A Corpus-based Multimodal Analysis of Consecutive Interpreting for Public Events The Case of Collaborative Chunking

In less than two decades interpreting corpora have covered a wide range of interpreting settings and language pairs. Corpus-based studies have also been enriched by multimodal data, addressing both verbal and embodied dimensions of interpreter-mediated interactions. This paper contributes to expanding this corpus-based multimodal analytical approach by examining the dynamics of chunking, the practice of dividing extensive turns in consecutive interpreting. In a speech delivered to a foreign audience, chunking is essential in facilitating the rendition in the target language. Yet, it may potentially interrupt the guest speaker’s speech flow on stage. Underpinned by a small-scale corpus featuring Chinese– Italian consecutive interpreting delivered in public events, the analysis investigates how the interpreter and the guest speaker navigate this conflict and how the situational and cultural contexts impact their actions. The paper begins with an overview of the multimodal approach in interpreting studies, focusing on chunking and consecutive interpreting in public events. Subsequently, data collection and transcription methods are outlined. Drawing on the multimodal approach of Conversation Analysis, we explore how chunking is managed by participants who employ various semiotic resources. Our results reveal an overall collaborative framework characterized by mutual monitoring and signalling between the speaker and the interpreter, with diversified approaches adopted by the participants. The reasons behind their choices are also discussed in relation to the contextual features of the communicative event.