David Roberts

Literacy promotion depends on having an adequate spelling system, which in turn requires a solid foundation of linguistic research. This means undertaking scientific research on primary language data, which in turn requires extended periods of fieldwork.

The fruit of such research is shared by entering into professional dialogue with other linguists, by actively participating in international conferences and by publishing in international peer-reviewed journals. There is also a need to guide other field linguists through the process of academic publishing, providing services such as consultancy, co-authoring, translation and correction, as well as seeking out prospective publishers and fund-raising for publication.

This kind of academic research directly impacts mother-tongue literacy to the advantage of the minority language communities concerned.