Dialogic Interpretation: Turning Audiences into Active Participants

Interpretation is often described as “a revelation based on information” (Tilden, 1977). Yet in many heritage sites, interpretation still follows a one-directional model where the interpreter delivers a program or presentation while visitors listen quietly. In practice, this approach limits engagement and overlooks the diversity of meanings that visitors bring with them.

When interpreters engage with the public, their goal is not only to share facts but to create moments of connection and reflection. Dialogic interpretation is one of the most effective ways to achieve this.

Dialogic interpretation offers a more dynamic alternative. It transforms interpretation into a two-way process of meaning-making, where interpreter and audience co-create understanding through conversation, questioning, and reflection. This approach strengthens emotional connections to heritage, supports inclusive narratives, and encourages thinking.

Dialogic interpretation transforms interpretation from a one-way presentation into a shared conversation where meaning is co-created between the interpreter and the audience.

What Is Dialogic Interpretation?

Dialogic interpretation is grounded in the idea that meaning emerges through dialogue. Inspired by educational theorists like Paulo Freire (1970), it challenges the “banking model” of knowledge transfer, where the expert deposits information into passive learners. Instead, it invites mutual exchange, respect for different viewpoints, and shared inquiry.

In this model, the interpreter is no longer just a guide or narrator but a facilitator of discovery. Visitors are treated as contributors whose personal experiences and emotions can enrich the collective understanding of a site or theme.

Dialogic interpretation is an interpretive approach that draws out the knowledge, perspectives, and values of visitors through structured dialogue among participants. The interpreter acts as a facilitator of conversation around a shared experience or theme, guiding participants to exchange ideas and reflections rather than simply receive information.

This approach recognises that every interpretive act is relational: what visitors perceive, question, or remember depends on how they participate in the conversation.

Why Dialogue Matters

Dialogic interpretation fosters authentic engagement because it values participation. People are more likely to remember what they have helped to discover. By inviting contributions and encouraging emotional connections, interpreters help visitors transform information into meaning.

It also supports inclusion and shared authority. Heritage often reflects multiple, sometimes conflicting, perspectives. Dialogue opens a space where these can coexist respectfully. It allows the interpreter to acknowledge complexity and show empathy toward different cultural or personal viewpoints.

In a world facing issues such as decolonisation, climate anxiety, and social inequality, dialogic interpretation provides a tool for transformative learning. It moves beyond passive appreciation of heritage to critical reflection about its relevance in today’s world.

The Interpreter’s Role and Skills in the Dialogic Process

In dialogic interpretation, the interpreter serves as a mediator of understanding, someone who balances expertise with curiosity, structure with flexibility, and purpose with openness. The interpreter’s task is not to control the narrative but to create the conditions where meaning can emerge collectively.

Dialogic interpretation represents a shift from telling stories about heritage to creating stories with people.

To guide dialogue successfully, interpreters need a combination of facilitation skills and emotional awareness that go beyond traditional presentation techniques. These include:

• Empathy and emotional intelligence to recognize and respond to group dynamics.

• Neutrality and respect for diverse perspectives, ensuring all voices are heard.

• Active listening and paraphrasing to validate participants’ contributions.

• Skillful questioning that encourages exploration without imposing judgment.

• Cultural sensitivity and awareness of inclusive language.

• Confidence in managing emotions, both their own and those of participants.

• Adaptability, adjusting to the group’s intellectual and emotional cues in real time.

• Clarity of purpose, preparing well-defined objectives while staying open to unexpected insights.

The interpreter’s authority shifts from being the “expert” to becoming a curator of meaning, helping participants make their own connections through guided reflection. The best interpreters are those who listen deeply, not only to what is said, but also to what is felt, fostering a space where curiosity, empathy, and shared understanding can truly flourish.

Practical Techniques for Dialogic Interpretation

Here are practical strategies interpreters can apply in the field, whether in museums, parks, or historic sites.

1. Ask Open-Ended Questions

Invite reflection and imagination rather than recall.

• Instead of “Do you know what this tool was used for?” try “What kind of work do you imagine people did with this?”

• Follow with, “What does that tell us about daily life here?”

2. Encourage Peer Dialogue

Ask visitors to share thoughts with a partner or small group before speaking publicly. This builds confidence and helps quieter participants find their voice.

3. Build on Visitors’ Responses

Show that their ideas shape the conversation. For example:

“That’s a fascinating point. It connects with how this site changed over time.”

This validates their contribution and models collaborative meaning-making.

4. Use Storytelling as a Catalyst

Stories create emotional resonance. After sharing one, ask visitors how it relates to their own experiences or modern issues. For example, a story of migration can spark conversations about belonging and identity.

5. Integrate Multiple Modalities

Encourage drawing, gestures, or sensory engagement. For instance, invite visitors to describe what a space feels like, not only what it shows.

