Skill Area

Conversational Turn Taking in Skill Checklist

Learner’s Name:_____________________. Learner’s Age:_______________________.

Assessor: __________________________. Date of Assessment:__________________.

Language Skill Area: Semantic/Pragmatic

Conversational Turn Taking Not Yet Emerging Developing Fluent

Emerging
1. Look in the direction to which the
signer is pointing.

2. Smiles, make eye contact & laughs.

3. Eyes track/following movement with

alertness.

4. Distinguishes facial expressions.

5. Copies physical movements

involving the arms, hands, head, &
face.

6. Participates in communicative play.

7. Look at the visual environment with

attentiveness.

8. Look attentively at people’s faces.

9. Turn your head in response to

attention getting behaviors.

10. Joint reference (ex: parent and child

look at the same object.

Note:______________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Rationale
This assessment tool, conversational turn taking in skill checklist was designed for
D/deaf learners from 4+ to 21 years old. The checklist is generated for learners from
kindergarten to 12th grade, for instance, after high school. The checklist is important to the
market for educators and ASL specialists who work with D/deaf learners. That is how the
checklist can focal point on the learners’ semantic and pragmatic skill in ASL, especially on
creating conversational turn taking, signers may show greater toleration for overlap due to the
characteristics of the visual modality (Vos, Torreira, & Levison). Conversational turn taking lists
the checklist are making a decision based on how the most common back-tunneling
communicative utilizes at the school level and program. Outcome from the conversational turn
taking signers skills assessment could be operated for IEP meetings to full access to support
educators and ASL specialists’ discovery, knowledge, & reports on the learners’ mastery on
creating conversational turn taking signers. Additionally, ASL specialists can help with their
knowledge and comprehension on how the learners’ successful in their discourse markers where
they can use sign acquisition. The checklist is definitely beneficial for parents, administrators,
and hearing teachers to get better understanding and to see what the report is where their D/deaf
children are at. According to “Visual Communication and Sign language” (VCSL), it should be
completed in collaboration with people who are familiar with the child’s expressive and
receptive language in their conversational turn taking. It helps and benefits them as parents,
D/deaf children to keep conversation skills in which they have better understanding with
expression and feeling emotional. The conversation turn taking is one of the importance of
D/deaf children and adults are strongly using communication on their daily basis.

How to Assess Skill Area

To have D/deaf learners perform the conversation turn taking in skill assessment, the
assessor will provide different ways imageries/action of dialogue to show direction signers
pointing, making eye contact, eyes tracking/following from alertness, distinguishing facial
expressions, etc each item. The learner will be asked to create for each variety of action/pictures.
Assessments can be given everyday to monitor the learners’ progress. Collecting information of
the assessment will be shared in the learners’ IEP meeting with the learner’s parents as same as
the school administrators, speech therapist and hearing teachers who are supported in speech
therapy or audiology without naturally signers who used communication on their routine daily.
However, an individual learner with fluent skills will be creating conversation turns taking signs
with no need to struggle. For a learner with developing skills, learners who can communicate,
two hands or one hand may continually practice, for example, look attentively at people’s face
without having embarrassedly eye gazing. Like for learners with emerging skills, learners who
may initialize conversational turn taking the first or two signs pointing directions to any pictures
or visual environment as curiosity, yet are not able to complete conversational full-length. When
it comes to skills which are not yet emerging, a learner cannot respond or share a communication
skill, they are probably silent or shy to mention it as “I don’t understand” or “I don’t know.” The
checklist boxes are blank for the assessor to add in case learners may be noted that the learner
creates some conversational turn taking topics that are more interesting than other discourse
markers listed into the checklist. This means, let learners who need more time to open
conversational back-tunneling with other learners later. When time comes, learners can acquire
the ability to communicate with other learners. Later, learners may discourse markers with their
hearing parents, the school administrators, hearing teachers and so much more. This will be
definitely beneficial for hearing parents’ understanding why the learners who may be taking their
time to open dialogue with everyone. The checklist will always make sure to note on learners’
language skill area what it already improves and what it encourages them to keep improving on
their skill area. This checklist will show to parents, hearing teachers, and the school
administrators, their imagery and comprehension why the checklist is important to know.

In conclusion, this checklist significantly applies to D/deaf learners who come all the
United States and from other different countries as refugees and immigrants. It helps and benefits
learners who can monitor their competence as they are acquiring ASL. To learners’ continuation,
it is put up to have assessments done while videotape using conversational turn taking. Assessors
may ask learners and communicate with learners with their permission to utilize recordings for
explanation or to show parents, hearing teachers, and administrators to see what
misconceptions/misunderstanding creates that are able to be observed. Assessors should count on
learners’ checklists with their knowledge and understanding why the checklist is required to
prove how D/deaf learners’ communication skills are. And they may see what kind of
conversational turn taking needs to be improved and to be fluent in the signers area. Observation
notes can be involved as well because it shows how many learners are encouraged to open
conversation and some learners need more time to basic communication as opposed to using
point direction. Assessors may use important information to help them with their proof reports in
annual IEPs. I strongly believe this checklist will be successful and beneficial for ASL specialists
and educators who are fully support that idea to assist their learners to show parents, teachers and
administrators in which they are knowledgeable of IEPs are valid evaluating, not faking
information or forcing on learners need to work on their conversational skill improvements.
 References
Simms, Baker, & Clark. (2013). Visual communication and sign language checklist. Gallaudet
University. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from
https://vl2portal.gallaudet.edu/pdf/vcsl-cklistnorms-final.docx-1-page-1-only.pdf

Vos, C. D., Torreira, F., & Levinson, S. (2015, Mar 24). Turn-timing in signed conversation:
Coordinating stroke-to-stroke turn boundaries. Frontiers in Psychology. Retrieved July
29, 2021, from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00268/full

(n.d.) Visual communication and sign language. National Science of Learning Center. Gallaudet
University. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from
https://vl2.gallaudet.edu/visual-communication-and-sign-language