Turn-allocation and gaze: A multimodal revision of the “current-speaker-selects-next” rule of the turn-taking system of conversation analysis

It is argued in this paper that a multimodal analysis of turn-taking, one of the core areas of conversation analytic research, is needed and has to integrate gaze as one of the most central resources for allocating turns, and that new technologies are available that can provide a solid and reliable empirical foundation for this analysis. On the basis of eye-tracking data of spontaneous conversations, it is shown that gaze is the most ubiquitous next-speaker-selection technique. It can function alone or enhance other techniques. I also discuss the interrelationship between the strength for sequential projection and the choice of next-speaker-selection techniques by a current speaker. The appropriate consideration of gaze leads to a revision of the turn-taking model in that it reduces the domain of self-selection and expands that of the current-speaker-selects-next sub-rule. It also has consequences for the analysis of “simultaneous starts”.

Scientific societies fostering inclusivity through speaker diversity in annual meeting programming: a call to action

Scientific societies aiming to foster inclusion of scientists from underrepresented (UR) backgrounds among their membership often delegate primary responsibility for this goal to a diversity-focused committee. The National Science Foundation has funded the creation of the Alliance to Catalyze Change for Equity in STEM Success (ACCESS), a meta-organization bringing together representatives from several such STEM society committees to serve as a hub for a growing community of practice. Our goal is to coordinate efforts to advance inclusive practices by sharing experiences and making synergistic discoveries about what works. ACCESS has analyzed the approaches by which member societies have sought to ensure inclusivity through selection of annual meeting speakers. Here we discuss how inclusive speaker selection fosters better scientific environments for all and identify challenges and promising practices for societies striving to maximize inclusivity of speakers in their scientific programming.

Scientific Societies Fostering Inclusivity through Speaker Diversity in Annual Meeting Programming: A Call to Action

Scientific societies aiming to foster inclusion of scientists from underrepresented (UR) backgrounds among their membership often delegate primary responsibility for this goal to a diversity-focused committee. The National Science Foundation has funded the creation of the Alliance to Catalyze Change for Equity in STEM Success (ACCESS), a meta-organization bringing together representatives from several such STEM society committees to serve as a hub for a growing Community of Practice. Its goal is to coordinate efforts to advance inclusive practices by sharing experiences and making synergistic discoveries about what works. ACCESS has analyzed the approaches by which member societies have sought to ensure inclusivity through selection of annual meeting speakers. Not only do we discuss how inclusive speaker selection fosters better scientific environments for all, but also identify challenges and promising practices for societies striving to maximize inclusivity of speakers in their scientific programming.

On the role of gaze in the organization of turn-taking and sequence organization in interpreter-mediated dialogue

This paper contributes to the growing line of research that takes a multimodal approach in the study of interpreter-mediated dialogues. Drawing on insights from Conversation Analysis and multimodal analysis, we investigate how extended multi-unit turns unfold with interventions of an interpreter and, more specifically, what is the role of gaze in this process. The analysis is based on videos of interpreter-mediated dialogues (Dutch-Russian) recorded with mobile eye-tracking glasses. We argue that the interpreter’s gaze direction contributes both to the local management of turn-taking (next-speaker selection) and to sequence organization. More specifically, we show how interpreter’s gaze orientation bears on the negotiation of possible transition relevance places and how it contributes to the smooth continuation of the projected extended multi-unit turn.

A data-driven approach to selecting invited speakers at conferences: a step toward gender parity

We present a data-driven approach that uses established metrics of scientific quality to select invited speakers; this approach enables gender parity in conference programs while ensuring high scientific standards.Gender disparity continues to be an issue in STEM, with progress requiring consistent and focused efforts. Here, we present a data-driven approach to promote high quality, gender balanced invited speaker selection for neuroscience conferences. We have targeted invited speaker opportunities because underrepresentation of female speakers at international neuroscience conferences remains a major problem, and such opportunities are critical for career development. First, we audited the top ten neuroscience journals (indexed by SCImago Journal and Country Rank; SJR), identifying (1) highly cited papers, (2) gender of first and last authors, and (3) field-weighted citation impact and total publications of first and last authors. Second, we used these data to establish a database of high quality scientists that could be used to select speakers for conferences. We found that research quality (as indexed by field-weighted citation impact and total publications) of authors of highly cited publications in the top 10 neuroscience journals did not differ significantly for females and males. The comparison between the gender base rate in neuroscience and authors publishing highly cited papers in high-quality neuroscience journals shows that female representation, particularly at last author level, is less than the estimated base rate for neuroscience. In summary, we present a data-driven approach to invited speaker selection that would facilitate gender balanced conference programs while maintaining the highest of scientific standards. This approach minimizes the influence of implicit gender bias in speaker selection decisions by using scientific quality metrics that STEM researchers are familiar with, and indeed use to evaluate their own performance. Having an immediate effect on reducing gender disparity in conference programs, our approach would generate a positive spiral for more long-term reduction of gender disparity in STEM.

Analyzing the Impact of Teacher Talk on English Grammar Learning: With Correlation to the Procedures in Classroom Interaction

The main purpose of this research paper is to explore the impact of Teacher Talk in English Grammar Acquisition through interaction procedures in the classroom. Through a Conversation Analysis perspective, three extracts from audio- recording were analyzed and transcribed. These extracts focused on the Teacher Talk in Grammar Teaching through interaction with the students. The findings show that Teacher Talk improves the learning of English Grammar. When teachers engage in small talk with students, the students acquire the rules of grammar easily through ‘Turn Management’ and the ‘Next Speaker Selection’ Procedures. Thus, these procedures do not only improve teaching process, but also accredit students who learn English as the second language correctly and accurately. The findings of the study underline opportunities for further research.