Research problems and rationale
Note-taking is a crucial skill in consecutive interpreting, enhancing accuracy and detail retention during lengthy speeches While often seen as a personal technique, it requires a systematic approach for effective use As noted by Andres (2000), the belief that note-taking is solely personal and unteachable is unfounded Furthermore, the quality of interpretation significantly relies on effective note-taking, as interpreters cannot retain all details from long speeches due to the limitations of short-term memory, which typically holds information for only 10 to 15 seconds Consequently, note-taking is a central focus in interpreter training programs.
Despite the introduction of note-taking techniques in translation courses, many university students majoring in Translation and Interpreting still face significant challenges A study by Ribas (2013) highlighted that novice interpreters struggle with issues such as information density and insufficient practice Additionally, Dr Aladdin al-Zahran's research (2007) revealed that students often have difficulty managing the length and content of their notes, leading to an overreliance on this method Feedback from students and classroom observations further confirm these persistent difficulties in effectively applying note-taking strategies.
Students often struggle with the interpretation process, leading them to write lengthy and disorganized sentences in their notes instead of using concise words and symbols.
The significance of effective note-taking has prompted a study focused on the notes of professional interpreters and third-year Translation and Interpreting students at FELTE, ULIS These university juniors are ideal participants due to their curriculum, which emphasizes note-taking as a fundamental aspect of consecutive interpreting By analyzing both student and professional interpreter notes, the research aims to identify similarities and differences, uncover challenges faced by students, and propose effective note-taking strategies and techniques.
Objectives of the study
This research aims to analyze the interpreting notes of students and professional interpreters to identify similarities and differences between the two groups Additionally, it seeks to uncover the challenges students face in their note-taking process Finally, the study will derive effective note-taking strategies for students by examining the notes of experienced interpreters.
The study aims to answer the following questions:
- What are the similarities and differences between the note-taking strategies of professional interpreters and those of third-year students of Translation & Interpreting, FELTE?
- What are the difficulties encountered by the target students during their note-taking process?
- What are the suggested note-taking techniques from professional interpreters for students to boost the quality of their interpretation?
Significance of the study
This research explores the role of note-taking in consecutive interpreting, highlighting its significance for both student learning and lecturer teaching methods The findings aim to enhance practices in the field, benefiting educators and learners alike.
This study aims to enhance students' understanding of the crucial role of note-taking in interpretation while providing effective strategies derived from professional note analysis By improving their note-taking skills, students can significantly boost the quality of their translation output.
Teachers can gain valuable insights from this research, particularly regarding the challenges students encounter while taking notes The recommended strategies from professional interpreters can serve as a useful reference for educators in crafting effective note-taking lessons.
Lastly, this small-scale research could be referred to as a background for larger-scale studies in related fields of interpreter training.
Organization of the study
This research is organized logically with three main parts
This article presents a structured exploration of a specific research problem, outlining its objectives and significance while posing three critical research questions The development section encompasses a comprehensive literature review, a detailed research methodology, and an insightful discussion of findings Finally, the conclusion summarizes the key findings of the study, discusses their implications, acknowledges limitations, and offers suggestions for future research endeavors.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Interpreting
According to the formal ISO (International Standards Organization)
(2014), interpreting means “rendering a spoken or signed message into another spoken or signed language, preserving the register and meaning of the source language content”
Cynthia Roy (2000) defines interpreting as a conversational process that facilitates communication between two groups who do not share a common language, utilizing a skilled interpreter proficient in both languages and adept at navigating cross-cultural interactions.
Interpreting is a type of oral translation that differs from written translation, requiring not only language proficiency but also essential skills like memory, note-taking, and public speaking Unlike written translation, interpreting occurs in real-time, which means interpreters do not have the luxury of revising their work or consulting dictionaries, making their role particularly challenging.
