NOTE TAKING AND THE POWER OF MIND MAPPING IN CONSECUTIVE

INTERPRETING
By Ni Luh Windiari
Udayana University, Bali Indonesia
2012

1. Consecutive Interpreting
Interpreting is a form of translation in which a first and final rendition in another
language is produced on the basis of a one-time presentation of an utterance in a source
language. (Kade cited in Pochhacker, 2004:11)
Unlike translation, interpreting is a spontaneous activity. The interpreter should
concentrate well during the task to be able to receive and understand the incoming
message and then express the meaning in the target language. During the process of
interpreting, the interpreter has to listen carefully, understand the message, remember it
and think fast and reproduce the translation soon. There is no time to consult any
dictionary. These overlapping series of cognitive processing activities require high level
of concentration.
There are four modes of interpreting; liaison, consecutive, simultaneous and
whispering interpreting. Consecutive interpretation allows the interpreter to produce their
interpretation right after the speaker finishes his/her utterance. Meanwhile, simultaneous
interpretation takes place during and even in the same time period as the original speech.
Consecutive interpreting gives chances to the interpreting to take note and this is very
necessary in the interpreting process. Some information like numbers, proper nouns, and
any complicated information which are impossible to be remembered all together had
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better be noted. The interpreter has their own way to make a note. Usually, when there are
more than two working languages, an installation for either simultaneous or consecutive
interpretation should be provided. In the latter case, one language will be
consecutively interpreted in the room itself and the others from booths. The speaker does
not have to talk slowly, as normal speed is better for comprehension. Consecutive
interpreting is recommended if accuracy is of top priority.

Consecutive Interpreting
(The picture was taken from www.englisch-dolmetschen.com)

Qualified interpreters should have a language competence both in the source and
target language. This is the most important point. Besides, they should also care about the
code ethics in interpreting. The knowledge about the subject matter is very important.
Interpreting in certain topics like scientific, economic, legal, culture, and any other
special topics require the knowledge about those related fields. There are many
terminologies which the interpreter should know. No matter how brilliant the interpreters
are, if they dont know the terms, they will find some difficulties. Therefore, it is good to
get to know the topic or if possible the copy material prior to the work. Preparation and
experience will contribute almost sixty percent of confidence. To the interpreters,
especially the consecutive one as sometime they need to speak in front of the people

(they are not in the booth like in the case of simultaneous interpreters) it will be much
helpful for them to have the confidence in order not to get stuck.
On the day of the work, the interpreters will feel the tense. The overlapping series
of cognitive process require high level of concentration. In this case the interpreter should
have the techniques to support themselves. The tense and the loads will affect the
cognitive process. Memory plays a very important role. In the case the speakers talk a lot
with loads of specific information, note taking will be very helpful. The interpreters
should know the note-taking techniques in interpreting which are discussed in the
following section.

2. Note Taking and the Power of Mind Mapping in Consecutive Interpreting

2.1 Note Taking in Consecutive Interpreting
Seleskovitch (1978) cited in Santiago (2004) explains that during the process of
interpretation, there is a lot of information that is registered to the interpreters short term
memory. If the interpreters do not do anything with this information, it will soon
disappear. This is one of the reasons why the interpreters discard the form of the source
text. Smith (1985) quoted in Santiago (2004) states that, Short term memory has a very
limited duration. We can remember six or seven items only as long as we give all of our
attention to them (Smith, 38). If an interpreters try to retain the form of a source
utterance their short-term memory it will be quickly filled with individual lexical items,
which may not even compose a full sentence. If the interpreter then attempts to find a
corresponding lexical item in the target language for each of the source language forms in
their short-term memory all of their attention will be wasted on translating these six items

rather than attending to the incoming message, as Smith points out, as long as pay
attention to short-term memory we cannot attend to anything else (Smith, 38).
Hanh (2006) sums up the advantages of employing note taking techniques in
consecutive interpreting as follows:
Firstly, notes improve concentration; prevent distraction, thus facilitating the
reception and analysis of the speech. Secondly, notes help the interpreter relieve the
memory. Thirdly, as mnemonic, notes activate the memory of the interpreter with
cues or signals that call up the information in the speech. With notes, the main
ideas, the secondary elements and the links among them become clear and easier for
the interpreter to visualize. Finally, notes can also be used to highlight missing
details, inconsistencies within the speech and anything implausible that needs
attention latter. Thus notes play an important part in consecutive interpreting.

