Fundamentals in Informed Elicitation and Language Documentation (FIELD)

• Date: 11th November 2025
• Time: 10:30 am-5:30 pm
• Venue: School of Languages and Linguistics, Jadavpur University
• Number of Participants: 30

Resource persons

• Dr. Vijay D’Souza, Director, North Eastern Institute of Language and Culture
• Dr. Sujoy Sarkar, Lecturer and Junior Research Officer, Central Institute of Indian Languages
• Dr. Atanu Saha, Associate Professor, School of Languages and Linguistics, Jadavpur University

Description

This one-day workshop on language documentation aims to introduce participants to the theoretical, methodological, and technological aspects of documenting endangered and under-described languages, with a special focus on the Indian context. The workshop is designed for students, early-career researchers, community workers, and language activists, and will accommodate 30 participants. The workshop will serve as a pre-conference workshop for the 47th International Conference of the Linguistic Society of India (ICOLSI-47) to be held between 12th-14th November 2025.

Workshop Objectives

• To provide a foundational understanding of language documentation theory and practice.
• To train participants in ethical field methods and data collection techniques involving human subjects, with emphasis on informed consent and community collaboration.
• To introduce key tools for linguistic annotation and analysis, including ELAN, FLEx, and SayMore.
• To highlight best practices in language archiving, metadata standards, and digital preservation.
• To encourage community mobilisation and language revitalisation efforts through participatory approaches.

Key Features in a nutshell

The workshop will focus on practical demonstrations on data collection, transcription, and annotation. Hands-on training using actual linguistic software tools will be given to the participants. We will also keep a session on ethical issues in working with human subjects and indigenous communities. This workshop is likely to witness some resource sharing including manuals, reading lists, and sample templates for informed consent and metadata documentation.

Registration and expression of interest

Interested participants may fill out this form to show their interest to join the workshop latest by 10th October 2025.