Video-aided Testing of Student Delivery and Presentation in Consecutive Interpretation

A test was conducted on a group of trainee interpreters at the SSLMIT (in early 1995) in an attempt to find an objective method of evaluating the quality of consecutive interpretation. Each student in turn gave a filmed consecutive performance in English (from an Italian socio-political text) which was observed by the rest of the group. After each delivery, observing participants completed a questionnaire designed to obtain an evaluation of performance. A 5-point scale was chosen to test four areas only: voice quality, facial expression, hand control, and posture. Overall assessment of class performance was obtained from a set of criteria chosen for each area under study. Individual assessment was also obtained in graphic form. Both overall and individual assessments were compared to trainer evaluations (with and without video). The test enabled both class and individual weaknesses to be identified. Successive video viewing and discussion of results in class proved to be an instructive and useful didactic tool, leading to modifications of the questionnaire for further experimentation.