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Dear Yahya,<br>
I am a research assistant at Ruth Berman's lab at Tel Aviv
university, where I have extensively used the CHILDES system in the
framework
of several studies on lexicon and morpho-syntax in both early and later
language development as well as on discourse development.
The system has proved itself an invaluable resource for multiple
analyses, as it is so well adapted to the needs of linguists and
language researchers.
Although the system requires you to "stick" to specific conventions
(which is an advantage in itself, as it enables you to compare
across databases), I have found it quite flexible, and was able to find
ways to implement whatever analysis needed. As to your statements, I
can say that:<br>
- Working first with MS Word and then converting to CHILDES is possible
(and rather easy), although you have to be careful when converting the
files, especially if you are going to use special fonts. But working
within CHAT mode is very easy and very efficient - not only can you
insert dependent tiers as you go along, you can insert main tier codes
(no need to copy-paste), work directly with sound files, and constantly
check your work and learn from your mistakes. Also, since CHAT files
are TXT
based, I don't see a reason for having difficulties in exporting to
other programs - on the contrary, I have found it much less complicated
than exporting
WORD documents, and there are even several CLAN utilities that can help
you perform
whatever adjustments you might need.<br>
- CLAN allows you to do much more than count codes or compute ratios,
for example, I have been able to use it for complicated automatic
analyses, automatically code extensive corpora at different levels,
create concordances, compute frequencies, analyze texts from specific
words
to entire units, compare parent input with child output and so
on. If you prepare the files according to instructions (for example,
use the ID tier), you can run a statistics utility (STATFREQ) which
enables you to
import data directly into Excel (and from there very easily into SPSS).
No need to type by hand. <br>
- It is also possible to overcome the problem of nested structures, it
is all a function of how you transcribe the main speaker tier and of
the codes you choose to use (and this is also a very good point - you
can use whichever codes you want, all you have to do is define
them). Even if there are things that can't be visually
represented within the file, you can always use a
special code. <br>
<br>
I hope my answer has been of help, and can only sum up by saying that I
highly recommend using the CHILDES system.<br>
Good luck with your work,<br>
Bracha Nir-Sagiv<br>
Department of Linguistics<br>
Tel-Aviv University<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Yahya E-rramdani wrote:<br>
<blockquote type="cite" cite="mid42B2F236.19926.179B02B@localhost">
<title></title>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Dear
Colleagues,</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size: 12pt;">In preparation of the transcription and the
analysis of data of a research on child language development (3-6
years), focussing on: lexicon, morpho-syntax and discourse, we have
been discussing the (dis)-advantages of using CHAT/CLAN programme. I am
listing below a number of statements on the disadvantages of using
CHAT/CLAN in data analysis. I would like from to hear from you whether
these statements are true or. </span></font></div>
<ul>
<li style="">
<div align="left"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size: 12pt;">We should reconsider whether to make
transcripts directly in CHAT or first in MS Word (and to export the
transcript as .rtf to CHAT or to another processor). Arguments contra
working directly in CHAT: less flexibility, more difficulties with
exporting to other programs. </span></font></div>
</li>
<li style=""><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size: 12pt;">There is discussion and careful consideration
needed how to do the actual coding. The classical CHAT-approach is
adding (and filling out) code-lines below each utterance. With the
analysis program CLAN a number of operations are possible, but as far
as we know it all boils down to counting codes per transcript or
computing a ratio. For further analysis, over sessions and subjects, a
form of exportation to SPSS (or EXCEL) is needed, but CHAT/CLAN seems
to lack direct options for that. Exportation will mean entering data
(that is, printed results from many CLAN-runs) in SPSS by hand.</span></font>
</li>
<li style=""><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size: 12pt;">Another disadvantage is that CHAT/CLAN seems
to have difficulties with dealing with different levels of aggregation,
that is, provides no explicit and easy ways of coding of the
‘multilevel/nested’ structure of the speech data. SPSS (or EXCEL) is
much more transparent in this respect and has procedures for computing
aggregate scores (and the reverse, for de-aggregating scores).</span></font></li>
</ul>
<br>
<div align="left"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size: 12pt;">We welcome all other comments on the use of
CHAT/CLAN in general. Thanks in advance.</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><br>
</div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Yours,</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><br>
</div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Yahya
E-Rramdani</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Tilburg
University</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Babylon:
Centre for Studies of the Multicultural Society</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Tilburg
University</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">PB
90153</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">5000
LE Tilburg</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The
Netherlands</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Tel:
+31 (0)13-466.20.27 </span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">FAx:
+31-(0)13-466.31.10</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://let.uvt.nl/GENERAL/PEOPLE/YE-RRAMD/">http://let.uvt.nl/GENERAL/PEOPLE/YE-RRAMD/</a></span></font></div>
<br>
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