6. Reflect Collectively

At the end of an activity or visit, summarize the shared insights:

“Together, we’ve seen how this place speaks about resilience, creativity, and continuity.”

This reinforces a sense of community and shared authorship.

Creating the Right Conditions

Dialogic interpretation requires environments that encourage openness and trust.

Successful conditions include:

• A shared experience to anchor the dialogue (a film, an exhibit, a walk, or a performance).

• Adequate time: meaningful dialogue rarely happens in a rush.

• Small or moderate group sizes where each participant can contribute.

• A safe and inclusive setting where participants feel free to express opinions and emotions.

Using AI to Support Dialogic Practice

While technology can never replace human interaction, AI can help interpreters prepare for and refine dialogic approaches. For example:

• Question Development: AI can generate open-ended questions for specific themes (“What does freedom mean in this place?”).

• Perspective Simulation: AI can simulate different audience viewpoints to test how questions might resonate across cultures or ages.

• Reflective Practice: Interpreters can use AI to analyse their facilitation techniques after a session (“How can I respond more effectively to emotional silence?”). Used ethically, these tools help professionals develop creativity, inclusivity, and self-awareness.

1. Prompt AI for Question Development

You can ask an AI system to generate open-ended, visitor-centered questions on a specific theme. For example:

“Generate five thought-provoking questions to invite reflection on the meaning of freedom at a historical prison site.”

This helps interpreters expand their repertoire of questions and experiment with different tones and levels of complexity.

2. Simulate Audience Perspectives

AI can role-play different audience profiles (a child, a historian, an immigrant, a climate activist) to test how interpretive prompts might resonate differently. This reflection supports inclusive design and helps interpreters anticipate varied reactions.

3. Support Reflective Practice

After an activity, interpreters can use AI for self-reflection. A prompt like:

“Help me analyze how effectively I facilitated visitor dialogue during a guided walk today.”can lead to valuable insights on pacing, listening skills, and group dynamics.

When used ethically and critically, AI becomes not a shortcut but a stimulus for professional growth and a mirror for our interpretive intentions.

Real-World Examples

Example 1: A War Memorial Visit

A guide at a war memorial begins not by explaining the historical facts but by asking visitors to stand silently for a moment. Afterward, the guide invites them to share what they felt while observing the names. Each response becomes an entry point for discussing memory, sacrifice, and peace. The group’s reflections shape the rest of the tour.

Example 2: A Natural Heritage Walk

During a forest walk, the interpreter asks participants to observe a tree and describe it in one word. The responses vary: “ancient,” “protective,” “fragile,” “alive.” The guide then connects these perceptions to ecological interdependence and human responsibility. Visitors begin to articulate personal values about conservation.

Example 3: Museum Exhibition on Migration

Instead of simply showing artifacts, the interpreter invites visitors to bring/show an item or photo that represents their family’s journey. These are displayed temporarily beside the exhibition pieces. The result is a living dialogue between institutional and personal narratives, blurring the line between curator and participant.

These examples show that dialogic interpretation can be adapted to any context. What matters most is the intent to listen, include, and co-create.

Evaluating Success

The impact of dialogic interpretation is not measured by how much information participants retain, but by the quality of engagement it inspires. Indicators of success include:

• Willingness of participants to share and listen respectfully.

• Evidence of empathy or shifts in perspective.

• Emotional or reflective responses linking personal and collective meaning.

• Positive feedback describing the program as thought-provoking or transformative.

Qualitative evaluation tools like reflection cards, participant journals, or short interviews can help document these outcomes.

Ethical and Emotional Dimensions

Dialogic interpretation is not only a method but a mindset rooted in humility and respect. It asks interpreters to let go of control and trust that visitors bring their own wisdom. It requires courage to navigate uncertainty and vulnerability in conversations that may evoke emotion or disagreement.

Ultimately, this approach reminds us that heritage interpretation is a human practice, it grows stronger when interpreters listen as deeply as they speak.

Toward a More Participatory Future

Dialogic interpretation reminds us that heritage is not a static story told by experts but a living dialogue between people and places. It repositions visitors as co-authors of experience, not consumers of information.

Ultimately, interpretation is not about having the last word but about creating the space for others to speak.

By combining conversational techniques with reflective tools like AI, interpreters can create inclusive, adaptive, and emotionally resonant experiences that respond to the realities of contemporary audiences.

References

• Brochu, L. & Merriman, T. (2015). Personal Interpretation: Connecting Your Audience to Heritage Resources. InterpPress.

• Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Continuum.

• Ham, S. (2013). Interpretation: Making a Difference on Purpose. Fulcrum Publishing.

• Silberman, N. A. (2012). Heritage Interpretation and the Digital Turn. The Public Historian, 34(3), 94–107.

• Tilden, F. (1977). Interpreting Our Heritage. University of North Carolina Press.