A Study Of Note-taking In Consecutive Interpreting From The Perspective Of Effort Model

Consecutive interpreting is defined as the oral presentation in the target language of what is heard segment by segment, which mainly consists of2phases, according to Daniel Gile’s Effort Model, including listening and analysis, memory, note-taking and coordination in the first period, and remembering, note-reading, and production in the second period. Among these steps, note-taking is regarded as the necessary helper of this process. However, Gile’s theory didn’t give us any ideas of how to appropriately distribute efforts on note-taking, and how to improve the quality of production through well-designed note-taking. Based on the study of the great importance, necessity and its characteristics, this paper aims at finding out the appropriate strategies for interpreters in the future occasions by conducting experiments on8novice interpreters and4professional interpreters and offers the strategies by comparing their notes.Statistical and qualitative analysis of the notes reveals that a concise note-taking system in an appropriate quantity with the flexible usage of the third language, namely the items except for source language and target language, including symbols, abbreviation and some other unidentifiable symbols, to be represented in a vertical layout is recommendable. Thus the following strategies are concluded:1. A concise note-taking system is needed which requires no great amount of notes consisting of well-chosen language and deliberate designed layout; 2. Language choice in note-taking plays the key role in determining the output quality. According to the empirical study, both novice and professional interpreters are fond of the third language usage, namely the items except for source language and target language, which turns out to be more effective and individual oriented;3. In terms of paralleled and vertical layout, interpreters give the priority to the later one, for it is full of logic and clear meaning, which can help to reduce the time and energy to be consumed in the note reading step.This author hopes that the conclusion made in this paper can serve as the reference for both novice who want to lay a solid foundation for their future learning and the professional interpreters who tend to improve their output quality. What’s more, author also hopes that the thesis will make contribution to the consecutive interpreter training.