Welcome to Francis Academic Press

Frontiers in Educational Research, 2025, 8(10); doi: 10.25236/FER.2025.081027.

Developing Interpreter Competence of MTI Students with Interpreting Workshop: An Action Research Study

Author(s)

Li Tianzhu1,2

Corresponding Author:
Li Tianzhu
Affiliation(s)

1Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing, China, 100089

2School of Foreign Studies, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China, 100083

Abstract

This study conducts action research on an interpreting workshop course within the Translation Master’s Program (MTI) at a university in China. The research data includes students’ pre-translation preparations, interpreting performance, peer evaluations, post-interpreting reflections, course reports, and the teacher’s teaching journal. The study aims to explore how action research can be applied to the teaching of interpreting workshops and how this course contributes to the development of MTI students’ interpreting competence. The findings indicate that action research can help teachers optimize the teaching design in terms of teaching processes, content, and student experience. Through this course, students’ interpreting competence, which encompasses interpreting skills, cross-cultural communication abilities, and professional capabilities, has been comprehensively enhanced. This study provides valuable insights into interpreting workshop teaching research and the application of action research in interpreting pedagogy.

Keywords

Action Research; Interpreting Workshop; Master of Translation and Interpreting; Interpreter Competence

Cite This Paper

Li Tianzhu. Developing Interpreter Competence of MTI Students with Interpreting Workshop: An Action Research Study. Frontiers in Educational Research (2025), Vol. 8, Issue 10: 177-185. https://doi.org/10.25236/FER.2025.081027.

References

[1] Gentzler, E. Contemporary theories of translation[M]. Routledge, 1993. 

[2] Wang, S. H. Girard’s constructivist translation teaching: Contributions and shortcomings[J]. Journal of Tianjin Foreign Studies University, 2010, 17(4), 44-49.

[3] Szczyrbak, M. Reflections on teaching business and legal translation to Polish undergraduate students[J]. SKASE Journal of Translation and Interpretation, 2008, (1), 65-81.

[4] Li, M., & Zhong, W. H. A guide for conducting translation workshop[J]. Chinese Translators Journal, 2010, (4), 32-36+95.

[5] Tao, Y. L., & Liu, J. G. An Integrated Approach toward Teaching MTI Students Translation with Focus on Improving Translator Competence[J]. Foreign Language Learning Theory and Practice, 2015, (4), 87-91+43.

[6] Shi, X. Y., & Liu, Y. H. Translation teaching focusing on process analysis and competence cultivation: Exploration and practice of the “translation workshop” teaching model[J]. Shanghai Journal of Translators, 2021, (4), 53-57.

[7] Burns, A. Doing action research in English language teaching: A guide for practitioners[M]. Routledge, 2010.

[8] Shen, Z. R. From Interpreting Competence to Interpreter Competence: Ethnography Research on Hangzhou Asian Games[J]. Beijing Journal of Translators, 2024, (2), 201-217.

[9] Kalina, S. Interpreting competences as a basis and a goal for teaching[J]. Interpreters’ Newsletter, 2000, (10), 3-32.

[10] Wang, B. H. Assessing “interpreting competence” and “interpreter competence”: Preliminary exploration of an objective assessment model for interpreting[J]. Foreign Language World, 2007, (3), 44-50. 

[11] Wang, B. H. From interpreting competence to interpreter competence: Expanding professional interpreting teaching concepts[J]. Foreign Languages and Their Teaching, 2012, (6), 75-78.

[12] Tao, Y. L. Towards a constructive model in training professional translators: A case study of MTI education program in China[J]. Babel: International Journal of Translation, 2012, 58(3), 289 -308.

[13] Wang, C. Business English interpreting teaching practice under the concept of “workshops”[J]. Journal of Liaoning Institute of Science and Technology, 2015, (3), 90-91.

[14] Tan, Y. Z. Exploration of MTI interpreting workshop teaching model[J]. New West, 2017, (33), 29-30+14.

[15] Tao, X. On Empirical Research in U-STAR Interpreting Workshop Teaching Mode in Ubiquitous Learning[J]. Journal of Tianjin Sino-German University of Applied Sciences, 2018, (2), 107-111.

[16] Cui, C. Business English interpreting teaching practice based on the workshop teaching model[J]. Hebei Vocational Education, 2019, (1), 68-71.

[17] Zhu, T. Research on Workshop Mode Interpreting Salon and Inspirations for Interpretation Teaching[J]. Journal of Heilongjiang Institute of Teacher Development, 2020, (11), 153-156.

[18] Yang, S. X. P-STAR English Interpreting Workshop Teaching Mode Construction Under the Background of “One Belt One Road”[J]. Journal of Southern Vocational Education, 2021, (1), 84-88.

[19] Xu, W. H., & Li, Y. Implications of interpreting workshop model for bilingual broadcasting micro-teaching[J]. Data, 2022, (9), 101-103.

[20] Vygotsky, L. S. Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes[M]. Harvard University Press, 1981.

[21] Saldaña, J. The coding manual for qualitative researchers (3rd ed.)[M]. Sage, 2016.

[22] Bühler, H. Linguistic (semantic) and extra-linguistic (pragmatic) criteria for the evaluation of conference interpretation and interpreters[J]. Multilingua, 1986, 5(4), 231-235.

[23] Huang, Y. P. Translation teaching from the perspective of constructivism[J]. Foreign Language World, 2013, (6), 65-71.