Searching for participants, part 2

I continue my search for speakers of Endangered Language Z (which you can probably figure out if you look at the sidebar), wandering through the garment district of downtown Los Angeles, dodging pools of urine and $1 toys made in China. After numerous queries I find one person--or rather, I find her spouse, since she has decided to stay home that day. Which means I must haul my academic ass out on the Metrolink again the following day. I find her piled in shipments from Country X, but happy to dedicate forty-five minutes to talking to this strange white girl who comes on a recommendation from Don Consul (who has turned out to be an enthusiastic proponent of my little research project, despite his lateness during our first meeting). Alas, she is leaving the country next month until January. But, her mother is coming to hold down the fort and I'm welcome to go and talk to her.

Which brings up the question from Dr. Cuy; what is my definition of a resident for my study? This woman has been in the U.S. for only two months. I don't think I can put a time limit on my participants. First of all, because there don't seem to be that many of them. Second, it would be interesting to study (assuming I can find more of these folks) people with varying stays in the country, varying levels of English proficiency, etc.

After my conversation I picked my way through the drunks up to a place where people play music (how vague is that?) and found another person from Country X. When I asked him if he spoke Endangered Language Z he went into this long history about how his grandmother moved from the rural areas to the city because his grandfather was an alocholic and, alas, did not take her language with her. I'm not sure what grandfather's alcoholism had to do with that but it makes for an interesting story. And he gave me the name and number of someone who does speak E.L. Z and told me where I might find him. So the hunt continues and I'm optimistic, although I'm thinking now that 50 might be a very large number for the study. I feel like I have a sieve with big holes in it and just about everyone is falling through. I need the big rocks and I may have a couple, but it's mostly sand for now.

And having beaten that metaphor to death, I must go watch Gray's Anatomy.