Lesson 1 - Introduction to Backchanneling

Introduction

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0:05 - [Jelica] Today we will cover backchanneling, which I abbreviate as BC.
0:13 Backchanneling is a part of all communication,and can be divided into three types based on three different language modalities: auditory, visual and tactile.
0:33 People who are hearing and sighted may exhibit auditory and visual backchanneling cues.
0:39 These cues allow smooth, two-way communication to take place, each person providing feedback to the other about how communication is being received.
0:48 Facial expressions, body language, and verbal responses, such as hmm-hmm, oh, I see, yep, uh-huh support communication as it unfolds.
1:00 Through this constant stream of two-way communication, hearing sighted people are able to mutually connect.
1:08 Deaf people don't make use of auditory backchanneling cues.
1:11 Instead, they use visual cues, such as eye gaze, facial expressions, head-nodding, body language, physical postures, and signed responses.
1:26 This allows conversation partners to gauge whether they are being understood and to manage turn-taking.
1:33 Here again, backchanneling happens naturally and instantaneously between conversation partners.

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Visual Backchanneling

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1:47 Hearing people make use of both auditory and visual backchannel cues, while deaf people make use of visual ones.
1:55 Backchanneling is second nature as two people enter into lively, back and forth conversations, converging on meaning and establishing joint attention.
2:04 As DeafBlind people grow up, however, we are excluded from entering into these types of rapidly unfolding back and forth conversations simply due to language barriers.
2:12 When using written English to communicate, all conversations are strictly consecutive.
2:16 Backchanneling is often entirely absent,resulting in stilted and disjointed connections.
2:21 When we attempt to join Deaf people in their visual realm,we miss their visual backchanneling cues and we're left guessing.
2:27 Did the other person understand us?
2:28 Is it even our turn?
2:30 Are they following our backchanneling cues?
2:32 This too results in disconnection.
2:34 We're working so hard to visually key into the pieces of information they are simultaneously communicating with both their faces and hands.
2:40 The thrust of the communication is lost, leaving us relegated to the social periphery.
2:45 Backchanneling is a vital component of all communication.
2:48 Everyone needs to know how they're being received and DeafBlind people are no exception.
2:54 So, of course, as you may have guessed, Protactile language has a means of backchanneling through touch.
Touch Backchanneling
3:07 When sighted hearing and Deaf people communicate with us, they provide their backchanneling cues through touch.
3:13 They join us in the tactile realm. Through reciprocal, tactile feedback, we mutually feel how we are being received by one another through the back and forth flow of communication.
3:23 When we are all in touch together, we can all similarly feel the energy of a response like this one, as it flows down through the arm and hand, directly to my leg,reverberating through my nerve receptors, and up to my brain.
3:35 I receive direct, tactile sensory input,communicating your feedback clearly to me.
3:40 There is no ambiguity here.
3:46 Visual backchannel cues communicated only on the face would require me to touch your face all the time to get your feedback.
3:52 Auditory backchanneling cues would require that I touch your throat to try to decipher your feedback.
3:58 Neither of these are effective.
4:01When you and I always stay in contact with one another, reciprocally providing tactile feedback, the information we convey through touch equals any feedback given auditorily or visually.
4:15 Eye contact unites Deaf people in their dance of communication, right?
4:19 The sound of one another's voice unites hearing people in their dance of communication, whether they are near or far.
4:25 Touch unites DeafBlind people in their dance of tactile communication.
4:32 All three avenues of backchanneling function to provide information to people during communication.
4:38 This allows us to get a sense of how we are understood or how our message was received.
4:43 Are you upset, demanding explanation, inviting elaboration, brushing me off, feeling put off?
4:49 There are endless nuanced responses that can be communicated through all three avenues of backchanneling.
4:58 With that understanding, let's explore tactile feedback in action.
5:02 We will all practice Protactile backchanneling together.
5:11 Let's begin with a demonstration.
5:13 I'll initiate the conversation, and we will get your hand in the backchanneling position as I might do with a child.
5:26 Notice how I slowly move the child's hand to my leg.
5:30 This is their backchanneling hand.
5:34 Now you try with my hand as the child's hand.
5:39 You're slowly moving my hand to your leg.
5:45 Now remember, in the last lesson we covered the dominant and listening hand positions.
5:50 The hand that is not listening is the one providing backchanneling.
6:01 The backchanneling hand is in that green circle.
6:04 This is the way we always configure our hands.
6:07 Your backchanneling hand is never resting on your own leg, like in this red circle.
6:11 And our legs are never separated from one another.
6:14 When we are engaged in conversation, we are always connected with one another in this configuration.
6:20 I'll demonstrate that again.
6:22 Now, you try.
6:30 Yes. That's the way.
6:33 All right. Let's do that one more time.
6:38 And let's go slowly, okay?
6:44 First, I will move to get us seated correctly to where our legs are touching, and then you know to move your backchanneling hand to my leg.
6:54 Now it's your turn to try.
6:56 You signal to me that you want to have a conversation.
7:00 And we get seated in the correct position where our legs are touching,and my hand goes to your leg.
7:05 Now that hand is available for backchanneling.
7:08 Notice that we are taking turns demonstrating initiating a conversation.
7:12 This underscores an important principle in language called reciprocity.
7:16 Language goes in both directions, and it is no different when it comes to Protactile language.
7:23 This hand-tapping you were doing indicates that you understand what I'm saying.
7:27 It may appear to indicate a sense of urgency, but it doesn't.
7:31 It simply communicates that you are understanding.
7:37 Affirmative backchanneling looks like this.
7:43 Through your backchanneling, I can feel you are listening.
7:46 It tells me whether or not you're paying attention, and gives me the sense that you're involved with me in the present moment as it unfolds.
7:55 If you were to keep your hand on your own leg, I would have no idea about how you were feeling as you received my message.
8:04 I would have no idea whether or not I was being understood.
8:08 There would be a disconnect.

Hand Backchanneling

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8:16 Now, if you slide your hand back and forth across my leg like this, you would be telling me, hey, no way.
8:22 I have no idea what you're talking about.
8:25 This would convey that you are puzzled or disagreed with something that I said.
8:29 Let's see that one more time.
8:33 All of your feedback is given through this hand here on my leg.
8:37 A hearing or Deaf sighted person might convey the same information in a different way.
8:42 For example, a hearing person might say no way, hmm, nope, or scoff.
8:49 And a Deaf sighted person might convey this information through head shaking, furrowed brows, visual gestures, or a grimace.
8:58 Since I don't have access to the visual information conveyed on the face, we communicate it tactilely through this hand here.
9:06 All that is expressed by a nodding or shaking head can be expressed here through your hand on my leg.
9:12 Tactile backchanneling gives me the emotional pulse of our conversation.