According to Andrew Gilles in his book “Note-taking for Consecutive Interpreting: A Short Course” (2017), consecutive interpreting is defined
“listening to what someone has to say and then, when they have finished
5 speaking, reproducing the same message in another language” with the assistance of notes, memory and background knowledge The length of the speech can range from a minute to twenty minutes
In a recent lecture at Mustansiriyah University, consecutive interpreting was defined as a mode of oral translation where the interpreter conveys the message after the source-language speaker has completed their speech This process involves dividing the speech into segments, with the interpreter positioned beside the speaker, actively listening and taking notes throughout the delivery.
Consecutive interpreting involves a two-stage process, as outlined by Daniel Gile (1995) In the first phase, the interpreter listens to the source speech, utilizing short-term memory and notes to capture the speaker's messages The second phase is the reformulation stage, where the interpreter recalls these messages from memory and notes to convey the speech in the target language effectively.
Note-taking is a crucial aspect of consecutive interpreting, as it helps manage the challenges posed by the length of the original speech and supports the interpreter's short-term memory during the interpreting process.
Simultaneous interpreting requires the interpreter to perform multiple tasks concurrently, including listening to and understanding the source language, retaining the information in working memory, and producing the translation in the target language As noted by Christoffels and Groot (2015), this complex process involves managing these cognitive demands simultaneously, ensuring accurate and timely interpretation.
Whisper interpreting, as defined by Language Scientific, is a specialized type of simultaneous interpreting where the interpreter sits close to the individual or group needing assistance In this method, the interpreter softly whispers or speaks in the target language, ensuring that the message is conveyed discreetly and effectively.
In a working paper of the National Council on Interpreting in Healthcare
Sight translation, as defined in 2009, refers to the immediate oral conversion of text from one language to another This practice is commonly requested of interpreters during assignments, highlighting its importance in facilitating real-time communication.
Dictation is defined as the process of transcribing spoken text, where one individual speaks while another writes down the words being spoken During this process, interpreters are responsible for accurately converting the speaker's words into written form.
Interpreting notes
Richard Nordquist (2019) emphasized the significance of note-taking in the research process, describing it as the act of recording essential information He pointed out that in classroom settings, notes serve as valuable study aids, while in interviews, they provide crucial material for crafting essays or articles.
Regarding the characteristics of note-taking, Walter Pauk and Ross J.Q Owens (2004) said that “taking notes doesn't simply mean scribbling down or
7 marking up the things that strike your fancy It means using a proven system and then effectively recording information before tying everything together."
According to Shelley O'Hara (2005), effective note-taking demands significant cognitive effort, as it involves identifying key information, organizing it logically, and interpreting its meaning.
1.2 Note-taking in consecutive interpreting 1.2.1 The role of note-taking in consecutive interpreting
Among the skills for consecutive interpreting, note-taking is considered one of the focal points for the significant benefits it brings to the interpreter
In a study by Wei Lu (2013), it was found that note-taking significantly enhances memory, serving as a crucial tool for interpreters Given that human short-term memory can typically hold only about seven items, it is challenging for interpreters to remember all details, including proper names, times, places, and statistics, during a several-minute speech Therefore, notes act as valuable aids, helping interpreters recall the original speech more effectively.
Roderick Jones (2002) in "Conference Interpreting Explained" highlights that note-taking serves as a crucial tool for memory relief in interpreting By utilizing notes, interpreters can alleviate the cognitive load of retaining extensive language input, particularly during lengthy and intensive speeches that may extend for hours.
1.2.2 The process of note-taking in consecutive interpreting
In his book "Note-taking for Consecutive Interpreting: A Short Course," Andrew Gilles (2017) references Gille's (1995) framework for note-taking in consecutive interpreting, which consists of two phases that encompass several tasks.
In the initial phase of interpretation, the interpreter engages in active listening and analysis while the speaker is delivering their message This involves taking notes and utilizing short-term memory to effectively process and retain the information conveyed.
In Phase 2 of interpretation, while the interpreter is actively speaking, the focus shifts to note-reading and memory recall During this stage, the interpreter retrieves messages from both their notes and memory, subsequently articulating them into the target language.
