Abstract
This paper deals with the note-taking
system in consecutive interpretation.
It discusses the relevance and
usefulness of taking notes as well as some essential
issues relating to
problems which note-taking presents, e.g. whether note-taking
can be
learnt. If yes, which method is the best one? Symbol for everything or
noting words? Which one is the most effective technique? Which language to
prefer?
The foreign or the target language? Or, another case, is it
better to use some
international symbols offered by various interpreting
schools? The aim of this
paper is not to answer those questions, it is
rather an attempt to show some
famous ideas of interpreters with
international recognition like Jean-Francois
Rozan, Jean Herbert, Danica
Seleskovitch, Heinz Matyssek etc. In spite of their
differing views on
note-taking, all of them stick to some general principles
they recommend:
it is important to note the idea, not the word; the interpreter
must
focus on the main idea; and, at last, notes should be clear, simple and
easy to be read.
We can say that each of us, teachers, interpreters
and student interpreters,
will have our own idea on what note-taking
should be. Therefore, it is very
difficult to demand the same system of
note-taking of all students.
My own experience shows that, at first,
students try to note everything which
is being said finding out that they
can not cope with their notes afterwards.
Taking this into account,
students should be taught general principles and techniques
because they
could help students elaborate their own way of note-taking while
training their analytical abilities.