Language Documentation, Field-work Training Models, and Computational Tools for Understanding Linguistic Stability and Change

熟练掌握一种共同语言是开展基本贸易和商业以及其他社会职能所必需的。 然而，人们可以在村、市、州和国家一级观察到既定的区域性差异。 来自布法罗纽约州立大学的杰弗里·古德试图解释种族、社会阶级、性别、声望和地区等因素，这些因素有助于维持语言或方言变体之间的语言差异。 了解哪些因素可能破坏一个地区的语言平衡是很重要的，因为这些因素也可能导致其他社会不稳定。通过分析三年来自然的非提示语言，并系统地将语言使用与社会环境和沟通网络联系起来，Good将寻求撒哈拉以南非洲高度多语言社区持续语言保持，变化或转变的解释，特别是喀麦隆下丰戈姆地区的各种班托语族。 每一种语言和方言的研究将由当地学者在良好的监督和他的团队。 将开发一种新的计算工具，以支持参与研究的当地学者收集的大量原始音频、视频以及转录和翻译数据的数据管理。这方面的工作将产生计算模型和软件资源的其他文件项目，寻求雇用大型团队在数据收集。

Proficiency in a shared language is needed for carrying out basic trade and commerce as well as other social functions. Nevertheless, one can observe established regional varieties at village, city, state, and country levels. Jeffery Good from the State University of New York at Buffalo, seeks to explain factors such as ethnicity, social class, gender, prestige, and region which help maintain linguistic differences across language or dialect varieties. It is important to know which factors might destabilize the linguistic balance in a region as these same factors might also lead to other social instability.Analyzing natural un-prompted language over a three-year period and systematically linking language use to social situations and communication networks, Good will seek explanations for persistent language maintenance, change, or shift in highly multilingual communities of Sub-Saharan Africa, specifically various Bantoid languages of the Lower Fungom region of the Cameroon. Each language and dialect under study will be documented by local scholars under the supervision of Good and his team. A new computational tool will be developed to support data management for the vast quantities of raw audio, video, and transcription and translation data gathered by local scholars who will take part in the research. This aspect of the work will produce both computational models and software resources for other documentary projects that seek to employ large teams in data collection.