Formative self, peer and teacher assessments in the translation classroom

Abstract EN

The use of formative assessment in translation programmes has gained a lot of attention over the last decades.

Unlike summative assessments, which are widely known as assessments on learning, the crux of the matter in formative assessments is to enhance the translation competence of the trainees and to provide a continuous source of feedback on their performance and progress.

A summative assessment in the middle or the end of the term or semester will hardly be sufficient in translation courses even though it is the most common type of assessment thus far in various institutions around the globe.

This paper reports on the use of self, peer, and teacher assessment in an advanced course in Arabic-English translation.

It is part of an action research that included 11 post-graduate students at the International Peace College South Africa during the academic year 2018-2019.

The study is primarily quantitative, and it has used various statistical methods to investigate the correlation between the three modes of assessment.

A qualitative analysis of the student’s comments on their own assignments and those of their peers is also given.

The study has concluded that self and peer assessment should be utilized as ongoing formative assessment tools.

They are exceedingly beneficial, and they play a vital role in the development of the student translators’ translation competence as well as their expertise trajectory.