Body language refers to resources other than talk that are used by all parties (interpreter included) to co-construct meaning and communication. The expression encompasses a range of non-verbal or embodied cues such as gaze orientation and movement, facial expressions, head movements, gesture, body posture and orientation and proxemics. The use of such resources is strongly linked to the specific situation in which the interaction takes place. In video remote interpreting (RI), interacting through a screen affects the way in which such resources are displayed and perceived, which may in turn have an impact on the unfolding of the interaction (e.g. affect dynamics such as turn-taking or display of recipiency and understanding). Given the key role of body language in communication, the lack of access to it in telephone remote interpreting is a considerable drawback. Despite the mutually constitutive roles of embodied resources and talk, their integration in the study of RI is still in its infancy.

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