Domains of Language Use Tool

Participatory Methods Tools
Dialect Mapping Tool
Bilingualism Tool
Domains of Language Use Tool
Appreciative Inquiry Tool
Cause and Effect Tree
Stakeholder Analysis
Force Field Analysis
Community Connection Tool
Traffic Light Tool
Wheel of Vitality
Church Domains Tool

Purpose

The purpose of this tool is to assist speakers of the language in identifying the types of situations in which they use their own language, the LWC or other languages. A second purpose is to help them determine which domains and which languages are used most frequently.

Materials

• lots of rectangular pieces of paper for labels
• some good bold permanent markers
• a long piece of string

Procedure

Step #	Ask/Say	Do
1	I speak different languages in different situations, on different occasions and to different people. If this tool was not preceeded by the Bilingualism Tool, then ask, "Which two languages do people here speak most?"	Have labels for these languages placed in the centre.
2	On which occasions or to which people, do people here usually use LWC]?	Place [LWC] label to one side. Participants name occasions or people, write them on paper and place them under [LWC] label
3	On which occasions or to which people, do people here usually use [L1]?	Place [L1] label to other side. Participants name occasions or people, write them on paper and place them under [L1]. If participants say something like, “To some children I speak L1 but to others I speak LWC,” ask questions to help them explain to which children or in which situations they speak each language. Invite them to change the labels to show the categories clearly.
4	On which occasions or to which people, do people here usually use both [L1] and [LWC]?	Participants write domains, and place them in the middle. They can place them nearer to one side or the other if most people speak a certain language in that domain or if they speak more of that language in that domain but some of the other language.
5	Within each of these three main categories, let’s move the occasions that occur daily to the top move the ones that occur less than daily to the bottom.	Put a label for ‘Daily’ and at the top and ‘less than daily’ at the bottom. Lay a string down to divide the two categories. Allow them to arrange the papers.
6		Within the “Daily” section for each language, put the papers in order according to the amount of language used in that situation.
7	Let’s look at the top paper in each of these categories. Which is the situation in which language is used most? Please slide that one up a little and the other two down. Let’s compare the second one in this column (in which the most frequent was moved up) with the top paper in these other two columns.	This is the hardest step. The idea is to get them to compare the most frequently used domains for each language. Repeat this sorting process for all the "daily" labels.
8	How do you feel about the languages that you use and who you use them with? If during the discussion anyone mentioned a desire to use a different language in some situation, then ask, "Would you like to begin using either language more in any other situations?"
9	In which event do you want to use another language?	Put plastic markers on top of it.
10	Ask someone to summarize the results.

Cautions

• Step 7: sorting items into more and less used may be extremely challenging for some communities
• it can be understood in many different ways
• it can actually result in choices that oppose each other
• can be difficult to manage with a large group
• Step 7: difficult to define exactly what "used most" means.