Note-Taking Techniques for Success in Consecutive Interpreting

Introduction to Consecutive Interpreting

Do you remember when Lee and Carter interrogated one of the French-speaking Chinese hitmen with the nun Agnes’s help in Rush Hour 3? This iconic scene is certainly funny and, at the same time, is an excellent example of how consecutive interpretation works.

Consecutive interpreting is when a specialist translates a speech when the speaker has finished a sentence or thought. At such moments, the speaker pauses, allowing the interpreter to translate.

This technique is not the easiest one. Interpreter skills and qualities such as attentiveness, reaction speed, and excellent memory must be high. Knowledge of languages is not enough since the interpreter has to understand the characteristics of both their own and the target culture to convey the messages of the speaker’s speech.

Consecutive interpretation is in demand and useful during business meetings, interviews, doctor’s visits, and conference interpreting.

Usually, the process consists of three steps that are repeated cyclically:

Active listening, during which the interpreter notices all the important ideas of what was said.
Writing notes for better concentration and memorization.
Reproduction of the translation to the audience.

Taking notes during consecutive interpreting helps jog your memory and focus on the most important messages while communicating with the audience, which requires specific skills.

Fortunately, many note-taking systems, technologies, and structures can help you master this method faster. Now, The Language Doctors will tell you all the useful tips and what to pay attention to when note-taking during consecutive interpreting.

Essential Tools for Note-Taking in Consecutive Interpreting

Not all translators use notes while working. However, in the moment of translation reproduction, they are very useful, as they highlight the most critical information for the interpreter.

In the modern world, translators can choose a tool for writing notes. They use those that are most comfortable for them. Let’s take a closer look at some essential tools.

Notebooks and Writing Instruments

The most classic and basic tools are paper and pencil. However, there are some things to be considered.

At crucial moments, paper tends to come off, fly away, or simply get lost, which creates disorganization and causes more stress for the interpreter. Notebooks that are too small or large are not always convenient. Experienced interpreters advise using 15 x 20 cm notebooks so that there is enough space on one page for all the necessary information without taking up too much space in your hands.

A pencil is better than a pen. A pen is not always a good choice: it can leak, break, or run out of ink. Also, too many inscriptions with a pen in one place can create chaos on the paper, which will be printed on the next pages and will make it difficult to read the text. A pencil will help you create neater and more pleasing notes.

Technology Aids for Digital Note-Taking

One of the most convenient ways to take notes is tablets and styluses. It’s the same paper and pen, only with a significant advantage: endless pages. A tablet is generally faster and allows multitasking to track time and tempo, which is crucial for an interpreter. One of the disadvantages of the tablet is that it can run out of battery.

Here is a short list of the most favorite apps for note-taking:

Notability (IOS)
SoundNote (IOS)
Samsung Notes
Microsoft OneNote
Evernote

Developing a Systematic Approach

During such an important process as consecutive interpreting, developing your own convenient note-taking strategies is crucial to doing the job efficiently, even during the most stressful moments.

Structuring Your Note-Taking Process

The process of structuring notes is key to their understanding. They help not to get lost in thoughts and convey the meaning of the speaker’s speech. If the note looks like an art-house painting, it is unlikely that it will be possible to reproduce anything from it.

Here are some important aspects and tips for structuring notes:

Use the Subject–Verb–Object (SVO) method. It will help structure your thoughts without losing the main meaning since this method focuses on primary, not secondary, information.
If the SVO method does not suit you, feel free to change the structure of the notes as you see fit, but at the same time, respect the coherence of the speech and the speaker’s intentions.
Pay immediate attention to names, numbers, and special details. They are very important for conveying to the target audience, so they should be written down immediately after they are said.
Use headings and page numeration to help you navigate your notes quickly and effectively.

Tailoring Techniques to Language Pairs

Different language pairs have unique characteristics. Differences in grammar, word order, and idioms require special attention from the consecutive interpreters. Tailoring techniques to language pairs handle such queries by combining natural language processing and machine translation. They can be considered necessary for interpreting technology.

