Holistic assessment of consecutive interpretation

Abstract The article aims to show how interpreter trainers holistically grade student performances. For this purpose, experimental rating sessions were held for four undergraduate interpreter trainers. The raters were asked to think aloud their quality judgments while holistically assessing six recordings of consecutive interpretation. Their concurrent verbal reports, along with reflective reports, interview transcripts, and video recordings of computer screen activity, were collected and analysed in detail. Findings revealed various facets of interpreting performance assessment, including what procedures the raters followed, what aspects of the performance they focused on, what criteria they depended on for their judgment decisions, and why two ratings of the same performance were divergent. This article also presents a tentative model for holistic rating of consecutive interpretation.