A scalable method for preserving oral literature from small languages, Steven Bird, Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Asia-Pacific Digital Libraries, Gold Coast, Australia (June 2010)

Abstract: Can the speakers of small languages, which may be remote, unwritten, and endangered, be trained to create an archival record of their oral literature, with only limited external support? This paper describes the model of Basic Oral Language Documentation, as adapted for use in remote village locations, far from digital archives but close to endangered languages and cultures.  Speakers of a small Papuan language were trained and observed during a six week period. Linguistic performances were collected using digital voice recorders. Careful speech versions of selected items, together with spontaneous oral translations into a language of wider communication, were also recorded and curated. A smaller selection was transcribed. This paper describes the method, and shows how it is able to address linguistic, technological and sociological obstacles, and how it can be used to collect a sizeable corpus.  We conclude that Basic Oral Language Documentation is a promising technique for expediting the task of preserving endangered linguistic heritage.

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Today, there was a presentation on Basic Oral Language Documentation at the Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies in Port Moresby.  The presenters were IPNGS staff Naomi Faik-Simet, Peter Wahanduo, John Himugu, Edward Gende, and Balthazar Moriguba.  The session included an overview of the BOLD methodology, covering techniques for data collection in the field, and explaining the importance of recording, documenting, and preserving linguistic data.  Participants included IPNGS staff, along with members from the National Cultural Commission.  (Source: Don Niles, Acting Director, IPNGS)

Last week, there was another workshop on technology for language preservation, this time in the Linguistics Department at the University of PNG in Port Moresby.  20 participants came for the three days, representing many mainland and island provinces.  Apart from UPNG staff and students, a third of the participants were from two government agencies, namely the Institute for Papua New Guinea Studies, and the National Cultural Commission.  Both agencies are already active in preserving cultural heritage.

Dr Sakarape Kamene, head of the Department of Linguistics, said: "We are very excited about these new methods for preserving oral literature.  The technology and the methods for record keeping are simple but highly effective.  We will teach students how to use the recorders in our field methods classes, and they will be able to do the collection work when they go back to their villages."

In the closing session on Thursday, participants were given the challenge to apply the complete BOLD protocol to at least one narrative and one dialogue over the coming year, so that we can publish a book and a CD with material from each of 100 PNG languages.  At the end of the workshop, the recorders were formally received by Dr Matthew Leavesley, Assistant Dean of Humanities on behalf of the university (see photos).  Dr Jim Robins from the National Research Institute, who had helped process the voice recorders through PNG customs, attended the session and congratulated the group on their work on language preservation.

The 12 month period of audio capture, oral annotation, and transcription officially begins today, International Mother Language Day 2010.

Update: [2010-03-02] A story in the Post Courier, 22 Feb, can be seen here.

The workshop at Divine Word University was run in a two-day intensive mode, on Friday afternoon and all day Saturday.  Thirty two staff and students, plus two PBT staff, representing some 20 languages, joined in the Friday session and learnt how to explain the goals of language preservation to tokples speakers, how to operate voice recorders, and how to log the recordings.  About a third of the undergraduate students only had the ability to hear their tokples, and were unable to speak it.  Few participants had heard that Madang Province has a greater density of languages than just about anywhere else on the planet.

The 3-day workshop on digital technology for language preservation began at the University of Goroka yesterday.  The proceedings began at noon with lunch and formal introductions coordinated by Robert Baraka (lecturer, Dept of Language and Literature), involving Anne-Marie Wanamp (Head, Language and Literature), David Avei-Hosea (Dean, Humanities), and Prof Gairo Onagi (Vice Chancellor).  They expressed the University's commitment to the workshop, and for activities to promote language preservation using appropriate technology.  The dean's address is posted here.

Thirty one Papua New Guineans are participating, speaking 25 languages from across PNG including the following provinces: Bougainville, Eastern Highlands, East New Britain, East Sepik, Morobe, Sandaun, Simbu, Southern Highlands, Western, Western Highlands.  Twelve are UOG staff, 5 are senior representatives from the local Alekano community, and 14 are third or fourth year students taking courses in the Department of Language and Literature.  Three SIL members have come across from Ukarumpa to support the workshop.

The program includes short presentations on language preservation, demonstrations involving the BOLD methodology, sessions where participants go out in pairs and practice eliciting oral discourse and do the respeaking and oral translation tasks.  In the summary sessions each day, participants demonstrate to the class what they have learnt, and we rectify any remaining issues with recording techniques.  We close with volunteers singing songs from their villages, to remind us that our real purpose concerns language, not technology.

During February, staff and students at three PNG universities are offered training in language preservation, including techniques for recording, transcribing and translating stories, dialogues and songs from local languages ("tokples").  The training takes 10 hours, and is spread over 3 days.  Participants will learn how to apply the technique of Basic Oral Language Documentation to help preserve their ancestral language, and their cultural heritage.
If you wish to participate in the workshop and the language preservation activities, please sign up here.

Olympus Imaging Corporation, Japan, has donated 100 digital voice recorders to be used for recording oral discourse in Papua New Guinea.  Four VN5200PC recorders were trialled in the Eastern Highlands Province in 2009, and found to be exceptionally robust and easy to use.  They include a built-in microphone and speaker, with ample fidelity for careful transcription work, avoiding the need to plug in external microphones and speakers.  The recorder holds 32 hours of compressed audio at the highest quality recording setting, and two alkaline AAA batteries provide enough power for filling the recorder without a battery change.