This study will concentrate on the note-taking process occurring in phase 1, examining it alongside other activities included in this phase.
2 Principles of note-taking in consecutive interpreting
Numerous studies have explored various note-taking principles and systems, highlighting the personal nature of this skill, which means there are no strict rules to follow This article references a set of seven note-taking principles for consecutive interpreting, as developed by Jean-François Rozan in 1956.
Interpreters should focus on capturing the main ideas rather than getting bogged down by specific wording This approach emphasizes the importance of presenting these ideas clearly and logically, ideally in the target language, although it's not mandatory By analyzing and noting the core concepts, interpreters can minimize errors and ensure a smoother delivery.
The abbreviation rule emphasizes that interpreters should use abbreviated forms of words to enhance efficiency and keep pace with the speaker For instance, writing "h" instead of the full word "hour" significantly reduces the time spent on note-taking, allowing interpreters to focus more on the content being delivered.
Links are a crucial yet challenging aspect of the note-taking process, as highlighted by Jean Herbert in 1952 Accurate connections between different parts of a speech are vital; if these links are misrecorded, the intended messages may become distorted.
Negation can be represented by a line crossing through a word or symbol, as described by Gilles (2017) For instance, if "OK" signifies agreement, then "disagree" can similarly be indicated as "OK."
To emphasize specific words or ideas, utilizing lines, double lines, or dotted lines for underlining can be effective As noted by Gilles (2017), underlining serves to qualify the emphasized word or idea without the need for additional qualifiers.
Verticality, as defined by Andrew Gilles (2017), refers to the technique of taking notes from top to bottom instead of left to right This approach allows interpreters to logically organize their notes using the "stacking" rule, which involves positioning various elements of the text vertically or utilizing brackets for clarity.
Shift: “Shift means writing notes in the place on a lower line where they would have appeared had the text on the line above been repeated.” (Gilles,
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Sampling method
The researcher used cluster sampling for the student group because this group of participants is already divided into different classes with a nearly even number of students
The researcher employed convenience sampling to study the professional interpreter group due to time constraints and the participants' individual work schedules, which limited the availability of a larger participant pool.
Participants of the study
This research studied two main groups: third-year students of FELTE, ULIS and professional interpreters
A total of 104 third-year students from four mainstream Translation & Interpreting classes are participating in an Interpreting course that emphasizes note-taking skills Notably, students from CLC classes are excluded due to their distinct curriculum, ensuring that the mainstream classes reflect the standard English proficiency expected of ULIS third-year students.
In this research, a total of 69 out of 104 third-year students participated, including 11 participants from the first class and 18 from the second class.
21 participants from the third class and 19 participants from fourth class
The second group will consist of approximately 5-10 full-time professional interpreters with academic backgrounds in Language or Translation and Interpreting These interpreters possess several years of experience, particularly in consecutive interpreting, which is crucial for the study's significance.
11 improving the note-taking lesson design, the second group included teacher interpreters, who have professional experience in both teaching and interpreting
The COVID-19 outbreak and the busy schedules of interpreters resulted in a total of six professional interpreters being available, all of whom are teacher interpreters with previous and current roles as lecturers at ULIS.
Data collection instruments
This study applied both quantitative and qualitative methods for the data collection, which were questionnaires, interviews and document analysis
This study utilized questionnaires to identify the challenges students face in their note-taking process and to highlight the advantages of note-taking during interpreting tasks.
The questionnaire consists of two primary sections: optional personal information and a series of questions The questions are further divided into two segments, focusing on students' perspectives regarding the advantages of note-taking and the challenges they encounter in the note-taking process.
The questionnaire employs a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5, assessing students' opinions on the benefits of note-taking through six statements and identifying ten potential challenges they may face while taking notes Written in basic English, the questionnaire is designed to be easily understood by third-year students.
