Design and Implementation of Collaborative Language Documentation Projects

Academic work with endangered languages has been criticized for failing to consider speech community members' needs. Recent calls to better integrate speech community needs have led many researchers to explore the notion of collaborative language documentation. This chapter outlines phases in the planning and implementation of a community-collaborative language documentation project drawing from models of sustainable community development and the author’s own experience working with members of the Konomerume, Suriname community. The emphasis is on working with members of a speech community from the outset of a project rather than on “giving back” after academic needs have been met. Collaborative language documentation is defined, phases of a project are described, and potential challenges are discussed.