Bridging the Gap between Language Documentation and Description for Effective Linguistic Research

Abstract

Language Documentation and Language Description have been treated as different fields within Linguistics over the years and this has widened the gap between these two fields even though they interrelate at the data and analysis levels. Language Documentation is a relatively new research area in Linguistics which focuses on multimedia development and digital archiving of endangered languages, while Language Description provides description and analysis of language data. This linguistic research gap has contributed to the retarded process of documentation, analysis and accountability of endangered languages in Nigeria. This paper therefore aims at proposing strategies that will bridge the gap that exists between these two fields. The proposed approach is primarily through collaboration between them and other related fields such as Computer Science. For effective collaboration, workshop training and seminars on Natural Language Processing Toolkit, descriptive and documentary theories and practices are organised to balance the information flow between these two fields. Collaboration between them should yield substantial language output for the language and linguistic research communities. Furthermore, the collaboration should address delay, funding and human resources involved in the processes of describing and documenting languages. Data for this study were obtained through fieldwork in the Ibibio community (Nigeria). This approach should ensure effective linguistic research in the 21st Century, where digital research is at the forefront.