The questionnaires were intended to be distributed to all 104 students However, because of the students’ absence in class for personal reasons, there were 69 out of 104 students completed the questionnaires
The interviews were carried out with professional interpreters, which was of great assistance for professional interpreters to explain and elaborate on their
12 note-taking strategies as well as giving recommendation on note-taking techniques for students
The interview consists of four key questions focusing on the frequency of note-taking, various note-taking methods, challenges encountered during the process, and suggested strategies from professional interpreters To facilitate a more comprehensive and convenient expression of ideas, the interview questions have been translated into Vietnamese.
The interview was initially expected to include five professional interpreters; however, the COVID-19 outbreak and the interpreters' busy schedules made it challenging to secure full-time professionals Ultimately, six teacher interpreters participated in the interview.
This study analyzed the interpreting notes from students during their end-term tests alongside the notes from professional interpreters engaged in consecutive interpreting tasks By comparing these two sets of notes, the researchers aimed to identify both the similarities and differences in their approaches The focus of the comparison centered on the principles of note-taking utilized in consecutive interpreting.
In December 2019, following the end-term interpreting tests for the first semester, approximately 160 student notes were gathered, encompassing both Vietnamese-to-English (V-E) and English-to-Vietnamese (E-V) translations on the topic of "The Social Role of Family." These notes were drafts submitted during the exam Additionally, around 40 professional interpreters' notes were collected via email as images, reflecting their real-life consecutive interpreting experiences at conferences and workshops, written in both English and Vietnamese.
Setting of the study
The study is conducted at FELTE, ULIS, and at the places where the professional interpreter group perform their consecutive interpreting process
ULIS lecturers introduced various note-taking methods to students over several sessions Subsequently, students implemented these techniques during in-class interpreting exercises The researcher collected and analyzed the interpreting notes generated by the students during their practice.
Due to unforeseen social distancing measures, the researcher had to modify their initial plan to observe the professional group’s note-taking and interpreting process in person Instead, the interpreting notes from the professional group are now being collected via email.
Data collection procedure
Step 1: Formatting and designing questions
The Likert scale was selected for the questionnaire to assess students' opinions on the benefits and challenges of note-taking The questionnaire was carefully designed to fit within two A4 pages, aiming to reduce any reluctance among students to complete it.
Questionnaires were distributed to five students to identify potential issues with wording and content comprehension Feedback indicated that the criteria and statements in the questionnaire were unclear and lacked sufficient elaboration.
Step 3: Adjusting the questions with the consultation of the supervisor Upon receiving the feedback from students, the questionnaire was revised with the advice of the supervisor, in which the benefits and problems of note- taking were provided more specifically and explicitly
The researcher came to the class of the students during their break to distribute the questionnaires after asking the permission from the lecturers A
Before completing the questionnaire, students received a concise overview of its content along with detailed instructions to ensure clarity and prevent any confusion or misunderstandings.
To effectively monitor student attendance during the break, the researcher arrived early and waited outside the classroom, addressing challenges related to tracking students entering and exiting.
Step 5: Collecting and Categorizing the questionnaires
The completed questionnaires were collected immediately after the students finished them in class and organized into four distinct files, one for each class, to facilitate easy tracking and management.
2 Data from semi-structured interview
Step 1: Formatting and designing the questions
The interview utilized open-ended questions focused on gathering insights from professional interpreters regarding effective note-taking strategies These questions were crafted in Vietnamese and included comprehensive descriptions to ensure that the interviewees fully understood the purpose behind each inquiry.
Step 2: Making appointments with the interviewees
The researcher initially planned for face-to-face appointments, but due to the unexpected COVID-19 outbreak, interviews were conducted online via email While this approach limited direct interaction and detailed information exchange between the interpreters and the researcher, it allowed access to more professional interpreters and offered greater convenience and flexibility in terms of time and location for responding to questions.
With the supervisor's assistance, permission was obtained to interview eight teacher interpreters After sending emails that included a brief introduction to the study and an attached file of interview questions, six interpreters responded to the request.
