Intersubjective understanding in finger braille interpreter-mediated interaction: Two case studies of other-initiated repair

Abstract

This study analyzed data obtained from interviews with a deafblind man (DBM), mediated by Japanese finger braille interpreters (FBIs), to explore the negotiation of intersubjective understanding between participants. The DBM in this study co-invented a system of finger braille communication with his mother. He usually used two modalities to communicate with hearing and sighted others: Japanese voicing to convey what he wanted to say and finger braille letters tapped by FBIs to understand what the interlocutor was saying. Using the concept of other-initiated repair (OIR), we examined gaps in intersubjective understanding between the DBM and the interviewer (INT). OIR is a fundamental system that people use to resolve problems associated with speaking, hearing, and understanding to restore intersubjectivity during conversation. We examined two strategic uses of OIR: in the first, the DBM extends the repair segment although the INT completes the repair operation; in the second, DBM asks the FBI a question and manages the participation framework. We employed a mixed analytical method based on Conversation Analysis (CA) analyses, follow-up interviews, and multimodal interaction analysis to determine how OIR sequences coordinate intersubjective understanding in finger braille interpreter-mediated interaction. This study demonstrated some of the productive strategies and collaborative embodied efforts that facilitate deafblind communication and interpreter mediated achievement of intersubjective understandings.