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Article published In: APTIF 9 - Reality vs. Illusion: From Morse code to machine translation
Edited by Frans De Laet, In-kyoung Ahn and Joong-chol Kwak
[Babel 66:4/5] 2020
► pp. 619–635

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An empirical study of temporal variables and their correlations in spoken and sign language relay interpreting

 | Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
 | Chonnam National University
Published online: 16 October 2020
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/babel.00191.yu
Abstract
This study describes the temporal aspects of relay interpreting by a mixed team of spoken and sign language interpreters in order to identify the characteristics of spoken and sign language relay interpreting and to help spoken language interpreters better understand the difference between the two types. The study quantitatively analyzes five time variables (speaking time, word count, ear-voice-span (EVS), tail-to-tail span (TTS), and pause), and their correlations. The temporal aspects of spoken and relay interpretation in sign language are as follows: (1) sign language interpretation requires more words to transfer the same amount of information as spoken language interpretation; (2) sign language interpreters have a shorter EVS than spoken language interpreters; (3) the simultaneity of spoken and relay sign language interpretation is more affected by TTS than by EVS, because spoken language TTS has a high correlation with speech time and word count in sign language interpretation; 4) sign language interpreters actively use the pauses between sentences of spoken language interpreters for target language (TL) production; 5) sign language interpreters produce more words for a shorter period of time than spoken language interpreters.
Résumé
Cette étude décrit les aspects temporels d’une interprétation en relais, effectuée par une équipe mixte d’interprètes en langue parlée et en langue des signes. Son but est d’identifier les caractéristiques de l’interprétation en relais en langue parlée et en langue des signes et d’aider les interprètes en langue parlée à mieux comprendre la différence entre les deux types. L’étude analyse quantitativement cinq variables temporelles (temps de parole, nombre de mots, écart de temps entre l’écoute et la parole [EVS], écart de temps entre la fin d’une phrase à traduire et la fin de cette phrase traduite [TTS] et pause) ainsi que leurs corrélations. Les aspects temporels de l’interprétation en relais en langue parlée et en langue des signes sont les suivants : (1) l’interprétation en langue des signes nécessite un plus grand nombre de mots que l’interprétation en langue parlée pour transférer le même volume d’informations ; (2) les interprètes en langue des signes présentent un EVS plus court que les interprètes en langue parlée ; (3) la simultanéité de l’interprétation en relais en langue parlée et en langue des signes est influencée davantage par le TTS que par l’EVS, étant donné que le TTS en langue parlée a une corrélation élevée avec le temps de parole et le nombre de mots en interprétation en langue des signes ; (4) les interprètes en langue des signes utilisent activement les pauses entre les phrases des interprètes en langue parlée pour produire la langue cible ; (5) les interprètes en langue des signes produisent plus de mots pendant une période plus courte que les interprètes en langue parlée.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
    • 2.1Temporal variables in spoken language interpreting
    • 2.2Temporal variables in sign language interpreting
  • 3.Research method
    • 3.1Materials
    • 3.2Temporal variables
    • 3.3Analysis procedure
  • 4.Findings
    • 4.1Temporal variables
      • 4.1.1Speaking time
      • 4.1.2Number of words
      • 4.1.3EVS
      • 4.1.4TTS
      • 4.1.5Pause
    • 4.2Correlations among temporal variables
  • 5.Conclusion
  • References
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