Step 1: Collecting and the interpreting notes
Due to social distancing measures, direct meetings with professional interpreters during consecutive interpreting were not possible Consequently, participants were contacted online via email to submit pictures or scans of their interpreting notes.
On the day of their end-term exam, the supervisor and researcher met with the student group to gather insights Following the completion of the exam, the supervisor assisted in collecting interpretation notes to analyze the students' experiences.
Step 2: Create soft copies of the interpreting notes (in picture form) Some typical interpreting notes were scanned to be presented in the findings and appendices of the study paper.
Data analysis procedure
To prevent confusion during data entry, the questionnaires were organized into four distinct groups, each containing four classes Subsequently, the collected data was entered into Google Forms, an online survey tool created by Google.
Google Forms processed the data by calculating the frequencies of the answers The final results were indicated through bar charts and detailed description
2 Data analysis from semi-structured interview
All email responses from the teacher interpreters were gathered and compiled Some interviewees opted to record their answers instead of completing the attached file, so these recordings were transcribed into text, and all responses were included in the paper.
After carefully analyzing the interview responses, we categorized them into distinct groups that align with each research question, while also noting the commonalities in answers among the interviewees.
The content of each answer group was analysed and its results were reported with detailed description
The researcher meticulously reviewed over a hundred interpreting notes from students' end-term tests to identify several representative examples of how most students approach note-taking during consecutive interpreting Additionally, typical notes from professional interpreters were also chosen for comparison.
The data were organized according to the note-taking principles outlined in Chapter 2, highlighting the similarities and differences between the note-taking methods of students and professional interpreters.
The strategies and methods that two groups of participants used to take notes were compared and reported with detailed description
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
What are the similarities and differences between the note-taking
This section compares the interpreting notes of two participant groups, highlighting both their similarities and differences The analysis is grounded in the note-taking principles for consecutive interpreting established by Jean-François Rozan, providing insights into how these principles influence the effectiveness and clarity of interpreters' notes.
(1956), which was mentioned in the first chapter of Literature Review
1 Noting the idea and not the word
Picture 1 Examples for Principle 1 (Student’s note on the left and professional interpreter’s note on the right)
A comparison of word counts in notes taken by students and professional interpreters reveals that students tend to write significantly more, resulting in a higher density of information This suggests that students often feel the need to document extensive details during their learning process.
Professional interpreters prioritize capturing the core ideas in their notes rather than transcribing lengthy sentences or excessive details This approach highlights their focus on understanding and conveying the main points effectively, contrasting with others who may attempt to record as much information as possible without grasping the essential concepts.
All interview participants concur that professional interpreters should reduce their reliance on notes by focusing on comprehensive listening to fully grasp the speech's main points prior to note-taking A teacher interpreter highlighted the critical decoding process, emphasizing that interpreters must understand the speech's content before recording it in their notes.
The questionnaire results reveal that a significant majority of students, approximately three-quarters, acknowledge a tendency to prioritize writing words over conveying ideas.
Picture 2 Examples for Principle 2 (Student’s note on the left and professional interpreter’s note on the right)
A significant contrast is observed in the use of abbreviations and symbols between the notes taken by professional participants and students The notes from the professional group predominantly feature symbols and abbreviated terms, while the students' notes lack symbols and contain minimal abbreviations.
The contrasting perspectives on note-taking strategies are highlighted in the responses from teacher interpreters and student participants While many students prefer writing full words rather than using symbols and abbreviations, professional interpreters unanimously agree that incorporating symbols and abbreviations is essential for effective note-taking.
Picture 3 Examples for Principle 3 (Student’s note on the left and professional interpreter’s note on the right)
The use of linking elements in speech indicates the flow of ideas, revealing a greater variety in professional notes compared to student notes While professionals employ diverse linking strategies, students predominantly rely on the arrow symbol “→” to denote sequences in their interpreting notes.
In conclusion, teacher interpreters utilize various symbols in their notes, including “=” to indicate equality or definitions, “≠” to represent differences, and “>