Optimizing turn-taking in interpreter-mediated therapy: on the importance of the interpreter’s speaking space

Abstract

This paper highlights two types of turn-taking problems that can occur in dialogue interpreting within the context of mental healthcare. Although interpreting in mental health care has received some scholarly attention over the past two decades, the multimodal dimension of such encounters has not been investigated in detail so far.Based on a dataset of video recorded psychotherapeutic sessions with refugees, the study aims to show how interpreters deal with turn-taking issues during the conversation and how this affectsboth their ownrolein the encounter and the interaction itself. Both verbal and nonverbal behavior (gaze orientation and gestures) were taken into account. The data were analyzed qualitatively by drawing on the insights from Conversation Analysis (CA). The analysis suggests that problems may arise when the interpreter is not able to negotiate the moment of turn transfer or his/her turn space during the talk.Such problems in the coordination of turn-taking with the interpreter can even result in loss of information. We argue that turn-taking in therapeutic counseling with an onsite interpreter is a collaborative achievement between both speakers and the interpreter, and that acknowledging the interpreter as a co-participant with rights for speaking space supports the interpreting process.

Finally free from the interpreter’s gaze? Uncovering the hidden labor of gaze work for deaf consumers of interpreter services

“…It would be interesting to further explore how well interpreters understand the use of gaze and the complex nature of gaze behaviors used by signing deaf people. Gaze can be used linguistically to maintain an established discourse referent, it can be used gesturally to direct gaze to things being referred to in a shared visual environment, it can be used to maintain and hold the floor, it can be used to yield the floor and indicate who the next chosen contributor will be (Vranjes & Bot, 2021), held gaze can also change a statement into a question. Why then do interpreters insist on exercising their gaze upon deaf consumers -is it about being watched or being seen?…”

Anticipation and timing of turn-taking in dialogue interpreting

“…Although the interpreter participates in the interaction by taking turns, finding appropriate moments to take the floor is not an easy task. It is important that this process runs smoothly, as problems in turn-taking between the interpreter and the primary participants may affect the accuracy and fluency of the interpreter's rendition and the overall success of communication (see Braun 2013, De Boe 2020, Vranjes & Bot, 2021. Moreover, while taking part in the exchange, the interpreter is at the same time engaged in a cognitively demanding activity involving comprehension, memorisation and reproduction of the incoming turn in a target language (see Gile 1997).…”

“…While previous studies in interpreting have examined turn-taking with reference to the construction of conversational meaning (Davidson 2002), interpreter's coordination of talk (Wadensjö 1998, Davitti 2013) and multimodal cues involved in the negotiation of turn transfers (Pasquandrea 2011, Davitti 2013, Vranjes & al. 2018, Vranjes & Brône 2020, Vranjes & Bot 2021, timing of turn-taking has not been the object of systematic analysis, despite its importance in the interpreting process and a growing number of studies focusing on timing in same-language interactions. Research on the conversational organization of monolingual, spontaneous interactions has pointed out that interlocutors tend to minimize gaps (silences between turns) and overlaps (simultaneous talk) when taking turns (Sacks et al 1974, Stivers et al 2009, Levinson & Torreira 2015.…”