Investigating lexical simplification: A corpus- based comparative analysis of interpreted, L2, and native speech

Based on a comprehensive corpus consisting of English speech simultaneously interpreted from Chinese (interpreted speech), English speech produced by native speakers (L1 speech), and English speech made by advanced non-native speakers (L2 speech), this chapter explores the manifestation of simplification in interpreting. The level of simplification is quantified using four lexical complexity indicators: type-token ratio, lexical density, list head, and core vocabulary coverage. While not all the lexical indicators consistently confirm the occurrence of simplification in interpreting, there is a tendency for interpreters to rely on less varied lexical options and more high-frequency words, partially supporting the hypothesis of simplification. In addition, the findings reveal that simplification is not unique to interpreting, as an even more pronounced manifestation was observed in L2 speech. Considering the highly cognitively demanding nature of producing interpreted and L2 speech, the occurrence of simplification may result from the producers’ efforts to alleviate cognitive load.