Norms and gender in simultaneous interpreting: a study of connective markers

Abstract

This paper focuses on a possible gender-based approach towards norms in simultaneous interpreting by analysing the use of connective markers by male and female interpreters to reveal patterns of interpreters’ handling of translational norms. Drawing on the 2008 subcorpus of EPICG with French source texts and their English and Dutch interpretations, the present study checks whether male and female interpreters translate, omit or add connective markers in the same way. The results are then tested against other parameters which might have an influence such as language, speech delivery rate or the gender of the speaker. It appears that the interpreter’s gender does not affect the use of connective markers. As for the other parameters under study, it seems that only speech delivery rate significantly impacts the interpreters’ performances, especially when it comes to the omission of connective markers.

Keywords

• interpreting studies; norms; gender studies