic phonetic data becomes more important in the advanced proficiency levels of a phonologist.

Component 1: Knows and can apply the terminology of articulatory phonetics

Progress to level 1:

Progress to level 2:

Component 2: Can transcribe phonetics and to read phonetic transcriptions

Progress to level 1:

Progress to level 2:

Component  3: Can collect phonetic data in consistent word lists and paradigms

Progress to level 2:

Progress to level 3:

Component 4: Understands advanced concepts of articulatory, acoustic, and perceptual phonetics, including a good grasp of issues at the interface of phonology and phonetics

Progress to level 2:

Progress to level 3:

Component 5: Can use software tools for analyzing acoustic phonetic phenomena, such as segment length, pitch, and vowel formants

Progress to level 2:

Progress to level 3:

Rationale:

Segmental phonology is the first step in the phonological analysis of a language, and its results have an impact on further topics of phonological analysis, and form the solid foundation of morphosyntactic, semantic and pragmatic research in a language. It also serves as the linguistic basis for orthography decisions.

Component 1: Can apply methodology for basic phonological analysis of a language.

Progress to level 1:

Progress to level 2:

Component 2: Knows how a phonology description is structured, and what data needs to be included.

Progress to level 1:

Progress to level 2:

Component  3: Can analyze the segmental phonology of a language, and can write up the phoneme inventory of the language, including basic information on syllable structure, phoneme distribution, and harmony processes.

Progress to level 2:

Progress to level 3:

Component 4: Can describe the non-allophonic phonological processes of a language, such as epenthesis, elision, coalescence, assimilatory and dissimilatory processes, by observing changes happening in differing contexts.

Progress to level 2:

Progress to level 3:

Component 5: Is proficient with recurrent phonological phenomena of the language area, such as vowel harmony, gemination, metathesis, reduplication etc.; is well read in the relevant literature about these phenomena.

Progress to level 2:

Progress to level 3:

Component 6: Understands how phonological systems can change over time, how these changes can result in different phenomena between related languages, and how historic changes can also lead to apparent exceptions to otherwise well-established phonological processes.

Progress to level 2:

Progress to level 3:

Component 7: Can assist other linguists with writing a segmental-phonology write-up.

Progress to level 2:

Progress to level 3:

Component 8: Has working knowledge of at least some theories of phonology, or can understand write-ups of the phonology of a language which refer to major theories.

Progress to level 2:

Progress to level 3:

Component 9: Can apply at least one major theory in writing a phonological description.

Progress to level 2:

Progress to level 3:

Rationale:

Tone phenomena play a big role in the lexical and grammatical systems of many languages, and they require specific methods for their research. The phonology of a tonal language cannot be assumed to be sufficiently understood if its tonal phenomena are not understood.

Component 1: Knows current concepts and terminology regarding tonal phenomena

Progress to level 1:

Progress to level 2:

Component 2: Understands non-tonal suprasegmental phenomena, such as stress or nasality, and how they affect segmental and tonal phenomena.

Progress to level 1:

Progress to level 2:

Component  3: Can apply best practices and tried methodology for dealing with tonal phenomena

Progress to level 2:

Progress to level 3:

Component 4: Can write up a successful analysis of some tonal phenomena in a language well-known to the analyst

Progress to level 2:

Progress to level 3:

Component 5: Can apply knowledge of specific tonal phenomena prevalent in a given language area

Progress to level 2:

Progress to level 3:

Component 6: Can write up a comprehensive study of all observed tonal and other suprasegmental phenomena of a language, such as stress or nasality.

Progress to level 2:

Progress to level 3:

Component 7: Can teach in a tone-workshop

Progress to level 2:

Progress to level 3:

Rationale:

One of the ends of doing phonological analysis is orthography development. The more is known about the phonology of a language, the more confidently can decision makers approach the major and minor details of the orthography. But there are also other than linguistic factors that affect orthographies, and a phonology consultant needs to understand these to be more fruitful in his/her work.

Component 1: Understands the basic concepts of orthography design and development: matching of sound units and graphemes, the difference between lexical and post-lexical processes, order of graphemes, word boundaries, hyphenation, tone orthography, punctuation, capitalization.

Progress to level 1:

Progress to level 2:

Component 2: Can study the orthography of a given language and write up its advantages and disadvantages from linguistic and non-linguistic perspectives, such as psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, technology, politics, education.

Progress to level 1:

Progress to level 2:

Component  3: Can be involved in the design of an orthography, by advising the decision makers on the linguistic and non-linguistic aspects of their decisions.

Progress to level 2:

Progress to level 3:

Component 4: Can take up a teaching role in an orthography training course.

Progress to level 2:

Progress to level 3: