What does one need to know, ideally, when beginning to do fieldwork? As I think back to when I first did fieldwork, review my years of active and intensive fieldwork, and consider teaching a field methods course, many different things come to mind. In this article, I will concentrate on a few lessons about the linguistic aspects of fieldwork that I learned early on in doing this work, including the following items, which can perhaps be thought of as slogans to keep in mind when preparing to do fieldwork:

1. a) Pay careful attention to information about the language that the speaker you are working with wants you to hear.

2. b) Know the available literature and respect it, but keep in mind that there is always more to learn.

3. c) Avoid isolating areas of the language so that you lose track of the fact that language is a complex, dynamic system.

4. d) Bring as much knowledge as you can, from all domains – about language, about linguistics, about people.

5. e) Do not straightjacket the language into categories that you bring to it – let it live on its own.

6. f) Do not think that language is a monolithic entity within a community. There is variation within language, and this must be part of any analysis.

7. g) Not all speakers have the same strengths.

8. h) A good working relationship is an evolving thing. Both speakers and the linguist must get to know one another.

9. i) Be open to learn.