Structured peer feedback in simultaneous interpreting training

Abstract This study examines the implementation of peer feedback as an assessment-as-learning tool in simultaneous interpreting (SI) training within interpreter education. While instructor feedback remains indispensable, peer feedback offers potential to enrich students’ learning experiences. However, its adoption in SI has been limited due to the signifi ant cognitive demands of the task, novices’ underdeveloped assessment skills, and students’ reluctance to critique their peers. This study sought to overcome these challenges by implementing a structured three-level feedback framework with targeted training and multimodal technological support. Conducted over 16 weeks in an introductory SI course at a graduate institute in Taiwan, the study involved eight first-year students participating in four structured rounds of asynchronous peer feedback activities. The framework comprised three levels: the product level (evaluating accuracy, fluency, and delivery of interpreting output), the process level (diagnosing underlying strategies and cognitive management in interpreting), and the future-plan level (offering actionable suggestions for improvement). Using a video assessment platform with crucial features like dual-track audio control and time-stamped commentary, students provided balanced commentary across accuracy, language quality, and delivery dimensions. Findings revealed benefits for both feedback providers and recipients. Providers developed deeper analytical skills and enhanced metacognitive awareness through evaluating peers’ work, while recipients gained valuable insights into their blind spots, received motivation from explicit positive commentary, and discovered alternative strategic approaches. Students particularly valued future-plan level feedback, indicating a preference for solution-oriented commentary that directly guided subsequent practice. The structured feedback framework and technological support enabled students to move beyond surface-level observations to analyze complex underlying processes and propose targeted improvements. These findings suggest that peer feedback can transform assessment into a powerful, collaborative learning experience in SI training when properly structured and supported, thereby creating opportunities for students to develop essential self-regulation and evaluative skills vital for professional growth within a collaborative learning environment.