BAAL Researcher Development Workshop 2025: Exploring applications of eye-tracking methodology in applied linguistics research

Gergely Kajos (Language@Leeds PGR Rep) along with colleagues from the School of Education (Professor Diane Pecorari, Dr Thomas Hammond, and Xuechun Huang) hosted a workshop about eye-tracking methodology with an engaging introductory session by two external speakers from UCL, Professor Andrea Révész and Associate Professor Ana Pellicer-Sánchez, and a hands-on demonstration with Language@Leeds Technical Research Assistant Dr Chris Norton.

Doctoral students, early career researchers and senior colleagues from over eight UK institutions attended the event in person, with an additional 25 participants joining online from a range of countries.

The workshop provided an excellent platform for networking and discussions for avenues for collaboration. This was especially encouraged through the workshop’s emphasis on how eye-tracking methodology can be integrated across a broad range of research areas, which allowed attendees to reflect on their own projects and potential plans. The practical demonstration by Language@Leeds' Technical Research Assistant not only gave hands on experience in using eye-tracking equipment, but also made colleagues aware of the opportunities that these services can provide, and encouraged reflection on how these could be taken advantage of to enhance projects at the individual and group level. If you are interested in accessing technical support for your language-related project, please contact Dr Chris Norton.

Thank you to the School of Education for hosting the event and for the British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL) for providing funding for the event.