SOAS Language Documentation/Description

ckrajcik

Hi! Is anyone doing the MA in Language Documentation and Description? I just got accepted Thursday :smile:

Let me know!

Reply 1

RoElz

Heya! Yep, I just got accepted a few days ago- exciting!!

School of Oriental and African Studies

London

Reply 2

ckrajcik

Awesome! Haha I thought I was the only one! Congrats!

Reply 3

ckrajcik

Have you applied to any of the scholarships? I'm a little nervous because one of my professors sent in her letter of recommendation today and the deadline was Friday... :/

So why language documentation for you? Do you have a specific community/language you want to work/are working with?

Reply 4

RoElz

I have... I very nearly missed the deadline as I didn't quite realise how soon it was :biggrin:

I felt a bit bad giving my tutors such short notice for references...

As for the course- I really enjoyed doing a module on linguistic typology in my final year and then I did my dissertation on TMA marking in Cameroon Pidgin English which kind of introduced me to the field of documentation/description.
What about you? Are you still at Uni? I graduated from Sussex last summer and I'm having a year out currently..

Reply 5

ckrajcik

Oooh that's so interesting! I love pidgin languages and creoles... last year I wrote a research paper on codeswitching among English, French, and Haitian Creole in Harlem (New York) - so much fun! I've travelled to Guatemala a few times and worked in a Mayan community, so I'd like to continue working with them on language preservation through bilingual education reform and language policy. I'm finishing up my last semester in New York then starting SOAS in the fall for the year! I'm really looking forward to doing something different... I wonder how many other people will be doing the MA with us - I haven't seen anyone else post about it! :P

Reply 6

CorregatoryNoises

Original post by ckrajcik

Hi! Is anyone doing the MA in Language Documentation and Description? I just got accepted Thursday :smile:

Let me know!

Hi. How is the course going? I'm considering this course myself, starting September. I was wondering if you know what jobs graduates from this course end up doing. I'm interested in revitalisation (mostly, but also documenting) native American languages, and this course looks like a fantastic entrance for someone with no formal linguistic background like myself. How about yourself?

Reply 7

GrahamC

Hi guys,

Just wondering if anyone in this thread is still around, did you start the course last year and if so, how is it going?

It sounds like a really exciting course and I'm doing my application for it now, fingers crossed I get accepted.

I really fancy getting the chance to work on revitalising an obscure endangered language!

Also, which pathway did people take, out of the two options?

Reply 8

yogun90

Hello everyone,

I just got accepted to study the MA in Language Documentation and Description starting in September. Could any of you tell me what your experience was with this course and whether you’ve been able to use it for work since completing?

I’ll be studying part time and I’m really looking forward to doing the course. I’m interesting in the revitalisation of languages for the purpose of promoting mother tongue education in West African countries. My family also speaks Yoruba and I plan to pick this up at SOAS and learn more about documenting the language.

It would be great to hear what you all focused on and whether or not you enjoyed the programme at SOAS.

Thanks!!!