Some useful techniques are outlined below:

Embeddings. You can use language-specific embeddings to identify semantic similarities.
Increase data. Augment your training data with different sentence structures, words, and styles to improve accuracy.
Fine-tune the model based on data for a specific application area or industry.
Use language-specific post-processing rules for when the model encounters errors.

In addition, do not forget about cultural nuances that may depend on the context.

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Symbols and Abbreviations for Efficient Note-Taking

Symbols and abbreviations make the process of writing notes incredibly quick and easy. Often, even simple drawings help to quickly remember the necessary points of view and opinions from the speaker’s words.

There are already many symbols and abbreviations that are understandable to everyone. Symbols include arrows, dots, lines, and punctuation marks. Here are some commonly known abbreviations:

e.g., for example.
i.g. – in other words.
Q&A – questions and answers.
FAQ – frequently asked questions.
AP – accounts payable.
B2B – business-to-business.
B2C – business-to-customer/consumer.
CEO – chief executive officer.
HR – human resources.
KPI – key performance indicator.
PR – public relations.

Etc.

However, you should not use ambiguous abbreviations. Imagine you are a consecutive interpreter, and your speaker talks about their experience working in Italy. To quickly memorize the country’s name, you write IT, but during the translation, you reflexively talk about information technology (IT). To avoid this, specify what the speaker is talking about.

Using certain shorthand symbols and abbreviations should be based on your experience and abilities so that you can translate quickly and the target audience can receive accurate information.

Active Listening Strategies to Enhance Note-Taking

As mentioned above, active listening is one of the steps in the consecutive interpreting process. The interpreter does not listen to information as a spectator but as a professional. This is one of the most important points since you must clearly understand and remember all the necessary information for subsequent translation.

To improve active listening, memorize primary information. Note-taking strategies are helpful here. Memorizing secondary and unimportant information will not help you understand and convey the speaker’s opinion.

Another important thing is that you and the speaker should work as a team to convey information and keep your audience’s attention. Always maintain eye contact with the speaker to stay focused on what they are saying. At the same time, use gestures and head nodes to let the speaker know that you are actively listening and understanding them.

Overcoming Challenges in Note-Taking

Note-taking can be much more difficult than it seems at first glance. Not all speakers have experience with consecutive interpreters, so they do not always cope with speech speed and pauses. At such moments, the interpreter’s skills and readiness must be at the highest level to overcome such challenges.

Handling Rapid Speech and Complex Sentences

Rapid speech and complex sentences are the most common problems for interpreters. To overcome such a challenge, we advise you to avoid memorizing secondary information, focusing on the most important aspects of the speaker’s thoughts. Writing down as little as possible is worth it to cope with the speed and not get stuck in words.

Also, one of the pieces of advice – is don’t wait for the “right word”. If you have a situation where you cannot think of a translation of a word, then write it in the source language and continue writing notes. This way, you will save time and still have an opportunity to find the right word later.

Using keywords, pictures, and symbols will also help you to keep up with rapid speech while writing notes.

Dealing with Technical Jargon and Specialized Vocabulary

First of all, do not panic. The terms in the two languages often sound the same, but you shouldn’t put all your hopes into it. If possible, familiarize yourself with the material and topic of the speech in advance. This way, you will know what to expect to be better prepared.

It would be great if you could chat with the speaker before the speech to hear their speaking style and choice of words.

When you hear technical jargon or specialized vocabulary that you are not familiar with, write it down as a note, and then ask the speaker to explain the pronunciation or meaning of the word if the situation requires it. Don’t be afraid to ask questions – this way, you will show your involvement in the process.

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Conclusion

Consecutive interpreting is a type of interpreting that requires qualified training. In this process, note-taking is important as it helps to capture and remember the essence and important details of the speaker’s speech. Using note-taking strategies, you can provide clear translations to your audience more efficiently and quickly. Work with the speaker as a team to capture your audience’s attention and provide them with tailored information.