Investigating interpreter-mediated interaction through the lens of depictions, descriptions, and indications

Abstract When interpreting from a signed to a spoken language, interpreters transition from a visual ecology (without sound) to an ecology that includes both auditory and visual resources. This transition entails situating renderings in a new environment using appropriate semiotic resources. Applying the analytical concepts of depictions, descriptions, and indications ( Ferrara and Hodge 2018 ), this article documents how one interpreter navigates this transition. The applied framework highlights how the interpreter engages her entire semiotic repertoire, including visual resources that are used as important cues. The findings also show that renderings are often framed with discourse markers, regardless of whether the semiotic resource of depiction is adopted.