Exploration Into The Principles For Peer Feedback In Trainee Interpreters’ Group Practice

With the transformation of the pedagogic approach from teacher-centered to student-centered,peer feedback,which puts students in a dominant position,has been widely applied in interpreting training.This thesis,through questionnaires,investigates the current situation of peer feedback in group practice among MTI students from Class 2021 and Class 2022 at China Foreign Affairs University(CFAU).The aim is to find out the problems in peer feedback in trainee interpreters’ group practice and the underlying causes and lay down some important principles for them to refer to when providing feedback on their peers’ interpreting performance.Before designing the questionnaire,an observational study is conducted to understand the overall situation of peer feedback in group practice.The questionnaire is designed based on the results of the observation and literature reviews.It is found through data analysis that although most of the trainee interpreters recognize the importance of peer feedback,its implementation,devoid of plausible guiding principles,is heavily flawed.Finally,based on the questionnaire results,the following peer feedback principles are put forth,comprised of three aspects.First,overall feedback precedes detail feedback.Peer feedback should be presented from the perspective of the audience.Second,process feedback precedes product feedback.Peers’ interpreting performance should be checked through plausibility,fidelity and acceptability tests.Third,competence feedback precedes language feedback.Peer’s zone of proximal development should be transcended through higher-level scaffolding.