Utilizing Collaborative Video Projects in Interpreter Training: English-majored Students' Perceptions and Experiences

Abstract

Based on a number of research papers about language education, student-produced video projects are beneficial and practical to improve language skills outside the classroom. Nevertheless, the use of this method in interpretation courses has yet to be widely studied in the world. Accordingly, the researchers utilized the experimental method in an interpretation course. The course had 40 seniors majoring in English for Tourism, asked to work in groups of four or five to plan and make their own video projects to practice interpreting in real-life contexts. Also, their video projects were graded as mid-term tests according to grading criteria. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to explore students' perceptions and experiences of collaborative video projects. At the end of the course, they were invited to fill in surveys to discover their perceptions and what they could improve through this method. Furthermore, 12 of them joined online interviews to share their experiences as well as views of video projects. Based on the findings, most of the participants described collaborative video projects as new and motivating learning experiences helping develop their interpreting skills instead of studying in traditional classrooms. It was suggested that video projects should be used as a new teaching model in interpreter training.

Keywords: interpreter training, interpreting skills, video projects, project-based learning, English-majored students