On The Feasibility Of The Application Of Assessment For Learning In Undergraduate Interpreting Course

Although interpreting appears before translation, research on interpreting lags farbehind that on translation. Many unique characteirstics of interpreting contirbutes tothe fact that interpreting research has to rely itself oil the development of relevantsciences. Long period of research based on experience and lack of research means arealso among the causes of the lagging development of interpreting research. Researchon interpreting quality did not emerge until the1970s. As J, Carroll (1978) put it, by1978, there had been little relevant systematic research, since there had been notheoretical basis to define interpreting quality, not to mention empirical research basedon on-the-spot observation.With economic globalization and China’s constant exchanges with the outsideworld, more and more scholars, teachers and learners take interest in interpreting.Most of teachers and students in foreign language departments or colleges areinvolved in interpreting teaching or learning. As a result, both interpreting teachingpractice and research have achieved fast development. However, quality evaluation ofinterpreting teaching/training remains a rigid problem (Cai Xiaohong,2007:132).Melis and Albir (2001) pointed out，after analyzing the aims of professionalinterpreting evaluation, interpreting research evaluation and interpreting teachingevaluation, that interpreting training evaluation is still a field to be explored.At present, China’s undergraduate interpreting teaching is boosting in all aspects,contrasting the lagging development of teaching evaluation. With respect of this statusquo and under the guidance of the features, objectives and components ofundergraduate interpreting teaching, the author discusses the feasibility of applyingassessment for learning as a means of evaluation. The author holds that assessment forlearning will help teachers as well as students. When carrying out assessment forlearning, teachers will identiyf teaching tasks and keep the teaching process undercontrol. As for students, assessment for learning will arouse their learning enthusiasm,clarify their learning objectives, and foster their sense of responsibility, for they arenot only involved in learning but also in assessment, sometimes even in teachingdecision making. Thus assessment assure the achievement of teaching objectives withthe collaboration of both teachers and learners.