INTRODUCTION TO SPEECH RATE, ARTICULATION, AND TRANSLATION QUALITY IN ORAL INTERPRETATION

Abstract

This study examines the impact of speech rate and articulation characteristics on translation quality in English–Uzbek oral interpretation, with a focus on both simultaneous interpretation (SI) and consecutive interpretation (CI). While extensive research exists on major language pairs such as English–Chinese or English–Arabic, empirical findings on English–Uzbek interpreting remain scarce due to the limited availability of linguistic corpora and training resources for Uzbek, a mid-resource Turkic language. Drawing on cross-linguistic interpreting research, this paper analyses how speech rate (words per minute), articulation clarity, accentedness, prosody, and connected-speech reductions influence interpreter performance in terms of accuracy, completeness, fluency, and cognitive load. The findings highlight that fast speech rates (above 150–160 wpm) significantly reduce comprehension, shorten the ear-voice span, and increase omissions, particularly for trainee interpreters. Poor articulation—such as strong non-native accents, rapid reductions, lack of pauses, and unclear intonation—further compounds processing challenges by reducing intelligibility at the input stage. These difficulties are amplified in the English–Uzbek pair due to typological differences in word order, morphological complexity, rhythm, and phonological inventories. The study concludes with recommendations for improving interpreting quality through rate moderation, targeted training on accented and rapid speech, enhanced interpreter strategies, and the integration of speech-technology tools for skill development.