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Field Work on Oirat language in Xinjiang province (China)

Field Work on Oirat language in Xinjiang province (China). Summer, 2005. Linguistics field work issues (20 mins) a. Introduction to the project b. Problems and suggestions c. Photos and video materials Level of endangerment of Oirat language in Xinjiang (10 mins)

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Field Work on Oirat language in Xinjiang province (China)

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  1. Field Work on Oirat language in Xinjiang province (China) Summer, 2005

  2. Linguistics field work issues (20 mins) • a. Introduction to the project • b. Problems and suggestions • c. Photos and video materials • Level of endangerment of Oirat language in Xinjiang (10 mins) • Samples of comparative analyses of the data (20 - 25 mins) • a. /-ke/-xe/ alternation in Xinjiang Oirat • b. Erosion of vowel harmony in Xinjiang Oirat • Past tense markers: /-la/-l/, /-de/-te/, and /-va/-v/ • video (if time permits)

  3. Field Trip Grant Foundation for Endangered Languages at School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London, UK. Title of the ProjectDevelopment of teaching materials for Kalmyk language classes; Comparative studies of Kalmyk and Oirat

  4. Duration of the project: 1 year (June 2005 – June 2006) Stage 1: Field work on Oirat language in Xinjiang province (China) June 2005 - August 2005 Stage 2: Field work on Kalmyk dialect in Kalmyk Republic (Russia) March 2006 – June 2006

  5. Xoug Sr Bain Bulg Urumqi Xd n Korla

  6. Collected material • Audio recordings (mostly done directly in Praat ) • Transcriptions in IPA • Phonology: 200 word Swadesh list (2), loan words (1), items on vowel harmony (3) • Intonation: 71 read stories (7), 2 the same read stories (6), questions (3), ceremonial texts (4) • Dangr (2), dialogues, free conversations. • Syntax: picture descriptions, questions, self-introductions • Notes • verbal forms (morphemes), relative clauses, passive voice • Photos and video recordings • Cultural exchange: songs, customs (wedding, ceremonial narratives), dances, interviews of Oirat • shepherds, teachers, Mongolian school authorities; everyday life activities • (cooking national dishes, etc.)

  7. Before the trip • Grant application - plan in advance! • Suggestions • Contact the language community (if possible) • Check the weather conditions (it can snow in summer) • Check location (Oirats migrate every season) • Learn about the situation with the power supplies • Equipment and software (Olympus DS 2200, Edirol R1, Praat) • Try your recording equipment and software before the trip • (my Shoebox problem, voltage converter) • Medication • Budget (grant application) • Don’t forget to include all the costly items • a. Solar battery: ICP Solar 04340 PowerFlex 40 Solar Panel (around $ 550) • b. International warranty for the laptop (up to $500)

  8. In the field • Language consultants • Dialects (distribution, geography, and population) • L1 or L2 (multi-lingualism) • Power of the written form (xar keln vs. prescriptive grammar) • language teachers vs. ranchers • Payment (no monetary rewards to elderly people) • Work place • Immersion into the language vs. independence • Customs • Being a guest (What to bring?) • Who sits where? (age discrimination) • Local time (punctuality; 10pm appointments) • Be aware of the requirements for the foreigners • Avoid getting your hosts in trouble

  9. Data analysis • Analyze data while in the field • Learn the language (Oirat yes/no, Yrymch(d)) • Collect data for a specific reason • Linguistic literature (digitized) • Contact your colleagues for advise (if possible) • 2 -3 months might be too short for a broad documentation

  10. Level of Endangerment of Oirat language • Ethnolinguistic situation in Xinjiang • Multilingualism among Oirats • (based on 2.5 month experience) • Recent language policy • Self-esteem • Statistics on Mongolian schools • Perspectives for the future

  11. Ethnolinguistic situation in Xinjiang • Great Diversity • 47 ethnic groups, 13 of which have lived in Xinjiang for many generations • Surrounded by eight countries: Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan, • Tadzhikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. • Population in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Province • Uyghur nationality- more than 6 million ( 45% of the entire population) • Hannationality (Mandarin Chinese) - 5 million • Kazax - 900,000 • Hui nationality - 600,000 • Mongol nationality (Oirat) - 170,000 • Kirgiz nationality - 120,000 • Xibe nationality - 30,000 • Mandarin Chinese is used by the representatives of all the nationalities

  12. Multilingualism among Oirats (based on 2.5 month experience) 0-20 Chinese (L1) >> Oirat (L2) 20-40 Chinese/Oirat = Oirat/Chinese >> Uighur>>Kazax Fully bi/multilingual 40-70 Oirat/Chinese >> Chinese/Oirat >> Uighur >> Kazax bi/multilingual with Oirat as L1 70 + Oirat >> Chinese >> Uighur>>Kazax Monolingual Oirats Let’s watch video!

  13. Recent language policies a. 1982 reform (Hudum Bichig) b. Welcome to Chinese schools c. Unemployment among Oirat teachers Self-esteem a. Low level of education in Mongolian schools (200 scores lower) b. Advantages of fluent Chinese Children of rancher spend only 4 months with their parents

  14. Statistics Beginning of 1990s - 167 Mongolian schools By 2005 out of 167 schools: 82 % have been closed (137) 10 % have been reorganized (16-17) 8% have remained (13-14) Note: in reorganized schools the language of instruction for all subjects is Chinese; Mongolian language is taught to Mongolian children 2-4 hours per week. By 2002 in Xinjiang: Total number of students in Mongolian schools is 17270 (10%), including 7-11 years old – elementary school – 10507 12-14 years old - middle school - 4897 15-18 years old - high school - 1876 Summer 2005 – only two monolingual Mongolian schools In my estimation less than 2000 Oirat children study in monolingual Mongolian schools

  15. Perspectives for the future Bleak Less than 2% of the population study Oirat in monolingual Mongolian school

  16. Thank you for the help Ken Rehg, Laura Robinson, Lisa Ebeling, Alexandr Vovin, Victoria Anderson, Maria Faehndrich

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