Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) (Founded by Howard Giles et al. 1973)

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Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT)
(Founded by Howard Giles et al. 1973)

• Researched and Presented by
• Julia Maine

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Context

• Teaching Basic Literacy
• to students with
• Learning Difficulties

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Communication Accommodation Theory examines

• How we accommodate our communication to one
  another to become more alike or by defining our
  differences
• our motivations for doing so and the
  consequences.

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• Increase communication efficiency
• Accommodate the differences in language, ability,
  culture, etc. of others
• Gain social approval or desired level of
  social distance.

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Subconscious or conscious choices are
made about whose communication system to use and
how much to accommodate each other.
These tendencies may be mutual or non-mutual
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Convergence

• Characteristics
• Mirror other persons vocabulary, accent, speech
  rate, grammar, voice etc.
• Match other persons gestures, mannerisms, dress,
  hair, etc.
• Often based on attraction, charisma, credibility
  and motive
• Gains or motives
• Improves effectiveness of communication
• Makes other person more confident and willing to
  respond
• Maintains positive self-identity and brings
  approval
• Makes ourselves more like those we are attracted
  to and engenders their liking

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Divergence

• Characteristics
• Works in opposite direction to convergence
• Speaks and gestures differently from other person
• Can be based on disdain for other person (or
  their behaviour) and desire to remain different
  from them
• Gains or motives
• Accentuates differences between the parties
• Reinforces individual or group identity
• Discourages a relationship or from engaging in
  lengthy conversation

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CAT in Practice

• Accommodating the Needs of Adult Basic Literacy
  Students with SEN

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Problems experienced by students with learning
difficulties

• Understanding long, complex sentences
• Limited vocabulary
• Understanding abstract concepts
• Poor listening skills and concentration span
• Lack of confidence in abilities
• Inappropriate patterns of communication, e.g.
  talking too loudly, rigidity in their routines
  with lack of patience flexibility to adapt
• Possible accompanying behaviour difficulties

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Accommodating Student Needsin lesson planning
and teaching

• In applying CAT theories consider
• what skills and behaviour we want to develop
• what we want to change or modify
• how to accommodate communication behaviour
  styles that cannot be changed
• how to encourage students to accommodate to
  teacher.

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Convergence in Practice

• Enhance communication, understanding and learning
• Simplify vocabulary sentence structure
• Slow down speech rate, longer/more pauses
• Support explanations with clear, attractive
  diagrams and text
• Pitch materials at students level of
  abilities
• Match materials to students personal
  interests, e.g. football topics, etc
• Maintain level of routine for those unable to
  cope with change
• Engender liking approval
• Share social situations, e.g. coffee breaks
• Reciprocate smiling eye contact
• Mirror gestures, e.g. thumbs up
• Show interest and support in students
  interests or personal problems

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Divergence in Practice

• Correcting poor English
• Stress correct pronunciation of words,
  punctuation, grammar etc.
• Stress importance of reading writing to
  reluctant readers/writers
• Introduce new vocabulary
• Behaviour Modification
• To affirm authority over disruptive students,
  speak with calm, professional manner
• Speak softly to encourage loud speaking students
  to adopt a more reserved style
• Emphasise eye contact when student avoids
• If student is negative and depressive - maintain
  cheerful disposition

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Dangers of Overaccommodating

• Examples
• Patronizing baby talk, such as poor little
  dear
• Depersonalizing language, such as its nice that
  you people get out of the house
• Third-party talk, where a person directs
  communication not at the person with a disability
  but to a nondisabled person with them, e.g. Does
  he take cream in his coffee?
• (Fox Giles, 1996)
• Patronizing talk can be damaging as it could
  discourage students independence.

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Results

• We have applied
• Convergence to accommodate communication
  behaviour patterns that cannot, or need not be
  changed
• Divergence to develop necessary literacy skills
  and to modify inappropriate behaviour
• A delicate balance of convergence - divergence
  with convergence slightly dominant, particularly
  from the start to develop good rapport.
• Converging teachers are viewed favourably by
  students. Accommodating students styles leads to
  students reciprocating.
• We have convergence!
• Students who like their teachers are more likely
  to accommodate them by staying on task and
  following rules!