Understanding variability in interpreting quality assessment
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Emilia Iglesias Fernández
Abstract
Variability is a common phenomenon in surveys of interpreting quality assessment. A review of these works shows pleasant voice being particularly affected by variability. Pleasant voice still remains ambiguous and notoriously hard to define as it shares perceptual features with other concurrent delivery features such as intonation and fluency. We decided to use a meta-analysis of users’ and interpreters’ quality preference to understand the reasons behind high variability in general and for pleasant voice in particular. The meta-analysis offers two relevant findings. On the one hand, the high variability for pleasant voice seems to be linked to the lack of conceptual congruence for pleasant voice as users’ mental representations for this parameter have shown to tap on prosodic characteristics such as fluency, intonation, and diction. On the other hand, a sex bias has been found when responses were analysed according to users’ sex. In line with findings in neurocognition that reveal that females perform better in verbal and nonverbal fluency, the female users and interpreters in our meta-analysis have attributed greater significance to pleasant female voice than male users. This meta-analysis also shows the perceptual interrelations that govern assessment of vocal features in interpreting which may be useful in refining the methodology of reception studies.
Abstract
Variability is a common phenomenon in surveys of interpreting quality assessment. A review of these works shows pleasant voice being particularly affected by variability. Pleasant voice still remains ambiguous and notoriously hard to define as it shares perceptual features with other concurrent delivery features such as intonation and fluency. We decided to use a meta-analysis of users’ and interpreters’ quality preference to understand the reasons behind high variability in general and for pleasant voice in particular. The meta-analysis offers two relevant findings. On the one hand, the high variability for pleasant voice seems to be linked to the lack of conceptual congruence for pleasant voice as users’ mental representations for this parameter have shown to tap on prosodic characteristics such as fluency, intonation, and diction. On the other hand, a sex bias has been found when responses were analysed according to users’ sex. In line with findings in neurocognition that reveal that females perform better in verbal and nonverbal fluency, the female users and interpreters in our meta-analysis have attributed greater significance to pleasant female voice than male users. This meta-analysis also shows the perceptual interrelations that govern assessment of vocal features in interpreting which may be useful in refining the methodology of reception studies.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- Who’s who and what’s what in Translation Studies 7
- Translation in the network economy 29
- Many tracks lead to the goal 49
- Triangulating translational creativity scores 63
- Translation revision 87
- Understanding variability in interpreting quality assessment 103
- A project-based methodology in translator training 127
- Incorporating translation technology in the classroom 143
- Tracing marked collocation in translated and non-translated literary language 167
- Eye tracking sight translation performed by trainee interpreters 189
- “Who are they ?” 207
- The power of voice in translated fiction 223
- The author strikes back 247
- Les sources de la traduction et leur valeur heuristique en Histoire : hégémonie vs dissidence du discours médical (Espagne, début du XXe siècle) 267
- Zur Münchhausen-Rezeption in Portugal 283
- Index 295
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- Who’s who and what’s what in Translation Studies 7
- Translation in the network economy 29
- Many tracks lead to the goal 49
- Triangulating translational creativity scores 63
- Translation revision 87
- Understanding variability in interpreting quality assessment 103
- A project-based methodology in translator training 127
- Incorporating translation technology in the classroom 143
- Tracing marked collocation in translated and non-translated literary language 167
- Eye tracking sight translation performed by trainee interpreters 189
- “Who are they ?” 207
- The power of voice in translated fiction 223
- The author strikes back 247
- Les sources de la traduction et leur valeur heuristique en Histoire : hégémonie vs dissidence du discours médical (Espagne, début du XXe siècle) 267
- Zur Münchhausen-Rezeption in Portugal 283
- Index 295
