Regional phonetic variability in the English speech of native speakers of east Asian languages as a translation problem
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The aim of this study is to identify phonetic modifications in the English speech of speakers from East Asian countries that may hinder the perception of speech by Russian-speaking simultaneous interpreters. The article examines the features of the English speech of native speakers of East Asian languages, which contain a variety of phonetic modifications of sounds and intonation patterns, which is of interest for the training of conference interpreters. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that, for the first time, phonetic variability is considered in the context of simultaneous interpretation of English speech specific to the Asia-Pacific region. For the first time, translation errors are identified that arise in the presence of modifications at the segmental level in the speaker's speech, for example, as a result of the replacement of apical-interdental fricative consonants with apical-alveolar ones, fricative consonants with plosive stops, changes in the syllable structure of a word according to the plus-segmentation model; at the suprasegmental level – as a result of the transfer of the logical center of the utterance, fragmentation of the syntagmatic division, and the occurrence of additional pauses. The study found that phonetic variability is a factor that complicates the process of perceiving English speech in a simultaneous interpretation setting, and that prior familiarization of interpreters with the characteristic features of the East Asian accent can help improve perception skills and improve the quality of translation.
Source: Philology Theory & Practice
Institution: Far Eastern Federal University
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4408878981