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A Study on Student-Centered Teaching of
Note-Taking in Interpreting
Wang Feng & Shuai Hongmei
Yangtze University
ABSTRACT
Note-taking is of paramount importance in the teaching of interpreting. However, many problems exist in
students’ note-taking. Thus, this research suggested solutions concerned with the language selection,
content and quantity, use of symbols and abbreviations, coordination between note-taking and memory,
etc. Student-centered note-taking teaching principles require students 1) to understand first; 2) to
memorize by the brain and to support with notes; 3) to identify students’ problems; 4) to practice in
groups; 5) to conduct a comprehensive evaluation. It also emphasizes the teacher’s and students’
qualifications for the successful student-centered teaching of note-taking, to improve students’ interpreting
skills and enhance the efficiency of interpreting teaching.
Keywords: student-centered; note-taking; interpreting.
Classification: FOR Code: 139999
Language: English
c
c
LJP Copyright ID: 573319
Print ISSN: 2515-5784
Online ISSN: 2515-5792
London Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences
382U
Volume 18 | Issue 3 | Compilation 1.0
© 2018. Wang Feng & Shuai Hongmei. This is a research/review paper, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), permitting all noncommercial use,
distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
A Study on Student-Centered Teaching of
Note-Taking in Interpreting
α σ
Wang Feng & Shuai Hongmei
____________________________________________
any other time in history. Therefore, competent
ABSTRACT
interpreters become more and more in demand
Note-taking is of paramount importance in the
than ever before. Meanwhile the need for studies
teaching of interpreting. However, many
on interpreting theory and teaching methodology
problems exist in students’ note-taking. Thus, this
is far more than any other time in history.
research suggested solutions concerned with the
language selection, content and quantity, use of
As is known to most people, interpreting teaching
symbols and abbreviations, coordination
has two distinctive features. On the one hand,
between note-taking and memory, etc.
empirically collected data and scientific research
Student-centered note-taking teaching principles
methods are applied to explain the internal
require students 1) to understand first; 2) to
mechanisms involved in interpreting
memorize by the brain and to support with
performance. On the other, interpreting is viewed
notes; 3) to identify students’ problems; 4) to
from various perspectives and becomes an
practice in groups; 5) to conduct a
inter-disciplinary issue (Gile, 1995: 256). Famous
comprehensive evaluation. It also emphasizes the
representative theories include the
teacher’s and students’ qualifications for the
Verbal-Nonverbal-Verbal model by Seleskovitch
successful student-centered teaching of
(1976), the Organization-Condensation-
note-taking, to improve students’ interpreting
Generation model by Mackintosh (1985) and
skills and enhance the efficiency of interpreting
Gile’s Effort Model (1995). Except for those in the
teaching.
West, some Chinese interpreting researchers
gradually transited the research from static to
Keywords: student-centered; note-taking;
dynamic. More and more experiments and
interpreting.
empirical studies are carried out to evaluate the
Author α σ: School of Foreign Studies, Yangtze
quality and fidelity of interpreting. At the same
University, No. 1, Nanhuan Road, Jingzhou City
time, many scholars make substantial
434023, Hubei Province, China.
contributions to interpretive theories and
σ: School of Foreign Studies,
Corresponding Author
training, such as Bao Gang (2005), Liu Heping
Yangtze University, No. 1, Nanhuan Road, Jingzhou
(2005) and Cai Xiaohong (2001).
City 434023, Hubei Province, China.
e-mail: 724885609@qq.com London Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences
Though no specific theories were devoted to
exploring the nature and functions of notes,
I. INTRODUCTION
note-taking was considered as one of the
With the world stepping into a new era and indispensable parts of the integrated process of
China’s opening to the world, it is urgent for interpreting. The earliest studies concerning
Chinese people to communicate with the outside note-taking in interpreting were mainly based on
world in an all-directional and multi-level personal experiences of those fore-running
manner. The communications, concerning interpreters, who provided suggestions and
economy, culture, education and politics and so practical techniques gained from real interpreting
on, become much deeper and more frequent than tasks on how to take notes or what notes should
45
© 2018 London Journals Press Volume 18 | Issue 3 | Compilation 1.0
look like. Their theories and findings acted as the interpreter will spend too much time in
guidelines for those who were thinking about writing down those long words or Chinese
entering the interpreting field at that time. Later, characters. Sometimes much necessary
it is explored with more theoretical and empirical information would be missed. Thus, teachers
explanations, rather than as an independent skill should help them choose the right language to
to be mastered. Many scholars have applied take notes, which directly affects the quality of
theories to note-taking teaching in interpreting, interpreting performance. Unfortunately,
such as Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) students are often indeterminate in using the
(Ma, 2008: 5), Scheme Theory (Shen, 2013: 13), more convenient language in different situations.
Limitation Teaching (Wang & Zhong, 2010: 2),
2.2 Problems in the Quantity of Note-taking
and Student-centered Teaching (Chen, 2005: 11).
These research throw light on the application of
One of the common problems is that students are
the student-centered teaching in note-taking.
often trying to write down too many words and
sentences from the speech they hear in
However, what problems exist in the teaching of
interpreting. Especially for beginners, they always
note-taking? How to teach note-taking to improve
have an intention of recording every word while
students’ interpreting quality? Which
taking notes, which is absolutely a waste of time
methodology should we take in note-taking
and goes against the rules of note-taking. Due to
teaching? Though the Effort Model and
the limited processing capacity, students should
Interpretative Theory offered guidance to
not spend too much time on note-taking because
interpreting teaching, it still needs more detailed
it will lead to the increase of memory load. Still,
information for note-taking teaching. To improve
other students are reluctant to write down
the quality of interpreting teaching, it’s a wiser
anything on the paper. Sometimes, those
choice to enhance the teaching of note-taking. Liu
incompetent students would only sketch a few
Heping (2005: 456) points out that interpreting is
lines. How much note-taking should be done
not the simple encoding and decoding from the
depends on many factors. However, too many or
source language to the target language, so the
too few notes are not leading to successful
purpose of interpreting teaching is to enable the
interpreting, in most cases.
students to master the interpreting mechanism,
and that interpreting skills can be obtained with
2.3 Problems in the Use of Symbols and
scientific and systematic training. Inspired by
Abbreviations
these viewpoints, we aim to further discuss the
Symbols and abbreviations are frequently used in
application of student-centered teaching of
note-taking. However, many students can’t
note-taking.
properly use symbols and abbreviations, which
are created by interpreters for quick writing. The
II. EXISTING PROBLEMS IN STUDENTS’
correct use of symbols in note-taking can help the
NOTE-TAKING
interpreter not only to save more time to keep up
London Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences
2.1 Problems in the Language Selection of
with the speed of the speaker but also to help the
Note-taking
interpreter to acquire a clearer understanding of
There are two different mainstream stances the the original message with a better memory.
majority of scholars hold: one group agrees to Hence, the mastery of some common symbols is a
take notes in the original language, and the other necessary skill for a qualified interpreter.
prefers the target language (Gile, 1995: 189). However, some students would use the same
Which one is better? Is it always better to take symbol in the same paragraph to refer to different
notes in the target language? As we know, some meanings, which would cause misunderstanding
words in Chinese or English are difficult to write in the following interpreting, especially when the
down. If the target language is always preferred, original is quite long and difficult.
A Study on Student-Centered Teaching of Note-Taking in Interpreting
46 Volume 18 | Issue 3 | Compilation 1.0 © 2018 London Journals Press
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