DCOMM · Deictic Communication - A Multidisciplinary Training

Deictic Communication - A Multidisciplinary Training

Communication involves a combination of language and gestures that act in concert. Deictic communication is paradigmatic of communication, allowing speakers to use language and gesture to refer, and direct the attention of a person, to an object/place in the world (e.g. “this cup, that star”). The primary words used for deictic communication are spatial demonstratives – words including this/that/here/there. These words occur in all languages, are among the highest frequency terms within a language, and are among the first words all children acquire. Yet there are very few systematic empirical studies on demonstratives. In this ETN, we approached deictic communication from a broad and interdisciplinary perspective, seeking to integrate the various strands of research from multiple disciplines into a unified framework for the first time. The central scientific goal of DCOMM was to study deictic communication from an interdisciplinary perspective, providing direct interfacing and collaboration across disciplines and with industry. The original DCOMM objectives were as follows: i. Establish the first systematic and comprehensive approach to deictic communication. Early Stage Researchers will address the open fundamental and technological challenges such as how deictic communication develops, how deictic communication varies across cultures, individual differences in deictic communication (e.g. gender differences), how it is organized in various clinical populations, how technologies can apply principles of deictic communication to improve human interaction with technologies, and in turn how technological innovation can impact upon basic research. ii. Train ESRs in specific multimethodological and cross-sectorial skills usually situated within individual disciplines (with little communication between them). This multimethods approach is integral to skill up the next generation of researchers in language more generally. The training will provide a natural bridge between humanities, social science, and scientific approaches to language; we regard this as critical to making advances in the field. iii. Provide direct linkage between basic research and application, which will mutually cross- pollinate each other in the development of the field. ESRs will be trained in the close synergy between basic research and application. iv. Provide hands-on experience for all ESRs with application issues through training schools and placement activities, giving social sciences and humanities researchers a rare training opportunity with close integration between basic research and practice. v. Support ESRs through a coaching programme and individual skills development plan based on the latest Vitae RDF Planner, to develop transferable skills and leadership skills and appropriate research career pathways, supporting the transition from taught students to independent researchers and future leaders. The combination of DCOMM training events, local training, and Integrated Projects (where the ESRs have worked collaboratively) has contributed to achieving the end DCOMM objectives.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union