Talking in Time: the development of a self-administered Conversation Analysis based training programme for cochlear implant users

Objectives: Training software to facilitate participation in conversations where overlapping talk is common was to be developed with the involvement of Cochlear implant (CI) users.

Methods: Examples of common types of overlap were extracted from a recorded corpus of 3.5 hours of British English conversation. In eight meetings, an expert panel of five CI users tried out ideas for a computer-based training programme addressing difficulties in turn-taking.

Results: Based on feedback from the panel, a training programme was devised. The first module consists of introductory videos. The three remaining modules, implemented in interactive software, focus on non-overlapped turn-taking, competitive overlaps and accidental overlaps.

Discussion: The development process is considered in light of feedback from panel members and from an end of project dissemination event. Benefits, limitations and challenges of the present approach to user involvement and to the design of self-administered communication training programmes are discussed.

Conclusion: The project was characterized by two innovative features: the involvement of service users not only at its outset and conclusion but throughout its course; and the exclusive use of naturally occurring conversational speech in the training programme. While both present practical challenges, the project has demonstrated the potential for ecologically valid speech rehabilitation training.