Emotional expressions within communication do a lot within relationships. For example, they signal value to others which adds to social capital, they facilitate specific behaviors or outcomes and regulate social interaction and strengthen bonds. You may wonder why emotional conveyance is a considerable part of interpreters' work. I’ve outlined a few examples below, so let's get into it.
Emotions are felt in the body, and somatosensory feedback has been thought to trigger conscious emotional experiences. Knowing this, interpreters could use our bodies much as a method actor would feel the emotions they are planning to convey, especially if we are visible and a part of the communication interaction. There are many reasons to do this; for one, emotions are used as a form of social referencing, a concept that has been researched by (Klinnert, Campos, & Sorce, 1983), which says that we look for information from other people on how to act or to clarify a situation. However, if the interpreter acts emotionally incongruently, this may skew the emotional experience and ability to apply social referencing accurately within that situation for everyone involved. Emotions also modulate our readiness to move, and depending on the situation, especially ones where we are feeling uncomfortable; we tend to contract; however, if we are in a social setting where we are feeling the ability to interact freely with others and ready to explore our surroundings, then we are more likely to be open to receive and be ready for action and have more postural control. When an interpreter is aware of body language within an interpreted interaction, their own and the conveyance of feelings can hugely impact how the message is received and how feelings/emotions are embodied and conveyed in the target language. So we enter the world of emotions. How can interpreters realign their approach to allow the emotion of the person they are interpreting to come across? How do you begin to establish how a person is feeling? First and foremost, you must be aware that this process takes time. You cannot develop a substantial emotional bond with someone within five minutes of them telling their story. Take your time to listen and watch for emotional cues (eye contact, touch, body movements, etc.) and establish an emotional baseline with that person. Once you have established that connection, try to find an approach with which you can communicate this emotional information, whether it be through gestures or even observation techniques such as mirroring or matching body language, tone, the intensity and pace of signs, and volume of voice; all of these will help the person you are interacting with feel more connected to you by demonstrating that you are keeping pace with what they are conveying the intended emotions. Improving an interpreter's ability to interpret nonverbal signals has more significant consequences for relationships and communication. Training and practice are the best way to improve an interpreter's abilities in this area, so keep up your skills and emotional intelligence skills and let's continue to do the great work you do as interpreters!
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November 2023
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