Language documentation tools and methods: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 04:03, 27 December 2018

Revision as of 21:05, 2 March 2019

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*[https://web.library.yale.edu/digital-initiatives/digitization-standards-and-guidelines/audiovisual Yale University Library] audiovisual guidelines

Most current archive standards for [[video]] use MPEG-4 (H264) as an encoding or storage format, which includes an AAC audio stream (generally of up to 320 kbpskbit/s). [[Sound quality|Audio]] archive quality is at least WAV 44.1 khzkHz, 16-bit.

=== Principles for recording ===

Since documentation of languages is often difficult, with many languages that linguists work with being endangered (they may not be spoken in the near future), it is recommended to record at the highest quality possible given the limitations of a recorder. For video, this means recording at HD resolution (1080p or 720p) or higher when possible, while for audio this means recording minimally in uncompressed WAV, 44.1khz1&nbsp;kHz, 16-bit resolution. Arguably, however, good recording techniques (isolation, microphone selection and usage, using a tripod to minimize blur) is more important than resolution. A microphone that gives a clear recording of a speaker telling a folktale (high signal/noise ratio) in MP3 format (perhaps via a phone) is better than an extremely noisy recording in WAV format where all that can be heard are cars going by. To ensure that good recordings can be obtained, linguists should practice with their recording devices as much as possible and compare the results to observe which techniques yield the best results.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Phonetic data analysis : an introduction to fieldwork and instrumental techniques|last=Ladefoged|first=Peter|date=2003|publisher=Blackwell Pub|isbn=978-0631232698|___location=Malden, MA|pages=|oclc=51818554}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Chelliah|first=Shobhana L.|last2=de Reuse|first2=Willem J.|date=2011|title=Handbook of Descriptive Linguistic Fieldwork|language=en-gb|doi=10.1007/978-90-481-9026-3|isbn=978-90-481-9025-6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Understanding linguistic fieldwork.|last=Meakins, Felicity; Green, Jennifer; Turpin, Myfany|publisher=|others=|year=2018|isbn=9781351330114|___location=London|pages=|oclc=1029352513}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|date=2011-11-24|editor-last=Thieberger|editor-first=Nicholas|title=The Oxford Handbook of Linguistic Fieldwork|url=http://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199571888.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199571888|language=en-US|doi=10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199571888.001.0001|isbn=9780191744112|publisher=Oxford University Press}}</ref>

=== Workflows ===

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=== Video+audio recorders ===

Recorders that record video typically also record audio as well. However, the audio does not always meet the criteria of minimal needs and recommended best practices for language documentation (uncompressed WAV format, 44.1khz1&nbsp;kHz, 16-bit), and is often not useful for linguistic purposes such as phonetic analysis. Many video devices record instead to a compressed audio format such as AAC or MP3, which is combined with the video stream in a wrapper of [[Digital video#Storage formats|various kinds]]. Exceptions to this general rule are the following Video+Audio recorders:

The [https://www.zoom.co.jp/products/field-video-recording/video-recording Zoom] series, particularly the [https://www.zoom-na.com/products/field-video-recording/video-recording/zoom-q8/specs Q8], [https://www.zoom.co.jp/products/field-video-recording/video-recording/q4n-handy-video-recorder#specs Q4n], and [https://www.zoom.co.jp/products/field-video-recording/video-recording/q2n-handy-video-recorder#specs Q2n], which record to multiple video and audio resolutions/formats, most notably WAV (44.1/48/96khz96&nbsp;kHz, 16/24-bit).

When using a video recorder that does not record audio in WAV format (such as most DSLR cameras), it is recommended to record audio separately on another recorder, following some of the guidelines below. As with the audio recorders described below, many video recorders also accept microphone input of various kinds (generally through an 1/8-inch or TRS connector) - this can ensure a high-quality backup audio recording that is in sync with the recorded video, which can be helpful in some cases (i.e. for transcription).

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=== ELAN ===

[[ELAN_softwareELAN software|ELAN]] is developed by [https://tla.mpi.nl/ The Language Archive] at the [[Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics]] in [[Nijmegen]]. ELAN is a full-featured transcription tool, particularly useful for researchers with complex annotation needs/goals.

=== FLEx ===

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*Prosodylab Aligner

*[[ESpeakNG|eSpeak]]

*[[HTK_HTK (software)|HTK]]

== Literature ==