2.2 How Mind Mapping Works in Note Taking

Different people have different way of thinking; this is due to the fact that the
brain works in different ways. Our thinking and reasoning follow a structure that is
personal to us. There are certain "programs" loaded in our consciousness. According to
experts in mind mapping, these programs are like our "natural thinking software". The
brain works according to certain basic principles, and we can use mind maps to take
advantage of them to improve our creativity and memory.
Humans are born with special "brain-programs" to be able to learn and memorize
everything they experience during their lifetime. We have one "brain-program" to
remember special occasions, one program that remembers pictures, one that remembers
structures, etc. The fantastic thing about mind mapping is that it uses these existing
"brain-programs" and refines them. Mind mapping simply optimizes the power that you

already have in your mind. Therefore, mind mapping is one of the very best methods to
optimize ones learning capacities and understanding of how the elements of complex
structures are connected (Ingemann).
Now we proceed to the relation between mind mapping and note taking in
interpreting. Mind mapping as mentioned above is the technique to optimize the power
that we already have in our mind. The question is HOW. Then we shall see how the mind
mapping techniques works in consecutive interpreting.
Once the speaker starts speaking, the interpreter should register the information to
their brain. The information in their head is like a map which is not yet arranged. Then,
they should arrange the information and organize them fast in their mind and write it
down in their note. It is of course impossible to write down all the information in words
due to the limited time. The interpreters should write down the main points only and
connect one event or category to another. The use of abbreviation will help. There is no
such a must rule in abbreviation. It is up to the interpreters; they have their own way in
managing with abbreviations.
Consecutive interpreting deals with memorizing more information compared to
the simultaneous one. Accuracy is of top priority because when the speaker pauses the
interpreter will take turn to produce the interpretation and the audience will clearly hear
the interpretation without intervention from another speaker. In this case the interpreter
should remember the message and organize them well. And the mind mapping will play
an important role in this kind of situation.

After reading about mind mapping tips from Ingemann, this paper tries to connect
mind mapping steps with note taking in consecutive interpreting. The followings are the
steps worth a try:
1. Relax your mind.
2. Register the information from the speaker and concentrate well. Do not let all
other things distract you. Focus is a must.
3. Recognize the main point of the utterances, and write it down fast in short
(can be by abbreviating them or just write some important words in the
limited time). It is impossible for the interpreters to write long sentences. That
will be a waste of time. Some interpreters make a note in the target language
and some others in the source language and translate it directly while they are
producing the interpretation and taking a look at their note for some time.
Others mix the languages (SL and TL) in their note. We shall choose which
one we feel convenient with. Sometimes, the interpreters may get stuck
retrieving the information from their memory about the equivalent of a certain
word in TL. If this happens, it is necessary to just write the SL and when the
time comes to give the interpretation and we still forget, just use descriptive
sentences.
4. As soon as the next sentence uttered by the speaker, jot down the other and
supporting points.
5. Then, draw lines to connect the points.
6. Remember to note the specific information like numbers. Date, address,
proper nouns etc.

The following diagram shows the connection drawn between the main topic and
sub-topic and another sub-topic. This is how the mind mapping works. Circle the mind
topic and draw a line to another point. Arranging the information is very important.
Drawing the connections make it easier to formulate the sentences during the
interpretation is produced on the spot.

(The diagram is taken from http://www.writingthoughts.com)

The following diagram shows a further example of how the mind mapping works
in note taking. The main point is circled the lines and drawn to connect one point with
another point is helpful to show how the things work related to the information uttered.

