Course content
This course aims to provide students with basic knowledge in order to understand and conduct research on animal linguistics. We will focus on the basic theoretical concepts of physics, anatomy, ethology and linguistics that are relevant to the field of animal linguistics. Furthermore, this course will introduce (i) how to design an experiment, (ii) data collection techniques and methodology, (iii) methodology of data processing, with a practical course on the Praat and Elan software and (iv) data analysis methods.
Day 1: Foundational concepts in animal vocalization research: what are the properties of sound, what is a vocalization, how and why should we do research on animal vocalizations?
Day 2: Practical component of the course: presentation of methodological tools: acoustic analyses (Praat) and coding of animal videos (Elan)
Day 3: How to apply basic concepts in linguistics to the study of animal vocalizations.
Reading
Core reading
Schlenker, P., Chemla, E., & Zuberbühler, K. (2016). What do monkey calls mean? Trends in cognitive sciences, 20(12), 894-904.
Seyfarth, R. M., Cheney, D. L., & Marler, P. (1980). Vervet monkey alarm calls: semantic communication in a free-ranging primate. Animal Behaviour, 28(4), 1070-1094.
Further reading
Fischer, J., Noser, R., & Hammerschmidt, K. (2013). Bioacoustic field research: a primer to acoustic analyses and playback experiments with primates. American journal of primatology, 75(7), 643-663.
Zuberbühler, K., & Wittig, R. M. (2011). Field experiments with non-human primates: a tutorial. In Field and laboratory methods in primatology: a practical guide (pp. 207-224). Cambridge Univ. Pr..
Note: If you are interested in collecting data on wild mammals, I highly recommend reading the whole book from which the chapter referenced above is extracted: Setchell, J. M., & Curtis, D. J. (Eds.). (2011). Field and laboratory methods in primatology: a practical guide. Cambridge University Press.