The Multimodality of Human Communication:
Theories, Problems and Applications

University of Toronto, Victoria College, May 3 - 5, 2002

Venue: Emmanuel College, Room 119, 75 Queen’s Park Crescent East, Toronto

PROGRAM

Friday, May 3

2:00 - 2:15 Opening by Professor Paul Gooch, President of Victoria University, and Professor Janet Paterson, Chair of the Department of French, University of Toronto

First Session: Overture, Themes and Variations

Chair: Prof. Paul Thibault (Lingnan University, Hong Kong)

2:15 - 3:00 "The Multimodal Brain: How the Senses Combine in the Brain"

Prof. Marcel Kinsbourne (New School University, New York)

3:00 - 3:30 "Optics and Haptics: the Picture"

Prof. John Kennedy (University of Toronto)

3:30 - 4:00 "Tactile Pictures"

Juan Bai (University of Toronto)

Chair: Dr. Michael W. Mair (International Standards Organization)

4:15 - 5:00 "The Role of Gesture in Language, Thought and Communication"

Prof. David McNeill (University of Chicago)

5:00 - 5:30 "Emotions and the Non-verbal Structuring of Relationships"

Prof. Keith Oatley (University of Toronto)

5:30 - 6:00 Discussion

Saturday, May 4

Second Session: Language in Motion

Chair: Prof. David McNeill (University of Chicago)

9:00 - 9:30 "Multimodal Discourse: Gesture, Speech and Gaze"

Prof. Francis Quek (Wright State University, Computer Science)

9:30 - 10:00 "Left- and Right-Brain Hemisphere Contributions to Speech-Gesture Production"

Dr. Susan Duncan (University of Chicago)

10:00 - 10:30 "The Multimodal Melody of the Text"

Dr. Michael W. Mair (International Standards Organization)

10:30 - 11:00 "Spoken and Nonverbal language in Early Modern Italy: Defining a Standard

Dario Brancato (University of Toronto)

Chair: Prof. Michel Paradis (McGill University)

11:15 - 11:45 "Intonation’s Many Functions"

Prof. Philippe Martin (University of Toronto)

11:45 - 12:15 "Research in the Prosodic Structure of Mandarin"

Ivan Chow (University of Toronto)

Chair: Yves Roberge (University of Toronto)

2:00 - 2:30 "Neurolinguistics of Bilingualism and the Teaching of Languages"

Prof. Michel Paradis (McGill University)

2:30 - 3:00 " The role of second language proficiency and other cognitive processes in learning to read in second language"

Prof. Esther Geva (University of Toronto)

3:00 - 3:30 " A Production Model for Bilingual Speakers"

Naoko Tomioka (McGill University)

3:30 - 4:00 "La multimodalité dans l’interaction natif / non natif: cas de négociation du sens"

Tsuyoshi Kida (Université de Provence)

Fifth Session: Meaning in Multi-sensorial Communication

Chair : Prof. Esther Geva (University of Toronto)

4:15 - 4:45 "Multimodality in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching"

Prof. Paul Thibault (Universita degli Studi di Venezia and Lingnan University)

4:45 - 5:15 "Psychometrics of Multi-channel communication: Wearable Computers"

Leonardo Ruppenthal and Prof. Mark Chignell (University of Toronto)

Sixth Session: Multimodality in Performance

Chair: Prof. Paul Bouissac (University of Toronto)

5:15 - 5:45 "The Multimodal ‘Language’ of Cirque du Soleil: Crossing Borders"

James Skidmore (University of Toronto)

5:45 - 6:15 "Concluding Statement: the Challenge of Multimodal interfaces"

Sunday May 5

Seventh Session: Virtual Perspectives

Chair: Mark Chignell (University of Toronto)

10:30- 12:30 "Theories, Problems and Applications of Multimodality in IT Communications and Interfaces"

Panel Discussion and Open Commentaries

Launching of the Virtual Symposium 2002-2004