Facework and multimodality. A comparative study of on-site interpreting and video-remote interpreting.

When translating the speech of interlocutors who have no access to each other's language, interpreters never act as mere ‘machines’ transferring the message automatically. Instead, they take up an active role in the joint construction of meaning and the interpersonal interaction. In conducting this type of interpersonal work, public image or face is of key importance. Interpreters may omit, mitigate or strengthen face-threats (e.g. requests, verbal aggression, mockery) or face-boosts (e.g. praise, compliments) directed at the primary participants or at the interpreter him/herself. In doing this kind of face-work, both verbal and non-verbal behavior (gestures, posture, mimics, eye-contact, gaze) is essential. But how do interpreters deal with this when interlocutors’ visual cues are not or less directly accessible, as is the case in remote interpreting?

In this research project we analyse the ways in which multimodality contributes to face-work in dialogue interpreting settings. In order to assess the full impact of multimodality in the management of face in dialogue Interpreting, we compare on-site interpreting and video-remote interpreting. First, we map what type of verbal and non-verbal face-work interpreters resort to when dealing with face-threats/face-boosts. Next, we compare how interpreters deal with face-work when having full access (on-site interpreting) or a reduced access to visual cues (video-remote interpreting), which have proven essential for contact-making and rapport-building, coordination of turns and comprehension. Finally, we gauge the interpreters’ views on dealing with face-threats/face-boosts in both interpreting modalities and analyse how this interrelates with their professional role. The results will contribute to theory building on multimodal aspects of face-work in dialogue interpreting and provide ample scope also for informing interpreters' practice.