Language Survey

Of the more than 6,900 reported languages in the world today, a little less than half still need to be studied by language surveyors. Put simply, language survey is hands-on language research.

This step is foundational to translation work and shows where the need is most critical. Surveyors travel to towns and villages, listening to and recording different languages and their dialects.

By working in small groups, surveyors are able to tap into each of the talents needed to accomplish the task. Teams also provide the diverse perspective needed to understand unfamiliar languages and cultures.

By studying the information gathered by language surveyors, governments, missions, churches and non-governmental organizations can make good decisions as to where to allocate resources for translation and literacy work.

Girl holding an alligator In many areas people speak more than one language. "In fact, a multilingual environment is part of the daily experience of the vast majority of people in the developing world," wrote linguist Clinton D. W. Robinson. In some cases, a people group may be adequately bilingual in a language that already has a Bible translation. If this is the case, translation may not be necessary.

Interested in working in language survey?

You can do language survey for two years or more in many countries around the world.

Search for open language survey positions

Real Survey Reports: SIL Electronic Survey Reports (SILESR) are published by SIL International. These reports highlight sociolinguistic surveys carried out by SIL field members and others. They are usually preliminary work papers and not presented as polished research. They are based on field notes and are in some cases the work of young sociolinguists with minimal training.

BITS OF INFO ABOUT SURVEY:

Laying dead batteries in the sun for a while gets a few more minutes' use from them. This also works for dead surveyors!
- Notes on Sociolinguistics vol 5, p 141

Although purposes of surveyors may differ, a survey is usually done to answer the question, "What's out there?"
- Frank Blair, Survey on a Shoestring, 1990, p 5

A survey team was finishing up the work in a country where they began researching languages and language use three years ago. The most recent addition to the survey team wrote, "It has been a good challenging time here so far. I've been stretched and humbled in many ways and areas. I'm learning more and more that life is all about trusting and obeying God." Please stop and pray for survey teams and the language groups among whom they have worked.

Pray that language groups will catch the vision of and assist in language development, leading to an interest in having and using the Word in their own language.

Ask God to send just the right people for projects in the languages of sensitive countries in His time and in His way.
Pray for teams to be attuned to God's leading as they write up strategy recommendations for future work in the language groups.

The Fourth World

"Minority language communities in Africa can be considered as part of the 'Fourth World' in economic, social and cultural terms.... '[I]n much of Africa, some 90% of the people have no knowledge of the official language of their country, even though it is presumed to be the vehicle of communication between the government and its citizens'".
- linguist Clinton D. W. Robinson

...I fear we may be shortchanging God and people of the world who are still without God's Word in their own language. As a matter of Christian integrity, I find it very difficult, if not impossible, to ask God to do less for them than He has already done for me.
- George Cowan, President Emeritus, Wycliffe International

Time

The amount of time needed to complete a survey depends upon the scope of the survey, the nature of the geographic area, the number of ethnolinguistic groups, and the size of the survey team. As a very general rule of thumb, it takes about three months for an experienced team of two people to survey a single ethnolinguistic community in a single district, where a district is an area that can be traversed in two days time.
- Frank Blair, Survey on a Shoestring, 1990, p10

Word lists should always be written on paper with ruled lines. A copy book is a convenient place to write word lists as it prevents loose pages from being accidentally lost and can also be used for other information on the language. The language name should be written at the top of each column of word lists. Write the English gloss on the same line as the word elicited. This ensures that the word list is useful to someone who may not have a copy of the master list. It also helps prevent mistakes caused by accidentally skipping a word.

If the word list is going to be taped, the tape should also have recorded on it all the relevant information about the language and people involved in the elicitation.... Frank Blair, Survey on a Shoestring, 1990, p30

Equipment 1990s

Equipment needs vary according to the type of survey being conducted. The following list of equipment is a typical field kit for a survey which involves a study of dialect areas, bilingualism, language use, and language attitudes.
1. two tape recorders (preferably with noise reduction circuits; one of these may be a tape player only)
2. microphone (preferably unidirectional)
3. patch cord (suitable for dubbing from one tape recorder to the other)
4. four to six headphones
5. Y-adapters (suitable for plugging more than one headphone into a single headphone jack)
6. two battery boxes (voltage should match that of the tape recorders)
7. five to ten sixty-minute tapes
8. spare batteries
9. copies of the word list and any questionnaires to be used
10. small notebooks, pens, pencils
(Frank Blair, Survey on a Shoestring, 1990, p11)

Equipment Update: 2003

A surveyor writes:
Here's the list of equipment that we use on every survey:
1. Minidisc recorders & blank discs - any of the handheld, ultra-portable units
2. Rechargeable AA/AAA batteries - or other sizes as needed for electronic equipment
3. Portable solar-powered battery charger - for use on longer surveys when batteries run low
4. Digital camera - for documenting the survey (great for newsletters home!)
5. GPS unit - to accurately record locations on survey (as most of the maps are ancient and not completely reliable)
6. Satellite phone - for use in case of emergency and/or to check in with the main center
7. Palm handheld computer - centralizes your notebook, Bible, survey plan, emergency contacts and procedures, etc. Soon will be used for taking wordlists and other survey tests

I think these are the most common tools that we take with us. We do still use paper and pen, but are moving more toward completely digital surveys. This list should give the correct idea that survey is and is continuing to become a very state-of-the-art process.

(Please note: The items on this list will vary according to the needs of the region and of the individual team. Some items may be furnished by the group and not purchased by the individual team members.)