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Article published In: Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada/Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics
Vol. 38:1 (2025) ► pp.107–133

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The effect of fluency training on interpreter trainees’ speech fluency, comprehensibility, and accentedness

An experimental study

ORCiD logo with link | Bu-Ali Sina University
ORCiD logo with link | Leiden University | Frisian Academy | University of Pannonia
Published online: 2 April 2024
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/resla.22044.yen
Abstract
Fluency, comprehensibility, and accentedness are considered important parameters of interpreting quality but have rarely been studied systematically in training programs of interpreting. Therefore, the present study was set up to investigate the effect of fluency training on speech fluency, comprehensibility, and accentedness of interpreter trainees. Two groups of interpreter trainees at a university in Iran took part in the study, receiving the same amount of instruction and practice (12 hours over 4 weeks). The experimental group (N = 30) spent 33% of the time (i.e., 4 of the 12 hours in the training program) on dedicated fluency strategy training, encouraging the memorization, repetition, and retelling of audio and video materials. The remaining 67% was spent on training general speaking skills. The control group (N = 30) were only taught general speaking skills in the training program but received no dedicated fluency training. Systematic interviews were run to assess the interpreter trainees’ speech fluency, comprehensibility and accentedness, which were judged independently by three expert raters at three moments of testing, i.e., pretest, immediate posttest, and delayed posttest (one month later). The findings revealed that the fluency training significantly enhanced the interpreter trainees’ fluency, and to a lesser extent the students’ comprehensibility but had only a marginal effect on accentedness. The pedagogical implication would be that awareness training on speech fluency in EFL settings be included in interpreting training programs.
Resumen
El efecto del entrenamiento de fluidez en la fluidez del habla, la comprensibilidad y el acento de los aprendices de intérprete: Un estudio experimental
La fluidez, la comprensibilidad y el acento se consideran parámetros importantes de la calidad de la interpretación, pero rara vez se han estudiado sistemáticamente en los programas de formación en interpretación. Por lo tanto, el presente estudio se creó para investigar el efecto del entrenamiento en fluidez sobre la fluidez del habla, la comprensibilidad y el acento de los aprendices de intérprete. En el estudio participaron dos grupos de estudiantes de interpretación de una universidad de Irán, que recibieron la misma cantidad de instrucción y práctica (12 horas en 4 semanas). El grupo experimental (N = 30) dedicó el 33% del tiempo (es decir, 4 de las 12 horas del programa de capacitación) a entrenamiento dedicado a la estrategia de fluidez, fomentando la memorización, repetición de materiales de audio y video. El 67% restante se destinó a la formación de habilidades generales para hablar. Al grupo de control (N = 30) solo se le enseñaron habilidades generales de expresión oral en el programa de capacitación, pero no recibió capacitación específica en fluidez. Se realizaron entrevistas sistemáticas para evaluar la fluidez del habla, la comprensibilidad y el acento de los aprendices de intérprete, que fueron juzgadas de forma independiente por tres evaluadores expertos en tres momentos de la prueba, es decir, prueba previa, prueba posterior inmediata y prueba posterior tardía (un mes después). Los hallazgos revelaron que el entrenamiento en fluidez mejoró significativamente la fluidez de los intérpretes en formación y, en menor medida, la comprensibilidad de los estudiantes, pero solo tuvo un efecto marginal sobre el acento. La implicación pedagógica sería que la capacitación en concientización sobre la fluidez del habla en entornos de inglés como lengua extranjera se incluya en los programas de capacitación en interpretación.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Fluency
    • 1.2Accentedness and speech comprehensibility
    • 1.3Motivation of the present study
  • 2.Method
    • 2.1Participants
    • 2.2Materials and procedures
      • 2.2.1Materials to be rated for fluency
      • 2.2.2Training materials
    • 2.3Treatment
    • 2.4Assessment
  • 3.Results
  • 4.Discussion
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Note
  • References
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