The template consists of a series of questions that guide the researcher in eliciting and recording data on a language’s sentence structure, word order, and other grammatical features. By following the template’s structure, researchers can ensure that they are collecting comparable data across different languages, which enables cross-linguistic comparisons and the identification of linguistic universals.
The Grimes SIL Basic Survey Template is a valuable tool for linguists and language researchers, as it provides a systematic and comprehensive approach to language analysis. It has been widely used in language documentation, language comparison, and typological studies, contributing to our understanding of the diversity and structure of human languages.
Key Components of Grimes SIL Basic Survey Template
The Grimes SIL Basic Survey Template consists of several key components that guide the researcher in collecting data on a language’s syntax and grammar. These components include:
1. Sentence Structure: This section focuses on the overall structure of sentences in the language, including word order, phrase structure, and clause types.
2. Noun Phrases: This section examines the structure and function of noun phrases, including noun classes, modifiers, and possessive constructions.
3. Verb Phrases: This section analyzes verb phrases, including verb forms, tense, aspect, and mood.
4. Adpositional Phrases: This section investigates adpositional phrases, which express spatial, temporal, and other relationships between words and phrases.
5. Questions: This section examines the formation and structure of questions in the language.
6. Negation: This section analyzes the different ways in which negation is expressed in the language.
7. Coordination and Subordination: This section explores how sentences are combined and connected using coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.
These key components provide a comprehensive framework for analyzing and describing a language’s grammatical structure, making the Grimes SIL Basic Survey Template a valuable tool for linguistic research.
How to Create a Grimes SIL Basic Survey Template
The Grimes SIL Basic Survey Template provides a standardized framework for analyzing and describing the grammatical structure of a language. By following these steps, you can create your own survey template to document and analyze a language’s syntax and grammar:
1. Familiarize Yourself with the Template:
Begin by thoroughly reviewing the Grimes SIL Basic Survey Template to understand its structure and the types of data it collects. This will help you tailor the template to the specific needs of your research.
2. Define the Scope of Your Survey:
Determine the specific aspects of the language’s grammar that you want to focus on. This will help you select the most relevant sections of the template and any additional questions you may need to include.
3. Gather Data from Native Speakers:
Collaborate with native speakers of the language to elicit and record data on its grammatical structures. Use the survey template as a guide to ensure that you are collecting consistent and comprehensive information.
4. Analyze the Data:
Once you have gathered sufficient data, analyze it carefully to identify patterns and structures in the language’s grammar. Compare your findings to the data collected from other languages using the same template to identify similarities and differences.
5. Create a Language Profile:
Based on your analysis, create a language profile that summarizes the grammatical features of the language. This profile can serve as a valuable resource for further research and documentation.
By following these steps, you can create a Grimes SIL Basic Survey Template tailored to your research needs and contribute to the understanding and documentation of the world’s languages.
The Grimes SIL Basic Survey Template is a valuable tool for linguists and language researchers, providing a standardized framework for analyzing and describing the grammatical structure of languages. It enables cross-linguistic comparisons, the identification of linguistic universals, and contributes to our understanding of the diversity and complexity of human languages.
By providing a systematic and comprehensive approach to language analysis, the Grimes SIL Basic Survey Template has facilitated significant advancements in the fields of linguistics, language documentation, and language typology. Its continued use will undoubtedly contribute to a deeper understanding of the world’s languages and their structures, enriching our knowledge of human communication and cognition.
