Chapter published in:
Linking up with Video: Perspectives on interpreting practice and research
Edited by Heidi Salaets and Geert Brône
[Benjamins Translation Library 149] 2020
► pp. 203–233

Chapter 8
Eye-tracking in interpreter-mediated talk

From research to practice

A starting point for a multimodal analysis of interpreter-mediated interaction is the discussion on the pros and cons of new technologies especially for new forms of distant, remote or offsite interpreting. More specifically, in this contribution is argued that empirical multimodal analyses of participants’ and interpreters’ behavior in real-life interpreting settings may provide much-needed groundwork that helps to fuel this discussion. As one of the most central points of criticism raised by interpreting practitioners is that distant forms of interpreting lack certain characteristics that are typical for on-site or face-to-face interpreting (i.e. distant solutions are not true-to-life, Van Rotterdam & van den Hoogen 2011). It becomes increasingly important to pinpoint what these typical and natural characteristics are. Empirically grounded insights into these characteristics may then, in a research-technology-application loop, feed into innovative technologies, rendering novel interpreting solutions that are more true-to-life.

In this empirical analysis we focus on one specific phenomenon that has received increased attention in the recent literature in multimodal interaction analysis as well as interpreting studies, viz. eye gaze as a semiotic resource employed by speakers as well as hearers. The main questions here are how interpreters typically manage the turn-taking process in real-life interaction, among others by means of gaze, and how important visual access is to the co-participants for a smooth exchange. In order to answer the research questions, the researchers make use of eye-tracking technology to gain detailed information on interpreters’ and primary participants’ gaze behavior.

Article outline
  • 1.Face-to-face vs. remote interpreting
  • 2.Multimodal interaction: A brief technological state-of-the-art
  • 3.Interpreting: Multimodality & eye gaze
  • 4.Dataset & methodological considerations
  • 5.Empirical analysis
    • 5.1Multimodal feedback patterns in interpreter-mediated talk
      • a.Interpreter-directed feedback
      • b.Primary directed feedback
      • c.Dual feedback
    • 5.2Turn-taking in interpreter-mediated interactions
      • Adjacency pairs
      • Multiple turns
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
  • Appendix. Transcription conventions
Published online: 13 January 2020
https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.149.09vra
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