A Study On The Learners’ Perception Of Multiple Sources Of Feedback In MTI Translation Teaching

In MTI translation teaching,how to provide effective feedback for students’ translated texts is the key to helping them internalize the theoretical knowledge and improving their translation skills in the translation process.In real teaching environment,effective feedback cannot be achieved without the engagement of multiple parties,including teachers,peers,self,and automatic systems.Therefore,it is necessary to establish a multi-feedback model characterized by interrelation,multiparty cooperation,step-by-step and in-depth exploration.Study on learners’ perception of the multiple sources of feedback in MTI translation teaching is significant for them to pay more attention to the translation process,internalize their theoretical knowledge in translation practice,thus helping develop their translation competence.This study established a model that integrated multiple sources of feedback based on the theoretical foundations of process approach,zone of proximal development,and scaffolding,and implemented the model in the course of Science and Technology Translation at a university in Wuhan.The study investigated 48 MTI students taking the course through questionnaires,random interviews,students’ reflective journals,video recordings,with the aim to answer two questions: 1)How do MTI graduate students perceive the multiple sources of feedback as a whole,and the feedback in different sessions in terms of helping students correct the errors in their translated texts? 2)How do MTI graduate students perceive the effect of the multiple sources of feedback model on the development of their translation competence? It was found that: 1)Most students take a positive attitude towards the multiple sources of feedback.2)In different feedback sessions,students’ attitudes towards automatic feedback are neutral.Their satisfaction with other sources of feedback is more than that with automatic feedback,with ratings ranked as teacher feedback > peer feedback > self-feedback.As for peer feedback,ratings ranked as group peer feedback > class peer feedback > dyad peer feedback.Through the step-by-step feedback sessions,the model drove students to identify and revise local to global errors,which gradually improved the quality of their translated texts.3)To some degree,the multiple sources of feedback model helped students overcome some translation learning problems including improper diction,use of unidiomatic expressions,lack of professional knowledge in certain field,and poor information searching skills,thus gradually developing students’ translation competence.However,there is still some room to improve the model.1)The automatic evaluation system only provides a total score,which cannot meet the student’s needs for timely and specific feedback information.Thus,a system that provides timely and specific translation feedback waits to be adopted in translation teaching and learning.2)Based on process-oriented management,teachers should refine the ways to assess student performance in every feedback session in order to avoid ineffective peer feedback brought about by inadequate cooperation between/among students.These findings have implications for how to implement targeted feedback for other translation courses and provide practical references for improving the quality of MTI teaching,as well as provide insights for further research on the application of the multiple sources of feedback model in translation teaching.