Interpreters’ use of embodied resources to manage rapport challenge in video remote interpreting

Despite the growing adoption of video remote interpreting (VRI), there is limited research on how its visual affordances might affect interpreters’ embodied communication. This study addresses this gap by exploring interpreters’ use of embodied resources to manage rapport challenge in VRI interactions (Rapport Management Theory, Spencer-Oatey, 2008). It analyzes which embodied resources interpreters employ and how the VRI modality influences their communicative effectiveness. Using a mixed methods approach, the paper analyzes 14 video recordings supplemented with eye-tracking data of simulated VRI interactions, involving professional interpreters and role-players simulating the context of a reception center for asylum seekers. Quantitative results reveal that interpreters use a wide variety of embodied resources when managing rapport challenge. Hand gestures were the most commonly used resources, while facial expressions were less frequent. However, the majority of hand gestures were performed off-screen, losing their communicative effectiveness. Qualitative analysis provides detailed examples of how interpreters employ embodied resources to manage rapport challenge. The study concludes that despite interpreters’ extensive use of embodied resources in VRI, this modality’s visual constraints can significantly impact their communicative effectiveness. It calls for increased awareness for interpreters, emphasizing the need for self-monitoring to ensure the accessibility of their embodied resources in VRI.