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Gestural style of the interpreter impacts performance appraisal in public service settings

ORCiD logo with link | University of East Anglia | Polish Academy of Sciences
ORCiD logo with link | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
ORCiD logo with link | Polish Academy of Sciences
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Abstract
Public service interpreting can involve high-stakes situations in which multimodal information is key. Interpreters often mimic speakers’ gestures, which is paradoxically associated both with lack of professionalism and with fostering social harmony. This study investigates whether an interpreter’s gestural style affects users’ perceptions of professionalism, trustworthiness, and skill. Fifty-seven experiment participants watched two twelve-minute videos of a simulated English–Turkish parent–teacher conference. In one video, the interpreter used extensive gestures; in the other, she kept her hands still. The raters responded to a twelve-item questionnaire on professionalism, trustworthiness, fluency, experience, and likability. Statistical inference reveals that interpreters who used spontaneous gestures and gesturally aligned with speakers received significantly more positive ratings. These results suggest that visual input, such as an interpreter’s gestural style, plays a crucial role in third-party experiences of interpreter performance.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Interpreted communication viewed through a multimodal lens
    • 2.1The multimodal turn in Interpreting Studies
    • 2.2The gestural style of the interpreter
    • 2.3Appraisal vs quality of interpreting performances
  • 3.Research questions
  • 4.Materials and methods
    • 4.1Stimuli preparation
      • 4.1.1Script design
      • 4.1.2Video recording and editing
    • 4.2Questionnaire and metrics
    • 4.3Experimental protocols
  • 5.Statistical analysis of questionnaire responses
    • 5.1Data pre-processing
    • 5.2Descriptive statistics
    • 5.3Statistical analysis
  • 6.Discussion
    • 6.1Bias towards/against gestures in interpreting
    • 6.2Social correlates of gestural mimicry
    • 6.3Limitations and future directions
  • 7.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Author queries
  • References
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