Overview
This initial phase involves research to ensure a translation is needed and will be well-received. It's about understanding the language, its dialects, and how it's used in daily life.
Recommended Tools & Resources
Written (Literate) Translation
Saymore
SayMore is a dynamic language documentation tool that simplifies recording, organizing, and archiving linguistic data. It transforms cumbersome file management into an efficient process, enabling users to convert, annotate, and track progress of their language projects. With features like direct recording, auto-segmentation, and integration with archival standards, SayMore is the go-to solution for those seeking to enhance their productivity while documenting a language.
Ethnologue: Languages of the World
A website with a list of all known languages, continuously updated as new information arrives. Ethnologue maintains a variety of datasets made available to subscribers. Ethnologue is one of the primary sources used to attribute ISO codes to different languages.