(The diagram is taken from http://coachmi.wordpress.com/2010/10/31/mind-maps)

We have discussed why note taking is important, the advantages and the steps in
note taking. We also have discussed about the power of mind mapping in note taking.
However, we should remember that every theory needs a practice as the saying: practice
makes perfect. Theories may different from reality. Therefore the more practice the better
the result will be.
3. A Review on the Practice of Consecutive Interpreting in Translation Class
This section reviews the practice of interpreting conducted by Translation students
of Udayana University Class of 2010 conducted in March and April 2011. There are eight
groups and each group consists of three people each. The mode of interpreting used is
consecutive and almost all members of the groups did note taking during the
interpretation process. The use of note taking was proven to be very beneficial since
human has limited ability to do multi tasks at once which include registering information,
comprehending the meaning, arranging / mapping that information, thinking about the
lexical choice while remembering another message, connecting it with the previous
message (when needed) and producing the interpretation.
The information such as numbers, date, proper names and any other difficult and
complicated messages are very needed to be noted in consecutive interpreting. Every
student has his/her own ways in doing note taking. This is related to how they process the
information in their brain. Some people are born with a good ability to memorize; some
are born with a good analysis. The combination of both would be very helpful. As stated
above, mind mapping will enhance the power of brain in arranging the information in our
mind. From the practices, not all the students knows about the theory of mind mapping

but all of them could do note taking. Some who know about mind mapping may find
easier way in note taking.
From the practices conducted in the class by the eight groups, some important
points are noted. First, when producing the interpretation we pay attention to the
language style. Recognize the audience and adjust the language style and formality with
them. The use of slang is avoided in formal settings. Second, when producing the
interpretation, eye contact to the audience is necessary. Third, in case of the interpreter
mention a terminology but doesnt clearly explain it and if we know about it, we can give
the audience a brief information as long as the additional information that we give is not
confusing and is not contradicting. The interpreter may give some additional information
for the sake of making the interpretation clearer. As long as it doesnt create
misunderstanding and confusion it is acceptable.
4. Conclusion and Suggestion
As mentioned in the beginning of this paper, interpreting is not an easy task to do.
It requires a complex knowledge, skills, and experience. Note taking in consecutive
interpreting is important and helpful because it helps the interpreting during the work. It
helps the interpreters remember certain information and organize their interpretation. The
tense, and loads mixed with the overlapping cognitive process in the interpreters brain
require them to use sufficient techniques according to the level of difficulty of the topic.
In the note taking techniques, mind mapping plays a very important part. It will
help the information in our brain flow well. Much information which is not arranged well
in our brain will confuse our system and of course we will spend much energy to deal
with this confusion. Interpreting is a tiring job; we have to use our energy efficiently.

Some suggestions on consecutive interpreting especially for the students in

translation class are:
1. It is good to know and try that mind mapping is important in note taking in
consecutive interpreting.
2. When producing the interpretation pay attention to the language style.
Recognize the audience and adjust the language style and formality with them.
The use of slang is avoided in formal settings.
3. When producing the interpretation, eye contact to the audience is necessary.
4. In case of the interpreter mention a terminology but doesnt clearly explain it
and if we know about it, we can give the audience a brief information as long
as the additional information that we give is not confusing and is not
contradicting.
5. Focus is a must in interpreting. Once we get loss, it may affect to the next
information in the case where the previous information relates with the next
one.
6. Relaxing mind during the work and dont let other things distract our
concentration.
7. Apart from the language competence that the interpreters should have, they
should also care about the code ethics in interpreting.
8. The knowledge about the subject matter is very important. Therefore, it is
good to get to know the topic or if possible the copy material prior to the
work.
9. Preparation and experience will contribute almost sixty percent of confidence.

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10. The last but not least, practice makes perfect. The more practice, the better the
interpretation will be.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hanh, Pham Hong. 2006. Note-Taking in Consecutive Interpreting. Hanoi University of
Foreign Studies
Hatim, Basil and Mason, Ian. 1999. The Translator as Communicator. Routledge: New
Yorkhttp://interpreters.free.fr/consecnotes/symbolexamples2.htm
Ingemann, Marcus. The Power of Mind Mapping. FortuneWell.com
Pochhacker, Franz. 2004. Introducing Interpreting Studies. New York: Routlegde Taylor
and Francis Group.
Santiago, R. 2004. Consecutive Interpreting: A Brief Review. Available at
http://home.earthlink.net/~terperto/id16.html
Seleskovitch, D. 1978. Interpreting for International Conferences. Washington, DC: Pen
& Booth.
Smith, F. 1985. Reading Without Nonsense. New York: NY Teachers College Press

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