Understanding depiction in tactile Norwegian sign language interpreting

Abstract

Interpreting settings involving tactile signed languages (TSLs) require the conveyance of information from visual and auditory channels into the tactile modality. A TSL is defined as a tactile adaptation of a visual signed language (SL), primarily used by deaf signers who experience vision loss later in life. In these adaptations, some signs are produced on the body of both interlocutors, creating a larger signing space that is more easily accessible through the tactile modality. We refer to TSL signs produced on the body of the interlocutor as “TSL haptices”. Moreover, one distinctive feature of visual SLs is depiction, where signs visually represent meaning by “demonstrating” a referent or event. Depiction also exists in TSLs, though its use has received limited study, particularly in the context of interpretation. As a result, this paper aims to: i) investigate how interpreters mediate depicting structures in interpreting settings involving Tactile Norwegian Sign Language (TNTS), ii) describe how depiction is expressed on the bodies of interpreters and deafblind individuals, and iii) provide a model that defines the various types of “haptices” found in TNTS interpreting.