Taking notes

Taking notes is one of the important skills of consecutive interpreting . It is a skill that can be practiced in isolation. This way we remove time pressure associated with note-taking from a speaker. In reality, notes are messy, but with practice we can develop a system that can be easily applied.

O Why do interpreters take notes?

O How to develop your own system for note-taking? (as simple as possible)

O What to include in your notes?

O Increases the accuracy and completeness of the message by supporting short term memory

O Helps you avoid interrupting the speaker if you short term memory fails.

O Boosts self confidenceO Saves timeO Increases professionalismO Serves as a back upO Helps you recall words and expressions

you struggle to interpret, so that you can check them later.

Don’t forget…

Notes are not a replacement for your memory and in consecutive interpreting should be kept to a minimum (names, numbers etc). Your notes could contain confidential information, even though they most likely won’t makes sense to anyone but you – and perhaps not even you!

7 Principles of Note-taking

O Noting the idea not the wordO The rules of abbreviationO LinksO NegationO Adding emphasisO Verticality O shifts

O For example, “Today we reflect on the mistreatment of the Aboriginal community”

This principles is true also when translating idioms and cultural specific expressions. O Exercise by analysing longer speeches

into their main ideas (chunking)

Rules of abbreviation O If the word is short (3-4 letters) write

full word. O Longer words: Specialized sp..ed

better than specIf you have time write a word as completely as possible, however, if a word must be abbreviated, then write some of the first and last letters rather than trying to write as many letters as possible from the start onwards.

O Abbreviate register O The expression “which have contributed

to” is long (help) is short.

Wherever possible we must abbreviate by using a word which conveys the same meaning but is shorter.

O Similarly, “which are worth looking at” can be noted int g (interesting).

O “In order to arrive at some conclusions” can be noted to end.

O “Taking into account the situation at the present time” can be noted as sit on now

Links

The part of any speech that is both the most important and the most difficult to note is the sequence of ideas and the links between them. (Jean Herbert)

As, why and that is because, this is the reason why, since, given the fact that, (in some instances) given that; to convey explanation

Thou although, despite the fact that; to convey opposition

But On the other hand, but, nevertheless, however; to convey limitations

= the same goes for, one might say the same of; to convey the idea of equality or correspondence

≠ on the other hand, contrary to; to convey the idea of difference or lack of correspondence

In + in addition, furthermore, if we also take account of; to convey the idea of additional precision.

O Negation Negation might be noted by means of a line running through a word or symbol. Example: If we use OK to signify “agree”, then “disagree” will be OK . It is also possible to write the word (no) before the word to be negated (thus in our example we would note no OK ). This second method is clearer and since “no” is a very short word using it is not a problem. O Emphasis To emphasize a word we can underline it (twice if we are dealing with a superlative or absolute).

Verticality

means taking notes from top to bottom rather than from left to right. This method makes it possible to: a) group ideas logically, allowing a complete and immediate synthesis when we come to read back our notes, b) to do away with many links which would otherwise be essential to the clarity of the text.