NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: North Slave Region

Tags: social sciences, linguistics, Tlîchô, education

Objective(s): To continue development of the existing on-line dictionary, available publically at http://tlicho.ling.uvic.ca; to develop an iPod/iPad/iPhone application of a "talking dictionary", building on the on-line dictionary database; and to develop templates for the production of new print editions of the primary dictionary and larger dictionary, building from the on-line dictionary database.

Project Description: The objectives of this research project are to: 1. continue development of the existing on-line dictionary, available publically at (http://tlicho.ling.uvic.ca); 2. develop an iPod/iPad/iPhone application of a "talking dictionary", building on the on-line dictionary database (this application is in its third testing version); 3. develop templates for the production of new print editions of the primary dictionary and larger dictionary, building from the on-line dictionary database; and 4. provide opportunities for community employment in dictionary research. The researcher will edit the existing dictionary database to make refinements, corrections, and additions to what is there now. This work can be done partly through work on the database itself by the researchers and research assistants and partly through interviews with people who know the Tlîchô language. The programmer will continue his work on improving the on-line dictionary, making it more user-friendly, and on completing the iPod application. The researchers will work with other Tlîchô language and culture specialists (including teachers) to add to the dictionary database. The researchers will work with elders and other knowledgeable people to add to the dictionary database. The researchers will access earlier research to add to the dictionary database. For this, recordings of the Tlîchô Community Service Agency (TCSA) Elders' Audio Database and potentially recordings of the Tlîchô Government, with permissions, will be accessible. The Tlicho Community Services Agency is the primary sponsor of this research. Consequently there are great opportunities for local involvement. Two of the three researchers are employees of the TCSA and are involved in this research as part of their work as language and culture coordinators. The products of the research--including the on-line Tlicho dictionary (http://tlicho.ling.uvic.ca), the iPod/iPad application, and print editions of the dictionary--have social, cultural, educational, and economic benefits in terms of use in schools and in employment and public life, as cultural and linguistic resources, as educational and social resources, and as focuses for possible future employment. This study's results will be available in the on-line Tlîchô dictionary. Instruction in how to use the dictionary will be provided to educators, students, staff members of local government and businesses, and members of the public through workshops. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from May 31, 2011 to December 31, 2011.