In 2017 and 2019, I co-taught (with Professor Wang Dehe of Xichang College) the Fieldwork Methods class at the Sino-Tibetan Linguistics Research Methods Workshop. The workshop is part of the educational partnership plan between Nankai University and the Smithsonian Institution, who invite world-renowned linguists from China and abroad and bring together students engaged in minority language study to learn about modern linguistic theory and methods in order to advance the study of Sino-Tibetan languages and encourage communities in the conservation and development of their languages.

Sino-Tibetan Linguistics Research Methods Workshop

The Workshop's curriculum is oriented around classes on the fundamentals of modern linguistic theory, linguistic field methods, and Sino-Tibetan language research. The core curriculum centers on practical field research methods, divided into classes on "morphosyntax investigation and analysis" and "phonetics and phonology investigation and analysis". Under the guidance of leading experts, students and language teachers worked together conducting linguistic investigation, documentation and analysis in class. Other classes include seminars in which experts and students engage in discussion, lectures on expert topics and student-led salons.

Sino-Tibetan Linguistics Research Methods Workshop

Our course "Methodology of phonetic fieldwork" included such subjects as basics of phonetic transcription and phonological analysis, methods of data collection, use of recording equipment, experimental phonetics, culture and narrative documentation, and application of linguistic software (ELAN, Flex, Praat). The photo below shows a session on palatography.

Sino-Tibetan Linguistics Research Methods Workshop

The following photo shows a practice session on phonetic transcription (basic word list elicitation for the Ersu language):

Sino-Tibetan Linguistics Research Methods Workshop

Our course "Methods and Theory of Linguistic Fieldwork (田野调查的技术与理论)" was also taught in the academic years 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 as a regular graduate course at the School of Literature at Nankai University. In 2019 it was re-worked in a video course, which is now available on the national Chinese teaching platform Treenity (智慧树).