Student Interpretation Competitions – A Student's View

The article discusses the necessity to collect, analyze and use student feedback on their participation in student competitions as exemplified by the Second International Student Consecutive Interpreting Competition Tri-D-Int held on 22-23 March 2018 at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. The authors have tested the usability and efficiency of a phased data collection component of the feedback system. It consists of three separate elements spread over time: (1) a feedback session with the panel of judges after the award giving ceremony or on the following day; (2) a standard internet survey sent out 3-5 days after the competition; и (3) an essay which the students are asked to write several weeks after the competition. During the feedback session the contestants ask questions about their performance and the marks given by the jury members, and also specific questions about consecutive interpreting techniques and skills. The internet survey conducted with Google Forms is intended to solicit participant opinions on the competition in general, its preliminary and final stages, on the composition and objectivity of the jury, and make recommendations for improvement. Although the respondents have the option to maintain their anonymity, the majority of them reveal their identities. The essay, which some students are reluctant to write due to time constraints, aims to help contestants reflect on their experience and on the feedback from the judges. The article analyzes the essays of two competition participants from New Bulgarian University.