phonology paper that guides the analysis of these books. With the help of literacy personnel, an alphabet book with three pictured words for each letter can also be drafted, as well as a story book from the
interlinearized texts. These materials can then be tested in the communities for acceptance of the writing system before continuing with the development of other literacy materials. Ideally, other books for
teaching reading would be produced and a significant number of people taught to read before beginning the translation of Scripture. But assuming general acceptance of a readable writing system, translation
can begin even before further linguistic analysis, provided that there is a second two-week grammar workshop within one-and-a-half years of the first.
1.2.3 Second RGC workshop
The second two-week workshop continues where the first left off. The lessons of the first two grammar books are checked and revised as needed, and in doing so, the participants are reminded of the grammar
learned in the first workshop. Then, the remaining morphology and syntax topics are covered before moving on to discourse grammar. If translation has been done by this time, each grammatical aspect is
immediately applied by revising the Scripture texts according to the grammar learned.
1.2.4 Results of second RGC workshop
Within three months of the second workshop, the first books are revised and expanded, and a third grammar book on discourse that helps improve the naturalness of the translation is drafted. The
beginning dictionary and grammar books can become effective reference tools for language developers, especially as they learn to consult them for spelling consistency in literacy materials and Scripture.
Of course, there needs to be additional linguistic analysis after these two workshops as language development continues, such as an expanded dictionary and discourse analysis of non-narrative genres.
However, the first two workshops and resulting books give an adequate linguistic foundation for the initial writing system and beginning translation.
1.3 Audience and extent of this paper
This paper is intended for language programs managers, language project donors, but especially for linguists assisting in language development. Much of the paper is written as if giving instructions to a
colleague on how to facilitate an RGC workshop or draft a grammar book. For instructions on how to decide a writing system or how to analyze grammar, the reader is referred to the references section and
the resource list in appendix A.
1.4 Statements of best practices
The paper is organized according to the various phases of the approach. After introducing each phase with an explanation of the significant aspects, a list of best practice statements is given for how to do
each step of the phase. The minimum time frame for each phase is also given. The best practice statements are meant only as a guide, and in fact may only be achievable in the given time under ideal
circumstances with an experienced linguist. In actuality, the best practices may take much longer than the times given. But even if the steps take twice as long, the initial linguistic analysis and description will
still be faster than in many projects with other approaches. And the group consensus that normally results using the described participant methods often generates quality data and lasting decisions for the
writing system.
There are as many ways to do linguistic analysis for language development as there are linguists and language developers. With this in mind, the best practices are meant only as suggestions. Because
each language is different, and each group of participants have different personalities, the author doesn’t follow all the best practices in any one workshop, but instead tries to adapt the practices to the needs of
each workshop situation. The best practice statements are in fact not necessarily the best practices, since
it may be possible to improve upon each. Rather, they are intended as the most concise, clear and specific actions that the author can recommend, based on his experience in a specific context.
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2 Preparing for the first RGC workshop
2.1 Deciding to have an RGC workshop
