Temporal variables in English into Korean simultaneous interpretation research

In conference interpretation studies, temporal variables, among other research tools, have played an important role in unveiling the secret of the cognitive processes involved in simultaneous interpretation for the last few decades. As technology develops, applying computer-aided analysis of simultaneous interpretation speech signals has yielded reliable and objective data for quantitative processing. This article summarizes various temporal variables in English into Korean simultaneous interpretation to demonstrate their value in contributing to interpreting research. Included are pauses that show the efficiency of interpreters��� information processing, simultaneity, which is a unique aspect of simultaneous interpretation, and speech proportion, which refers to the ratio that speaking time occupies within the total time of the simultaneous interpretation. Ear voice span, the lag time between the beginning of an incoming message and the moment the interpreter produces his translation of the segment, was also examined. Additional variables were tail to tail span, the span during which interpreters lag behind speakers in concluding a TL(target language) utterance, and temporal aspects of newly emerging captioned simultaneous interpretation. Statistically significant relationships among these temporal variables demonstrate their significant potential as research tools