“Article 1103: oh pff… yes—then concerns… the… um… unilateral contract…”

Abstract

Hesitation and lexical repair markers are part of almost every audibly pronounced sentence. Empirical linguistics generally bases its examinations on spontaneous speech production. This paper uses the discourse analytical approach of empirical linguistics to analyse think-aloud protocols produced by translators and lawyers in a mixed methods study combining thinking aloud and eyetracking. Two expert groups—lawyers and translators, comprising both professionals and students—read complex legal texts in French and summarised them in German, their mother tongue. A mainly qualitative analysis evaluates and categorises the occurrences and functions of various German hesitation and discourse markers. This not only provides information about the use of fillers and repair actions during speech but also insights into reception processes and perceptions of text difficulty. A quantitative analysis of pause fillers suggests that the reception processes of lawyers and translators differ.