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When you’re working with language speakers to collect language information, you are doing elicitation. This is a shortened version of the Elicitation guide for collecting language information that will guide you through the basics of working with language speakers to elicit the best audio and most useful language information possible.
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Consider your speaker
Has your speaker given Informed consent to participate in recording?
How comfortable is your speaker? Are they going to feel the need to shift around, causing unintentional background noise? Are they sitting somewhere that they will be able to sit for long periods of time?
What is your speaker wearing? Are they wearing comfortable clothes? Are they wearing loose clothes or jewelry that will move or brush up against other things, causing unintentional background noise?
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How long will you be able to record for? Will you foreseeably be interrupted?
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It is best practice to record one continuous audio file. |
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General elicitation information
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Present tense paradigm for “to dance”
Form | Example |
|---|---|
1st person singular | I am dancing |
2nd person singular | You are dancing |
3rd person singular | She/he/it is dancing |
1st person plural | We are dancing |
1st person dual | We (just two of us) are dancing |
1st person inclusive | We (me and you) are dancing |
1st person exclusive | We (me and someone else or others but not you) are dancing |
2nd person plural | You guys are dancing |
2nd person dual | You guys (just two of you) are dancing |
3rd person plural | They are dancing |
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Make sure that you and the speaker you are working with clearly understand what you are eliciting or else you can get into a “who’s on first, what’s on second” situation! For example, if you ask a speaker how to say that you want the form for “you are dancing” they might think you are asking them to say “I am dancing”. |
| Tip |
For more information about other paradigms, as well as more detailed information about advanced categories, meaning categories, and more, read the full elicitation guide here:
Elicitation guide for collecting language information