Interpreters’ multimodal management of rapport

Abstract Given the rise of video remote interpreting (VRI), it is surprising that there is limited research on interpreters’ multimodal management of interpersonal relations in this interpreting mode. This study addresses this gap by investigating how interpreters manage rapport challenges in onsite interpreting (OSI) and VRI. It provides a quantitative analysis of interpreters’ use of embodied resources, verbal resources, and strategies when conveying rapport challenges in both modalities. The article analyses 28 video recordings (14 OSI and 14 VRI) involving professional interpreters and role-players in the context of a reception centre for asylum seekers. The interactions were coded using a coding scheme based on Spencer-Oatey’s Rapport Management Theory. The findings indicate that interpreters use significantly fewer verbal and embodied resources to manage rapport challenges in VRI in comparison to OSI. The study also shows that interpreters in VRI employ fewer mitigating strategies, which might be attributed to the increased sense of security and physical distance provided by the modality. These findings highlight the impact of VRI on interpreters’ multimodal management of rapport challenges and seem to suggest that interpreters possibly adapt their strategies based on the affordances of the interpreting method.