Linguistic Mapping on the Virtual Linguistic Campus (VLC)

Mapping Technologies and Linguistic ToolsJürgen Handke, handke@staff.uni-marburg.de

The Virtual Linguistics Campus

• the world‘s largest e-learning platform for linguistics• currently 1400 registered users• more than 40 „courses“ in ca. 70 „classes“• more than 100.000 web elements• ca. 2500 visit(or)s per day• more than 30 universities, plus „Global Access“ users• http://www.linguistics-online.com

Linguistic Software Development (by VLC team)

• since 1990 multimedia components for teaching linguistics• 1996 „The Interactive Introduction to Linguistics“ (2nd ed. 1998)• 1997 „Die Interaktive Einf. in die Linguistik“ (German version)• 2000 „The Mouton Interactive Introd. to Phonetics & Phonology• 2002 „The Virtual Linguistics Campus“ (project start)• 2002 „Linguistic Engineering“ (new degree program)• 2004 „Varieties of English“ (CD-ROM and WWW)• 2004 „The Virtual Center for Teacher Training“ (project start)• 2005 „Atlas of North American English“ (CD-ROM and WWW)• 2007 „The LET Vocabulary Trainer“ (project start)• 2007 All VLC-projects fully operational• 2008 „Online Master: Linguistics and Language Technology“

VLC-Utilities (for users)

• language index• cross-searcher• glossary• VIP-index• interactive tutor• online-dictionary• messaging and communication facilities• document download and bibliographies• quality assurance (student/scientific evaluation)• workbooks for all classes

• … full database support (server-based web-technologies)• … integrated learning management system

Maps on the VLC – Languages and Linguistic Parameters example: The VLC Language Index

Maps on the VLC – Parameter Comparison example: English Dialects

Maps on the VLC – Isoglosses and Sound Samples example: ANAE

VLC – Mapping and Language Tools

• all maps with server-based database support (allowing flexible and fast updating)

• parameter and sound comparison on all maps• optional topographic and political information on all maps• zooming techniques for all maps• flexible tooltip facilities on all maps• corporate design for audio- and video controls• text-sound synchronisation (text-highlighting)

All tools were developed in close cooperation with dialectologists,

language typologists and their publishers.

Thank you for your attention

Jürgen Handke and the LET

handke@staff.uni-marburg.de