Questionnaires

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The Max Planck Institute's Dept. of Linguistics has a long list of different questionnaire types available here

Questionnaire Topics<ref>The content for this section is taken from Bendor-Samuel, Margaret and David Bendor-Samuel; Robert A. Jackson, editor. 1996. A manual for strategic planning and review for language programs. Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics</ref>

At the micro level, the following areas of focus are recommended for data collection:

1. Historical Sketch

• Migrations
• Colonization
• Trade
• Past kingdoms
• Domination by/of other groups
• Introduction of other than traditional religions
• Relationship with the nation of which it is a part

Notes

"It has been found that groups that have been low in prestige because larger groups have some sort of control lover them may at first be resistant to change."<ref>ibid. p42</ref>

"A group that has been in transition and been uprooted for political reasons may be more responsive than more stable groups. A group that has designs on more political power or more prestige may see promise in the program."<ref>ibid. p42</ref>

2. Geography

A map should be made including:

• note the extent of the area
• physical and political boundaries
• dialect areas, including the most prestigious (if any)
• distances between communities and modes of travel
• locations of infrastructure
• any features that would need special consideration for widespread literacy
• areas only accessible seasonally

Notes

"The data in this part... is highly significant. The danger is for the language team to get so absorbed in the technical task that they lose sight of the total environment." <ref>ibid. p43</ref>

3. Demographic survey

• percentage of urban/rural dwellers
• total population of language group
• name of each significant settlement and estimated population
• community population composition, e.g. adult:child population ratio
• ethnic composition of settlements if relevant
• distribution of population over area surveyed
• perception of people of their distribution, e.g. do they group themselves by village, district, etc.
• percentage of language group population living outside the language group and where
• any political/other barriers which divide the language group

Notes

"There is often a marked difference between rural and urban people although they come from the same areas originally and speak the same language. Sometimes these differences are superficial; at other times they are very significant."<ref>ibid. p44</ref> "We are interested in the composition of the community... in some areas many of the young adults leave the village for work in the towns and this needs to be noted. If there is a dearth of children it can point to a number of sociological factors, i.e., schooling outside the community, high infant mortality rate..."<ref>ibid. p44</ref>

4. Economic factors

• occupations and income
  • work
    • what is the main form of work
    • how do people earn money
    • average income
    • difficulties associated with earning an income
  • local production
    • what goods are produced
    • what food crops are produced
    • what cash crops are produced
  • wealth
    • what forms of wealth are there (animals, wives, gold)
    • how is wealth acquired
    • who acquires wealth
    • how is wealth stored/displayed/spent
  • what do people buy/exchange
  • how and where are goods distributed and/or sold
  • how are sellers compensated
  • services
    • what services are exchanged
    • how is compensation made for these services
  • who works on different projects
    • do people work together
    • do different ages/sexes work together
    • what kinds of work are only done by men/women
    • do people give labour as a form of payment
    • do people expect to be paid for mental or physical labour
  • time
    • how is time divided between men and women
    • what is the daily or yearly pattern of work and leisure for men/women/children
• Resources
  • what financial help for development may come from outside or within the area
  • what other help might be available
  • are there resources available from any cultural or development associations organised by members of the language group either inside or outside the area

Notes

"The drive to survive or even to provide for a standard of living that is acceptable to the community is very strong and often takes precedence over other motivating forces... Where peopl eare genuinely hurting because of economic factors, this may be an area that needs to be taken care of before other aspects of [a development] program will appear relevant to them."<ref>ibid. p45</ref> "In one West African project, two teachers had to be appointed to each class because no one expected to work alone on a project."<ref>ibid. p47</ref>

some of the areas where economics may affect [a development] program:

• it may determine how much time and resources people are prepared to spend developing literacy/numeracy
• it may affect a literature program because of lack of funds to buy materials
• there may be a greater need for some to learn marketing skills and thus numeracy may be a priority over other forms of literacy
• it will determine who contributes to sustaining a community and thus who is available for language development

5. Society and culture

This is a vital section for a number of reasons

• it helps us to grasp relationships within the community
• we can understand structures and authority patterns
• it helps us judge motivation for the project
• it helps us avoid inappropriacy in our approach to development or our methodology

A. Focus of the Culture

1. what aspects of life form the focus of the culture, e.g., prestige, group conformity, reciprocality, individuality, etc.

B. Problems and felt needs

1. what are the problems and felt needs as expressed by the people themselves. Participatory methods can often help to reveal these.
2. are the people looking to outside help to help meet their needs
3. how much initiative for meeting needs or getting help comes from within the language group
4. are there ways in which a language program might meet the felt needs of the group
5. do the community recognise how literacy or literature in their language might meet their needs
6. are there any areas of their lives where people recognise that they are disadvantaged if they are not able to read or write
7. what significant dietary, medical or other health problems exist
8. who sees these health problems and is anything being done to alleviate or prevent them

C. Activities of the target group

1. are there any seasonal/daily/regular activities which would affect a program - if so note which members of the community take part
2. art
   1. what part do art forms play in the culture (music, dance, drama, painting etc)
   2. who are the artisans
   3. what forms of art are un/acceptable

D. Cross-cultural contexts

1. are there any tensions between the group and neighbouring groups? How is this dealt with?
2. what is the level of cross-cultural tension?
3. what is the attitude towards outsiders?
4. in what ways has culture been influenced by outsiders? How receptive is the group to these influences?
5. what degree of local emphasis or exclusiveness is there? Do people maintain their cultural identity versus that of others?

E. Reaction to change

1. who are the innovators
2. how do innovators introduce new ideas
3. how do people react to innovation
4. who accepts change first
5. what dangers does change hold
6. what attitudes accompany change

F. Infrastructure and leadership

Notes

"In one PNG village... where there were different clans present within the same village, the school system had to be arranged along clan lines or the children would not come."<ref>ibid. p48</ref> "For one group in Brazil, an artist pictured a pig being led along the trail with a cord tied around its neck. This was completely unacceptable for a primer because the people dragged pigs with cords tied to their hind legs."<ref>ibid. p48</ref> "The people among whom we worked in Brazil had no felt need for better sanitation in the village, although we felt it would solve a great many health problems..."<ref>ibid. p48</ref> "In some areas... the [language] group has purposely taught [development workers] incorrect forms of the language until they have established themselves as friends."<ref>ibid. p50</ref>

References

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