Establishing interpreting fluency evaluation criteria based on correlational analysis of speech rate, articulation rate, and mean pause length

Fluency is an important and complex criterion in interpreting assessment. It is regardedalongside semantic consistency and similar content standardsas one of the principal indicators of interpreting quality, yet it has received relatively little attention in interpreting research, mainly because the instability of interpreting and spontaneous speech creates difficulties for data collection. The concept of interpreting fluency has been narrowly construed and measurement methods are limited, often concentrating on pauses and hesitations in interpreting output. Drawing on related concepts and prior findings, interpreting ability can be measured using five temporal metrics. This study focuses on the correlations between speech rate, articulation rate, mean pause length, and fluency to determine whether these three measures can serve as evaluation criteria for interpreting quality. The research uses performance data from 30 participants and will apply Pearson correlation and multiple-regression analyses; conclusions will be drawn based on the results of those analyses.