3.3.3. Role shift
Role shift/role shift [Pragmatics – 6] is a phenomenon that involves the enacting and performing another person’s speech or actions. Getting in the role of other animate beings such as animals or inanimate beings is also possible. Role shift may be used in contexts where direct speech is used but also in other contexts as well. In role shift the expressions that are signed are interpreted from another person’s perspective or with respect to another context other than that of the actual conversation. Important properties of role-shift are body shift, change in the direction of eye gaze, and altered facial expressions. These signal to the addressee that the signer is adopting somebody else’s perspective. Role shift may be used to report someone else’s speech or thought (attitude role shift), alternatively it may be used to describe physical actions performed by someone else (action role shift).
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant Agreement No 693349.