Na'vi Research Study

[linganthprof]

Kaltxì, my name is Christine Schreyer and I am an assistant professor of Anthropology at UBC (Okanagan campus).  Recently, I taught a course that focused partially on created languages, including Na'vi, and I have since become intrigued by the large numbers of people who are learning the Na'vi language around the world and I would like to learn more about who these learners are, why they are interested in learning Na'vi, how they are learning it, and how they think the Na'vi language will develop over the next few years.

If you are interested in participating in this research, please visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NAVI

Feel free to share the survey address with anyone you think might be interested as well.

Following the completion of the survey, I will provide a summary report on the forums as well. If you have any questions, please let me know. I look forward to hearing from you all.

[Tirea Aean]

Hi! I'm glad to see you have interest in who we are and the beautiful language we study! I took time to fill out the survey

[Nyx]

It's always fun to see people interested in what we do here. And I'm very curious about the results. Good luck with your study

[Lisa]

And I'm very curious about the results.

Add me to that list.   You had some great questions.   

[Swoka Swizaw]

I added my take. Loleiu tsakem 'o'.

[linganthprof]

Irayo to all!  I am overwhelmed by the enthusiasm so far 

['Itan Atxur]

Doing the survey now


[EDIT] Just finished! I did my best to provide full, detailed answers but I'm no expert on the language .

['Oma Tirea]

Oe hasey sivi tsa*survey*-ur, mungwrr fwa ayzìsìt a solalew oeru, ke tam

Good luck getting the minimum age at 18, 'cause then I would fill it out

[Eana Tanhì]

why should I be 19 or older to fill the survey? I'm 18 so I can't fill it

[Tirea Aean]

why should I be 19 or older to fill the survey? I'm 18 so I can't fill it

Yeah. Why 19? Just curious.

19 is the legal age in Canada, where my University is located and this was a condition of my Research Ethics Board.

If there is enough interest from those who are under 19 years of age. I might be able to modify that though, but the ethics board would need sufficient reasoning to do this. 

[Eana Tanhì]

why should I be 19 or older to fill the survey? I'm 18 so I can't fill it

Yeah. Why 19? Just curious.

19 is the legal age in Canada, where my University is located and this was a condition of my Research Ethics Board.

If there is enough interest from those who are under 19 years of age. I might be able to modify that though, but the ethics board would need sufficient reasoning to do this. 

irayo
i hope enough of us under 19 will apply, so we all can fill the survey..

[Tirea Aean]

Hello all!  I am overwhelmed by your enthusiasm and encouragement.  Thank you so much! The survey is officially open until the end of July or until I receive 500 responses and at this rate the latter might come first!   

I will keep you updated on the age-limit issue as it moves through the ethics board review.

Also, I am not surveying speakers of any other constructed languages right now, but did recently write an article about media and information technology and constructed languages (Klingon and Na'vi) and what endangered language communities could learn from their example.  This article is currently in review, but I can let you know when (and if) it is published.

Thanks again to all!

[Toruk Makto]

Christine,
Since the survey is anonymous, I wouldn't think age would be a big problem in Canada, or anywhere else for that matter. I can tell you that a significant percentage of the members that report their age on their profile on LearnNavi.org are under 19. Excluding this group will introduce a significant bias to the data.

['Itan Atxur]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. A lot of the people I know here seem to be still in high school and some even younger than that.

[Toruk Makto]

One of the most interesting impacts of the Na'vi language phenomenon is that people in their teens and even younger are developing linguistic facilities that they may have not had the interest to pursue otherwise. These are skills that can translate into a head start in learning other natural languages. IMO, that is an important part of why we are here.

[linganthprof]

Christine,
Since the survey is anonymous, I wouldn't think age would be a big problem in Canada, or anywhere else for that matter. I can tell you that a significant percentage of the members that report their age on their profile on LearnNavi.org are under 19. Excluding this group will introduce a significant bias to the data.

Thank you for the extra information. I have updated the ethics forms to include everyone (regardless of age) with the argument that many of the members of the forum are under 19 years of age and that as this is not sensitive information there is no risk to those under 19. If there is still concern I will add this extra information on data bias and ability to learn other languages to my reasons for the change.  I'll let everyone know I hear back.

Irayo, Christine

[Tirea Aean]

One of the most interesting impacts of the Na'vi language phenomenon is that people in their teens and even younger are developing linguistic facilities that they may have not had the interest to pursue otherwise. These are skills that can translate into a head start in learning other natural languages. IMO, that is an important part of why we are here.

Poltxe nìltsan. tsari mllte oe nìwotx.

This is true for me personally and of several people I've met along the way. Normally I woudn't have taken it upon myself to learn things about linguistics in greater detail than the high school and college language classroom provides. I feel I have come to learn a lot concerning technicalities of languages and how some of them work in such diverse and interesting ways. I've met people who hated high school spanish but are gladly teaching themselves Na'vi via learnnavi.org resources. Its awesome

[Fwewyu Tìngayä]

Wonderful survey. Thanks for author.

One of the most interesting impacts of the Na'vi language phenomenon is that people in their teens and even younger are developing linguistic facilities that they may have not had the interest to pursue otherwise. These are skills that can translate into a head start in learning other natural languages. IMO, that is an important part of why we are here.

I am going to be agreed at all. Mine interests in learning other natural languages raised with new strench. I hope to learn german as well as i can. The push was necessary to me and I have received it here. Linguistics, foreign grammar and unfamiliar terms isn't so difficult as i thought.

[Swoka Swizaw]

One of the most interesting impacts of the Na'vi language phenomenon is that people in their teens and even younger are developing linguistic facilities that they may have not had the interest to pursue otherwise. These are skills that can translate into a head start in learning other natural languages. IMO, that is an important part of why we are here.

Good thoughts, sir. Communication is so important, especially NOWADAYS!