18.1738, Support: Bom, Krim & Lang Documentation: Open Student, Portland State U

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LINGUIST List: Vol-18-1738. Thu Jun 07 2007. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 18.1738, Support: Bom, Krim & Lang Documentation: Open Student, Portland State U

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1)
Date: 06-Jun-2007
From: Tucker Childs < childst at pdx.edu >
Subject: Bom, Krim & Language Documentation: Open Student, Portland State University, OR, USA

 

	
-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2007 10:58:50
From: Tucker Childs < childst at pdx.edu >
Subject: Bom, Krim & Language Documentation: Open Student, Portland State University, OR, USA 
 

Institution/Organization: Portland State University 
Department: Krim Documentation Project 
Web Address: http://www.ling.pdx.edu/childs/DKB.html 

Level: Open 

Duties: Research
 
Specialty Areas: Language Documentation 
African Languages, Field Linguistics 
Required Language(s): Bom (bmf)
                      Krim (krm) 

Description:

The Project for the Documentation of the Krim and Bom Languages (DKB) is a
two-and-a-half-year project (Sept 2007 - May 2010) funded by the Hans Rausing
Endangered Languages Project (SOAS, University of London) and the National
Science Foundation (USA). The site of DKB is the southern coast of Sierra Leone
(West Africa) in a low-lying area of tidal estuaries and mangrove swamps. Field
conditions are difficult; the research site is beautiful but can be reached only
by boat. A solar-power system will be the source of power for recording
equipment, computers, etc.

The purpose of the DKB is to document the dying language Krim (krm) with several
score speakers, and possibly the even more threatened language Bom (bmf), which
had only one partial speaker during the 2006 pilot study.

See the website listed above for additional information on the
project. The web site http://www.ling.pdx.edu/childs/MDP.html contains an early
characterization of an earlier project on the related language Mani (buy).

Research assistants are sought with the following qualifications. (Please note
that it is not expected that any one candidate will have all of the
qualifications listed below.) The qualifications in the first group are required.

-  Availability: Jan-May 2008 and/or Jan-May 2009
-  Graduate degree or graduate standing in Linguistics, (Linguistic)
Anthropology, or a related discipline
-  Linguistic training, an interest / some experience in linguistic fieldwork
-  Speaking ability in English

The qualifications in the second set are desirable but not all are required.

-  Adaptability to or familiarity with third-world living conditions
-  Willingness to learn other languages, including the project working languages
Krio (kri, an English-based extended pidgin (also a creole), one of the national
languages of Sierra Leone) and Mende (men, the language to which Krim and Bom
speakers have switched)
-  Willingness to train others to perform linguistic fieldwork
-  Film-making expertise and/or experience
-  Speaking ability in Mende and/or Krio

Two periods of participation are possible, over one or two years, with each year
consisting of a five-month fieldwork stretch from approximately January to May.
There are two research assistantships available each year. In addition to the
RAs, other members of the research team are the following (all from Sierra
Leone): the co-PI from Fourah Bay College in Freetown, one advanced graduate
student, two years' worth of Honours students enrolled in the Linguistics
Programme at Fourah Bay College, and the Krim and Bom speech communities.

Compensation consists of a monthly stipend of US $900; in addition, all field
expenses will be covered by the project. These include transportation, visas,
inoculations, insurance, living expenses in-country, etc.

Please send a letter expressing your interest, a CV, and the names of two
referees (with contact information), who can be reached by email or telephone.
Please state whether you would prefer a one-year or a two-year stint.
Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled, but I would like
to reach a decision before the 1st of August since there is the possibility of a
week-long course of training at SOAS 5-11 Sept 2007. Should you require further
information, please contact Tucker Childs directly. 

Application Deadline: 07-Nov-2007 

Mailing Address for Applications:
	Attn: Tucker Childs 
	Department of Applied Linguistics, Portland State University 
	P.O. Box 751 
	Portland OR 97202-0751 
	USA 	
	
Web Address for Applications:  

Contact Information: 
	Tucker Childs 
	childst at pdx.edu 
	Phone:(503) 725-4099






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