Fieldwork

Verkhnaya Balkaria (Kabardino-Balkaria) 2013

Moscow State University Field Trips

Since 1967, the Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics at Moscow State University has been conducting linguistic field trips to study a typologically and genetically diverse set of languages. This project was started by Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Kibrik by a trip to Lak (Northeast Caucasian, spoken in Dagestan).

A unique property of this project is that it has always been focused on collective collaborative fieldwork. A group of researchers of all levels, from undergraduate first years to tenured professors, sets out to study a language in the field, living together, sharing data, experience and expertise, teaching, and simultaneously working on various aspects of the same language together (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics). Each trip takes two or three weeks, with trips being conducted regularly every year. The array of languages is a typologically and genetically diverse sample, which means that long standing members have a chance to work on a very diverse set of languages throughout their career.

I was very lucky to learn from A. E. Kibrik himself, when I started studying at MSU. Since the first year of my undergraduate program (2010) I joined the group lead by Svetlana Toldova that focuses on Uralic languages. Since my second year (2011) I have also been a member of the group lead by Sergei Tatevosov that focuses on Altaic languages.

As a member of this project, I have so far done fieldwork on 6 languages: Khanty, Mokhsa Mordvin and Hill Mary (Uralic, under the supervision of Svetlana Toldova); and Mishar Tatar, Karachay-Balkar and Barguzin Buryat (Altaic, under the supervision of Sergei Tatevosov) -- working on argument structure, aspect and modality, binding, scrambling and adjunct and subject islands.

This has provided me with unique experience in doing linguistics, teaching and supervising students, and collaborative work.

Tegi (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Orkug) 2012

Sipayek (Maine) 2020

Passamaquoddy Workshop at MIT

Since 2019 I have taken part in the Passamaquoddy Workhsop at MIT, organized by MIT PhD students Tatiana Bondarenko, Peter Grishin and Giovanni Roversi, MIT professor Norvin Richards, and MITILI graduate, Passamaquoddy native speaker Roger Paul.

The workshop's goal is to study Passamaquoddy (an Algonquian language, spoken in Maine, USA, and New Brunswick, Canada). So far we have conducted two short field trips, which have laid down the groundwork for future research. In 2020-2021 due to COVID-19, the workshop conducted elicitations on-line.

Passamaquoddy is definitely one of the most intriguing and interesting languages I have worked on so far, and I very much hope to continue this research in my future career.

Fieldwork experience: