School of Languages

Department of Translation
MA in translation- Research Proposal

Introducing Note-Taking in Consecutive

Interpreting to MA Students
in The Libyan Academy, Tripoli

Submitted by:
Sara Nuri Awayn - 21981802

2023
Table of contents

Brief Introduction ……………………………………………………………3

Objectives……………………………………………………………………4

Research Questions…………………………………………………………..5

Hypothesis of The Study..……………………………………………………5

Literature Review…………………………………………………….……....6

Research Methods……………………………………………………………8

1.Research Methodology…………………………………………….8

2.Research Design and Sampling……………………………………9

3.The Questionnaires………………………………………………..10

4.The Case Study Material and Framework………………………...11

5.The Case study Timeline………………………………………..…19

Practical Significance………………………………………………………...20

References……………………………………………………………………22

Appendix I……………………………………………………………………24

Appendix II…………………………………………………………………...27

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Brief Introduction

Whereas translation deals with the written language, interpreting veers toward spoken

language. Interpreting takes place when one person translates orally what he or she hears into

another language (Lu, 2013). In fact, there are 2 general types of interpreting, simultaneous and

consecutive. Simultaneous interpreting can be described according to Gaiba as “ the information

transferred into the second language as soon as interpreters understand a ‘unit’ of meaning”

(1998, p. 16), on the other hand, Phelan (2001) describes consecutive interpreting as rendering

speech into the target language after the speaker finishes and is usually used when simultaneous

interpretation tools are unavailable, or when it is requested by the client or context.

Moreover, note-taking goes hand in hand with consecutive interpreting, yet it has come to

the researcher’s notice that this type of course is not taught in the MA post-graduate program in

the Translation Department in the Libyan Academy. In fact, it was also noticed as a result, many

Libyan interpreters forego the note-taking process and rather fully depend on using short-term

memory as the only source of information retrieval. However, there is a disadvantage to this;

which is the mental draining especially if the interpreting session is to encompass an hour

leading to difficulty in focusing and accurately transferring from one language to another on the

long run.

To further elaborate, this issue seems to stem from the fact that note-taking and

consecutive interpreting were never really taught nor taken seriously in the translation

departments in Libya, specifically in The Libyan Academy which offers MA and PhD degrees in

translation, despite it being essential to becoming an interpreter. Note-taking’s relevance is also

3
acknowledged in universities in the region, like the Algerian university (Université Alger 2,

Institut de Traduction) where they have a comprehensive program ranging from preparatory

skills to consecutive interpreting and note-taking, up to finally simultaneous interpretation

according to what an Algerian interpreter and faculty member, Nigazi K. (2023), mentioned in

an interview done by the researcher. The first 2 are completely neglected in Libyan curricula,

only including the latter.

Thus, this study is aimed to prove the importance of teaching “an introductory approach

to note-taking in consecutive interpreting” as a subject through a case study where a suggested

framework will be applied to a class of translation students in the Libyan Academy through an

integration of relevant preparatory skills prior to note-taking, then applying “Rozan’s Principles

of Note-Taking” as the guideline on which this study is built- the principles are mentioned in

detail in the methodology.

Objectives

This case study has the following objectives:

- Prove the relevance of teaching note-taking and consecutive interpreting as a subject;

- Help students understand the tools that they can develop to facilitate and enhance

their consecutive interpreting skills;

- Train students on how to listen, understand, analyze, decompartmentalize, and take

notes of what is being said then to synthesize it all again when interpreting;

- Train students on how to utilize symbols, signs, and abbreviations to convey

meaning;

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 - Identify the difficulties and challenges of learning and teaching note-taking in

consecutive interpreting, as well looking into ways of addressing such arising

obstacles.

Research questions

The research will be conducted in order to answer the following questions:

• Why is it necessary to include consecutive interpreting as a subject in the Libyan

Academy MA translation program?

• How can note-taking be taught effectively?

• Is the suggested introductory framework of this case study for teaching note-

taking sufficient?

• What possible challenges can be faced from a teaching perspective?

• What possible challenges can be faced from the students’ perspective?

• What is the feasibility for students to get accustomed to using this technique as a

tool for memory retention?

• What are the limitations for using this technique as well as teaching it?

Hypothesis of the Study

The hypothesis of this case study research states that having practical training in note-

taking skills by studying a consecutive interpreting course holds benefit and value for the

translation students when studying for a comprehensive translation/interpretation MA Program,

which would also enrich the Libyan Academy’s program. This case study will also prove in turn

that consecutive interpreting and note-taking is effectively teachable in the Libyan context.

5
Literature Review

The concept of consecutive interpreting and note-taking have always garnered attention

for its controversiality, Mušinović further points out that “While the large body of literature

points to the importance of note-taking skills, it seems that there is a constant need to further

explain why are notes so important, as well as how and when to take them” (2021, p.10), and the

reason behind that lies in the flexible nature of interpreting, there is never simply one rule to

follow for it changes from one situation to another.

To further elaborate, note-taking in consecutive interpreting is quite paradoxical, because

it is characterized by 2 opposing concepts, individuality and being systematic. It changes from

one interpreter to another, yet it follows a system; however, in no way does this debunk its

importance. Reviewing previous research and books shows that interpreters themselves are

undecisive regarding this issue.

One major reason that makes note-taking essential is to avoid interrupting the speaker

before they finish conveying their idea. As the researcher found through their consecutive

interpreting experience that it may disrupt the speaker’s line of thought and can get quite

irritating for the listener(s), this is especially true when you are interpreting in a meeting or

speech.

Alhatab and Ayana (personal communication, 12th April, 2023), who are interpreters in

the UNSMIL Translation Unit, Tripoli, Libya also agree with this point, stating that when

interpreting, especially for high profile speakers, it is unprofessional and inappropriate for an

interpreter to keep interrupting the speaker before they finish a line of thought. In fact, Seymour

comments on the importance of note-taking regarding this matter, stating that:

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 A good interpreter should never interrupt a speaker. Therefore, you have to prepare for

the worst. And the worst in my years of consecutive interpretation is a good 15 minutes

when two heads of government were discussing international affairs (…) a responsible

consecutive interpreter would always carry a small note-book and pen or pencil with him,

just in case. (1994, p. 12)

To some extent there are guidelines to adhere to when it comes to taking notes as it is not

done spontaneously, as well as skills like language knowledge, listening, memory, and note-

taking (Lu, 2013); moreover, Zhao further describes some basic features of note-taking,

including:

Temporality (…) note-taking in interpreting is on the spot and temporary. Logicality (…)
the outline and framework of the source language is logically and clearly showed with
fewer words but more lines(…) [and] individuality(…)like the combination of the source
language and the target language (…) [or] a mixture note with symbols, abbreviations,
lines, and characters. (2015, p.1717)

Even Mušinović (2021) points out that note-taking cannot be achieved automatically for

it becomes a liability rather than a memory tool of assistance, thus emphasizing the need to

follow a certain system which can only be obtained through practice.

On the other hand, Meifang believes that “the most dangerous component that might

threaten the balance of mental energy distribution is note-taking” (2012, p.180), but only to a

certain extent as he later states:

In real practice, the retention of source-language without the help of note-taking is

generally one plus or minus minute, and will not exceed one and a half minutes (…) In
order to save energy and time, the interpreter usually borrows or invents his own system
of signs to express the meaning contained in the speech. Those signs and marks of
various shapes are the very external representatives of the internal imagery. In fact, note-
taking can help improve the effects of retention in the way that it initiates the
visualization of the information. (p. 181)

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 Regardless of conflicting views of whether note-taking in consecutive interpreting is a

useful tool for memory retention or a liability that would distract the interpreter, its relevance in

including it in interpretation programs is still universally acknowledged in universities and

institutions of translation and interpretation programs, even in neighboring countries like Algeria

(Université Alger 2) and Morocco (ILCS).

Research Methods

1. Research Methodology

The data collected in this case study can be classified into 2 components, where some

data will be analyzed statistically by close-ended questionnaires whose targets are lecturers in the

field of translation, students of translation, and active interpreters and is of quantitative nature,

other data will be analyzed through context analysis, which is of qualitative nature, via

recordings of students as they note-take and do consecutive interpreting, as well as observations

made by the researcher throughout the case study and tests which are going to be done before

and after the introductory course. Therefore, considering that the nature of this research is both

quantitative and qualitative, it was found that the most suitable method to apply is a one that

utilizes both methods and that is “mixed methods”. So, this mixed methods approach ensures an

inclusive view point and analysis of this case study.

Also, this study aims to provide a proof for the importance of including note-taking and

consecutive interpreting in the MA program through an introductory course on note-taking,

which will be further elaborated on in the following pages in details, to also prove the capability

of teaching it in a practical beneficial manner, by testing the material proposed in this study

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(mentioned after this section) to test whether it is efficient from both the teacher’s perspective as

well as the students; thus this study is based on primary source analysis, where the researcher is

going to analyze the difficulties and gains from teaching consecutive interpreting as a course in

order to capture the essence of underlying issues in teaching this as a subject according to the

suggested framework and curriculum in this study, as well as identifying the deterrents the

students face in building a symbols database, as a result, this may also shed light on the reason

why it keeps getting excluded out of the MA program in the Libyan Academy for Post-Graduate

Studies.

2. Research Design and sampling

The research is designed around introducing consecutive interpreting techniques to 40

translation students in order to observe their performance in note-taking and consecutive

interpreting throughout the course via voice recordings, observations by the researcher, and the

nature of the notes they create to do consecutive interpreting, and also to analyze the difference

between their consecutive interpretation performance before and after this introductory course by

a mock test before and after the course.

Hence, the research design adopted is based on an experimental case study, which is an

in-depth, extensive study of a number of cases which are selected carefully. This means that the

sample is based on choosing only translation students and focusing on their performance and

response to the course through an in-depth descriptive analysis.

The type of sampling that the researcher views as the most suitable to choose the

participants of this study is convenient sampling, which is a type of non-random sampling

indicating that the students that would function as samples are chosen based on the most

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convenient environment that would align with the case study nature and focus; in other words,

the most convenient environment is the Translation Department in the School of languages in the

Libyan Academy for Post-Graduate Studies, Tripoli, Libya, and the reason it aligns with the

nature of this study is because one of the aims of this study is to provide proof that consecutive

interpreting is just as important of a subject to include in the Academy’s MA Program as any

other subject.

Based on all of this, the 40 students are chosen from the Libyan Academy of Post-

graduate Studies with a minimum of 2 years' experience in translation to ensure that they have a

decent foundation and capability in translating and that are on their 3rd or 4th semester of the MA

program in the Academy.

The full number of students to participate will be 40 as previously mentioned, but if more

students expressed a desire to participate, the class will be divided into two. The researcher

believes that if it exceeds 40 in one class it will be difficult to focus in-depth on all the students

and observe and draw conclusions in regards to their performance throughout the case study, so

it would hold better results if broken down into 2 classes. Ultimately, the participants will sign a

form of consent to take part in this study and allow their tests to be audio recorded and their class

work from note-taking practice to be taken by the researcher for analysis.

3. The Questionnaires

As previously mentioned, questionnaires about consecutive interpreting and note-taking

will target 3 components representing 3 different point of views. The first are the lecturers in the

field of translation and interpretation, they will provide data from a teaching viewpoint. The

second are the students; they represent the difficulties faced when receiving the information and

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building their own note-taking system from a learning viewpoint. The third are the practicing

interpreters, as they can provide data form a practical stand.

The questionnaire will be circulated once to the lecturers and interpreters, but as for

students, the same questionnaire will be handed to them twice, once before the course study and

one after to compare how and whether their answers will change after receiving the new

information on note-taking as one way to measure the effectiveness of the introductory course.

All questionnaires will be close-ended, except for the final question; it will be open-

ended in case there is something they can add that would enrich this study.

Regarding the analysis of the questionnaire, it will be done using a computer software

called the T-test, which according to Ali is “a parametric statistic that is used to determine if the

means of two groups are significantly different from one another” (2014, p.117) to analyse the

difference between the questionnaires that were distributed to the students before and after the

course, as for the other questionnaires, they will be analysed via the SPSS program.

A preliminary sample of the questionnaire can be found annexed to this proposal (Appendix I).

4. The Case Study Material and Framework

The material focuses on introducing the basics of note-taking in consecutive interpreting

so students can build on it as they continue after the case study is over. The framework for this

introductory course is based on a number of preparatory skills taken from a study made by

Gerard Ilg and Sylvie Lambert under the title “Teaching Consecutive Interpreting” (1996) to

ensure students have the basic skills to venture into not only note-taking in consecutive

interpreting but interpreting in general (mentioned hereunder in details). These preparatory skills

are then complemented by Jean-François Rozan’s principles for note-taking taken from his book

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“Note-Taking in Consecutive Interpreting”, which was first published in 1956. Both of these 2

books will serve as an underpinning for this introductory course.

There are many skills for both consecutive and simultaneous interpreting proposed by Ilg

and Lambert, which they believe to be an “opportunity to assess students’ ability to process and

analyze, quickly and efficiently, verbal material of various types” (1996, p. 74). In accordance

with what would benefit students the most in this introductory course and combined with the

consultancy of an interpreter who has experience in teaching these skills for interpreting, the

researcher focuses on 3 techniques relevant to consecutive interpreting, and they are as follows:

1. Paraphrasing

This is an essential skill an interpreter should be able to master in order for them to take

notes as efficiently as possible. Many people are quite familiar with the term paraphrasing as it is

not only used in the context of interpreting, but in taking any type of notes in general.

Paraphrasing what a person is saying helps the interpreter to rationalize their thought process

logically for a clearer interpretation. It will also enable the interpreter to reduce the length of

what is being said.

2. Sight translation

Ilg defines sight translation as “the transfer of a written text in one language into a text

delivered orally in another language” (1996, pg. 77). The students will be handed a written text

in one language and they would read it out loud in the other language, so they will be reading out

the source text in the target language. This skill is not only a detrimental component in

interpreter-training, but it will also help improve their speed in interpreting (Weber, 1990).

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 3. Mind-mapping

Mind-mapping is a necessary tool that functions as an efficient practice method to train

interpreters on focusing on analyzing what they hear into drawings of shorter visual words or

phrases. This will improve the student’s ability into actively hearing, understanding, and

organizing what is being said into a visual representation in a quick and efficient manner;

however, this will only be used as a preparatory tool (Araújo et al, 2020). Jones further explains

that “a speech may be so abstract that no amount of effort will produce a visualization of the

notion expressed” (1998, pg. 35); hence, this skill will only be used at the start to serve as a

backbone for the process of note-taking based on Rozan’s principles like training to extract the

meaning or using arrows to refer to elements as are explained in the following paragraphs.

The idea behind using Rozan’s principles is to create a system with which the students

would create the foundation for building the note-taking skills on. The first 2 days of the course

will focus on the preparatory skills and explaining and breaking down Rozan’s principles, as

well as clarifying how to utilize and benefit from using them. A quick review of these principles

are as follows:

1. Noting the idea rather than the word

The students will be trained to extract what is called “units of meaning” rather than how

many words are being said. This is very crucial when it comes to facilitating using symbols

(Rozan, 1956). If one symbol is to represent a unit of meaning, then that unit can be described

through more than one word. For instance, an arrow pointing upwards can indicate the idea of

“more, increase, bigger, higher …etc. depending on the context in which it was said. For

instance, when the researcher is note-taking for a speaker talking about an increase in a

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percentage ( % ) or a higher payment ( $), they use the arrow between the brackets. This

process is a great aid for memory retention.

2. Abbreviations

The idea behind this states that if a word is longer than 4-5 words (Rozan, 1956) , it

should be abbreviated to save time by either using the first and last letters, the first few letters, or

removing the vowels; again, this depends on what the note-taker is most comfortable with. The

researcher likes to diversify these techniques when consecutively interpreting. For instance, the

term abbreviation itself can be shortened to “abb”, architecture to “arch”, and register to “rgst”.

There is another level of abbreviation, which is on the level of meaning and that is connected to

the first principle; for example, if the speaker is to say “ this has happened due to the reason that”

the researcher would just write “because” as that would be sufficient to help the note-taker

remember what the speaker said and ensure the meaning is rendered.

There are two other aspects in this principle, one is on the level of gender (Rozan, 1956)

where they insert a small “f” or “m” – denoting female and male respectively – next to the

abbreviation if the gender was important. For example, if the speaker was talking about a female

architect, the note-taker would simply write “arch f”. The other aspect is for tenses, the note-taker

can simply insert a small “p” for present, a “d” for past, and “fu” for future.

3. Using links

Links are the connectors and conjunctions used to link clauses and sentences. And without

the use of links, the idea can be quite distorted (Rozan, 1956), but it has to be used in a way

where one symbol/ unit can convey a whole linking phrase, because the short time factor is also

detrimental. For instance, the researcher uses “bt” to indicate “ but, however, even though, and

so on” to convey the idea of contradiction. The use of “bc” can indicate the reason behind

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something rather than completely writing “ because, for the reason , due to, and so on”. Another

example, using the symbol “+” to denote an addition.

There is also the use of arrows, if something is to be repeated, simply draw an arrow back to

your previous notes rather than writing them again.

4. Negation and adding emphasis

It is quite important that negation and emphasis are to be noted clearly, if for instance a

person says that they concur or agree, simply an “OK” would be enough (Rozan, 1956), but if

that person rejects or refuses something, all that needs to be added is an “x” before the OK, for

the simple reason that an “x” denotes negation. As for emphasis, you can underline the word

once and for extra emphasis, you can underline twice (Rozan, 1956). This means that if the

symbol, word, or abbreviation has one underline, it means “very, so, too”, and if it was

underlined twice, it would denote “extremely, highly, tremendously” and so on.

5. Verticality and shift

These principles state the concept of noting the content top to bottom rather than left to right

or right to left. This method has shown that this way the ideas are grouped logically for the brain

to synthesize (Rozan, 1956), thus aiding the memory retention and meaning rendering.

Also, whenever there would be a change from one subject or topic to another, a line is to be

drawn to compartmentalize the ideas and ensure no mix-ups occur in the rendering process.

All these principles operate as a foundational guide to enter the note-taking world and

with time it will enable the beginners in note-taking to build an intricate fool-proof system that

they can count on for facilitating memory-retention. Moreover, these principles will be dissected

15
and practiced step-by-step starting from simple written sentence level, and finally moving on to

written paragraph level, moving afterwards to spoken discourse.

An example created by the researcher of the note-taking progression from a directional

progressive viewpoint is as follows:

• Simple sentence level:

I called John 2 hours ago to ask him whether he

got accepted into Harvard University.

The major focus is going to be poured into the extraction of units of meaning rather than

words themselves, then applying a series of symbols, where each symbol represents a unit of

meaning, for instance “?” in the picture above is used instead of writing “ ask him whether..”.

And as can be seen in the picture above, the phone sign represents “calling John”, but that isn’t

the only way you can use the symbol.

The symbol represents the meaning of “communication” with someone or contacting

someone. This simple sentence practice will help them get started to analyze the information

they hear from the meaning dimension. What should be kept in mind though is that each student

will customize their note-taking system in a way that would aid them with meaning retrieval,

what matters in the end is that the meaning is rendered correctly.

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 • Practice on a written paragraph level:

I called John 2 hours ago to ask him whether he got accepted into Harvard

University. However, he was sad that he got rejected due to his low GPA

in his high school certificate as it doesn’t comply with the major he

applied for.

It can be seen much better from the paragraph written how with a small number of

symbols, abbreviations, and signs you can recreate a whole paragraph at a high level of accuracy

almost as accurate as the written text, which most people would not be able to render precisely if

they were to depend solely on memory.

• The final level is spoken language

The spoken level is going to be divided into 2 subcategories, one will be the speeches

which have a logical direction but can be read on a quicker pace. The other is to study

conversations where the speaker’s thought process is still incomplete, this means that the speaker

is going to be thinking and creating their thought process and direction of speech as they speak,

so the direction of the meaning to render isn’t as clear or direct. The interpreter will be tasked

with conveying what the idea and meaning that the speaker in the end decided to convey to not

confuse the listener(s). This is an important skill that an interpreter has to develop.

17
 To further elaborate on speeches stage, the researcher will display a video, for instance a

speech as in the example below, and break it down to segments and discuss the main idea of each

segment and how best to create symbols for it urging the students to work on creating newer

symbols if they please to customize it to whatever suits them best for optimum rendering of the

meaning.

One video is going to be from the Libyan Presidential Council head, Al-Mnefi, (United

Nations, 2021) when he made a speech in the 76th Session in the General Assembly taken from

Youtube. It would be a great start in note-taking for spoken discourse because with speeches the

ideas are clear with a logical sequence of events since they are prepared in advance. An example

of approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds of his speech can be rendered as the following

picture:

Transcript:
‫ بشأن وقف العمليات العسكرية والنزاعات المسلحة و توفير الموارد لمواجهة هذه‬..."

‫ السيد الرئيس حديثي لكم اليوم يركز على التطورات في ليبيا لما تعكسه من تحديات‬.‫الجائحة‬

‫ ان ليبيا تشهد‬.‫وشواغل مع اقتراب الموعد المحدد إلجراء االنتخابات في ديسمبر المقبل‬

‫ فإما النجاح نحو التحول الديمقراطي عبر اجراء انتخابات‬،‫مرحلة مصيرية بل وتفصيلية‬

‫ واما‬،‫حرة نزيهة وشفافة ومقبولة النتائج ومن ثم االنطالق نحو االستقرار الدائم واالزدهار‬

‫ بالنظر الى هذه الوضعية الصعبة وما‬.‫الفشل والعودة الى مربع االنقسام والصراع المسلح‬

‫تعكسه من مخاوف تبرز الحاجة الى وجود ضمانات حقيقية لتحقيق النجاح الذي يصبوا اليه‬

"...‫الليبيون للوصول الى دولة ديمقراطية مدنية‬

This is a general overview of the framework in which the introductory course will apply, so the

major focus is practice. There will also be conversations and meetings videos to prepare the participants to

the various situations they may face, which the researcher will prepare later on.

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 Additional Material
It should be also noted that on the first day, a number of commonly used and recognized

symbols will be distributed in a paper, so this would serve as an extra push to motivate the

students and give them a sense of ease regarding this symbols-building method. The picture

below is a brief preliminary example created by the researcher of internationally recognized

symbols:

5. The Case Study Timeline

The following table is a preliminary draft of the introductory course. The course days may be

subject to amendments or extensions until approval of thesis topic.

Week N. Date Topic Tools Time

Week 1 20th Oct 2023 • Course introduction • Recorder 1 hour
• Pre-course test • Papers
• Pre- course Questionnaire • Markers
• Preparatory exercises in • Participants’
paraphrasing, mind mapping, registration form
and sight translation skills before
starting with note-taking

Week 2 27th Oct 2023 • Continuation of preparatory • Recorder 1 hour

skills practice in paraphrasing, • Papers
mind mapping, and sight • Markers
translation

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Week 3 3rd Nov 2023 • Theoretical aspect (Rozan’s • Recorder 1 hour
Principles) • Papers
• Markers

Week 4 10th Nov, 2023 • Start practical exercises to • Papers 1 hour

apply the principles of note- • Markers
taking on a simple level • Handout with some
(Sentence level) generic samples to
kickstart them in creating
their own
Week 5 10th Nov 2023 • Continue practical exercises • Papers 1 hour
to apply the principles of note- • Markers
taking on a simple level • Projector
(Sentence level)
Week 6 17th Nov 2023 • Continue practical exercises • Papers 1 hour
to apply the principles of • Markers
note-taking on paragraph • Projector
level
Week 7 24th Nov 2023 • Continue practical exercises • Papers 1 hour
to apply the principles of • Markers
note-taking on paragraph • Projector
level
Week 8 1st Dec 2023 • Analysis of Mnefi’s • Papers 1 hour
speech in the General Assembly • Markers
for key words and how to create • Projector
symbols and
abbreviations (Spoken level)
Week 9 8th Dec 2023 • Analysis of a press • Papers 1 hour
conference between Prime • Markers
Minister of Libya and Malta for • Projector
appointing key words and
creating symbols accordingly
(Spoken level)
Week 10 15th Dec 2023 • Conversations and • Papers 1 hour
bilateral meetings practice • Markers
(Spoken Level) • Projector
Week 11 22nd Dec 2023 • Conversations and bilateral • Papers 1 hour
meetings practice (Spoken Level) • Markers
• Projector
Week 12 29th Dec 2023 • Post-course consecutive • Recorder 45 mins
interpreting test • Papers
• Post-course questionnaire

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 For further clarification, this is only the introductory course timeline, the project

completion will require approximately 2 extra months post introductory course completion, so

the researcher can analyze quantitatively and qualitatively all the material and data acquired

during the course. A more detailed course action plan is annexed to the proposal (Appendix II).

Practical significance

• It is a well-established translation practice as relevant as simultaneous interpreting

and should not be undervalued;

• It is included in all interpretation programs whether undergraduate or MA

programs around the world, thus there is no valid reason for excluding it from the

Libya Academy MA/PhD program;

• It will enrich the MA/PhD translation curricula, thus enhancing the qualifications

of the students when they enter the translation and interpretation job market;

• Students require at least basic knowledge in note-taking to improve their

consecutive skills;

• It will help novice interpreters in increasing their chances of getting accepted for

interpreting job opportunities.

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References
• Ali N.S. (2014). Note-taking Technique in Consecutive Interpreting: Its Significance and
Effect upon the Performance of the Interpreters in Tripoli, Libya. MA, School of
Languages, The Libyan Academy. Janzour, Libya.
• Araújo, S., & Correia, A. (2020). Using speechmaking and consecutive interpreting as
tools to help students develop writing and public speaking skills: A hybrid teaching
methodology based on mind mapping. Online Translation Journal, vol. (22), University
of Minho, Portugal
• Gaiba F. (1998). The Origins of Simultaneous Interpretation: The Nuremberg Trial.
Canada: University of Ottawa Press.
• Ilg, G., & Lambert, S. D. (1996b). Teaching Consecutive Interpreting. Interpreting 1, Vol.
1, 69–99. https://doi.org/10.1075/intp.1.1.05ilg
• LU W. (2013). Developing Note-Taking Skills in Consecutive Interpreting. Linguistic
Cultural Education 2, vol. (1), School of Intercultural Studies, Jiangxi Normal University.
Nanchang, China.
• Meifang, Z. (2012). The Study of Note-taking and Memory in Consecutive
Interpretation. Lecture Notes in Information Technology.
• Mušinović M. (2021), Note-taking in Consecutive Interpreting: An Analysis of Notes
Taken by Experienced Interpreters. MA, University of Sarajevo. Sarajevo, Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
• Nolan, J. (2005). Interpretation: Techniques and Exercises. Multilingual Matters Ltd.
http://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA72084440
• Phelan M. (2001). The Interpreter’s Resource. Britain: Cromwell Press Ltd
• Roderick J. (1998). Conference Interpreting Explained. Manchester: St. Jerome
Publishing.
• Rozan J. (1956). Note-taking in Consecutive Interpreting. Geneva: Georg.
• Seymour R. et al (1994). Translation and Interpreting: Bridging East and West. (Eds.)
Seymour R., Liu C.C., Vol (8). Honolulu, Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press.

• United Nations. (2021, September 23). 🇱🇾 Libya (‫ )العربية‬- President Addresses United
Nations General Debate, 76th Session | #UNGA [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw_Srk1t80U

22
• Weber W.K. (1990). The Importance of Sight Translation in an Interpreter Training
Program. Interpreting Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, vol (4), (Eds.) David Bowen and
Margareta Bowen. Georgetown University: John Benjamins Publishing.
• Zhao Y. (2015). The Application Study of Note-Taking of Interpreting in College English
Course. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, vol 5, No. (8), Qingdao University of
Science and Technology. Qingdao, China.

23
 Appendix I
Questionnaire

Sara Awayn’s survey on “Introduction into Note-Taking in Consecutive Interpreting: A

Case Study”

Thank you for taking the time to answer the questions. All details will be kept confidential.

Personal information

1. Age range
a. 22 - 32
b. 33 - 43
c. 44- 54
d. + 55

2. Gender
a. Male
b. Female
3.

Nationality …………………….

4. Profession
a. Interpretation and translation teacher
b. Interpreter
c. Student
d. Other (please specify) ……………………………………………..

24
 5. Current educational degree
a. BA/BSC degree
b. MA/MSC degree
c. PhD degree
d. Other (please specify) ……………………………………………….

6. Do you do consecutive interpreting?

a. Yes
b. No

7. Do you try to know the subject matter of consecutive interpreting in advance?

a. Yes
b. No

8. Which technique do you prefer to use when doing consecutive interpretation?

a. Fully depend on memory
b. Note-taking
c. Recorder
d. Other (please specify)……………………………………………………

Note-taking as a tool for consecutive interpreting

9. Have you ever been taught note-taking in consecutive interpreting?

a. Yes
b. No

10. Which is more helpful to the interpreter?

a. Receive training in note-taking
b. Acquire it through practice
c. Both

11. Do you have an idea about how to note-take and build a customized system for that?
a. Yes
b. No

12. What level of importance would you assign note-taking in consecutive interpreting?
a. Essential
b. Sometimes it can be important

25
 c. Not necessary

13. In what way does your note-taking technique help in consecutive interpreting?
a. It helps me extract the idea or meaning behind what the speaker is saying.
b. I only use it for dates, numbers, and names.
c. Other (please specify) …………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………..

14. Do you believe that note-taking can reduce the chances of error?
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
c. Disagree
d. Strongly disagree

15. Taking notes helps me organize and retrieve ideas.

a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
c. Disagree
d. Strongly disagree

16. The most important element in consecutive interpreting is

a. Strong memory retrieval
b. Background on the topic
c. Ability to take notes
d. All the above

17. Which language do you prefer to use when taking notes?

a. The language the speaker uses (SL)
b. The language you are going to translate to (TL)
c. Arabic only
d. English only

18. Do you agree with Jean-François Rozan that interpreters should take notes in the SL, or
with Seleskovitch and Lederer that notes should be taken in TL?
a. I agree with Rozan.
b. I agree with Seleskovitch and Lederer.

19. I take more notes when I interpret from

a. English into Arabic
b. Arabic into English
c. Other (please specify)……………………………………………..
20. Do you believe that note-taking and consecutive interpreting should be included in the translation
and Interpretation MA/PhD program in the Libyan Academy for Post-Graduate Studies?
a. Yes
b. No

26
Appendix II

The Libyan Academy - Tripoli Campus

Course Outline - MA Thesis (Case Study)

School of Languages Department of Translation

Timings: Wednesdays 12-15 pm Taught by: Sara Awayn

Course Title: Introduction into Note-taking and Consecutive Interpreting Class Hours: 45 mins – 1 hour

Room No. 40 3Dates: 20/05/2023 – 29/07/2023

Course Description

This course is designed to serve as an introductory course in note-taking and consecutive interpreting as part of an
MA dissertation in translation to provide a framework for teaching this subject as well as subsequently proving its
value and importance of including it in the MA course in the Translation Department in the Libyan Academy for Post-
graduate studies.
The objective of this course is to give students the foundations of building a note-taking system to enable them to
enter the interpretation sphere, especially since there is a lack of focus in consecutive interpreting training despite it
being essential in interpreting and is found to be utilized just as much as simultaneous interpreting.

The course is to be structured in general into 3 components:

1- A pre-course test to see how students perform in consecutive interpreting
2- Presenting the introductory course spanning 12 weeks (with possibility of extension if need arises)
3- A post-course test in a mock environment for consecutive interpreting

Course Objectives

• To help students understand the tools that they can develop to facilitate and enhance their interpretation
skills
• To train students on how to listen, understand, analyze, decompartmentalize, and take notes of what is
being said then to synthesize it all again when interpreting
• To learn how to utilize symbols, signs, and abbreviations to convey meaning
• To identify the difficulties and challenges of learning note-taking in consecutive interpreting
• To identify the difficulties and challenges of teaching note-taking in consecutive interpreting

27
 Course Schedule

Wk. Dates Lecture Topic Tools required Allotted time for each
No. class

(estimate)

1 20th Oct 2023 • Course introduction • Recorder 1 hour

• Pre-course test • Papers
• Pre- course • Markers
Questionnaire • Participants’ registration
• Preparatory exercises in form
paraphrasing, mind-
mapping, and sight
translation skills before
starting with note-taking.

2 27th Oct 2023 • Continuation of • Recorder 1 hour

preparatory skills practice in • Papers
paraphrasing, mind • Markers
mapping, and sight
translation.
3 3rd Nov 2023 Theoretical aspect (Rozan’s • Recorder 1 hour
Principles) • Papers
• Markers

4 10th Nov, 2023 Start practical exercises to apply • Papers 1 hour

the principles of note-taking on a • Markers
simple level (Sentence level) • Handout with some generic
simples to kickstart students in
creating their own.
5 10th Nov 2023 continue practical exercises to • Papers 1 hour
apply the principles of note-taking • Markers
on a sentence level • Projector

6 17th Nov 2023 continue practical exercises to • Papers 1 hour

apply the principles of note-taking • Markers
on a paragraph level • Projector

7 24th Nov 2023 continue practical exercises to • Papers 1 hour

apply the principles of note-taking • Markers
on a paragraph level • Projector

8 1st Dec 2023 Analysis of Mnefi’s speech in the • Papers 1 hour

General Assembly for key words • Markers
• Projector

28
 and how to create symbols and
abbreviations (Spoken level)

9 8th Dec 2023 Analysis of a press conference • Papers 1 hour

between Prime Minister of Libya • Markers
and Malta for appointing key • Projector
words and creating symbols
accordingly (Spoken level)

10 15th Dec 2023 Conversations and bilateral • Papers 1 hour

meetings practice (Spoken Level) • Markers
• Projector
11 22nd Dec 2023 Conversations and bilateral • Papers 1 hour
meetings practice (Spoken Level) • Markers
• Projector
12 29th Dec 2023 • Post-course consecutive • Recorder 45 mins
interpreting test • Papers
• Post-course
questionnaire

References
• Rozan J. 1956. Note-taking in Consecutive Interpreting. Geneva: Georg.
• Ilg G., Lambert S. 1996. Teaching Consecutive Interpreting. Interpreting. Volume 1, pg 69-99. Netherlands,
Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company
• United Nations. (2021, September 23). 🇱🇾 Libya (‫ )العربية‬- President Addresses United Nations General
Debate, 76th Session | #UNGA [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw_Srk1t80U
accessed on 10.04.2023
• Nolan, J. (2005). Interpretation: Technique and Exercises. Multilingual Matters Ltd.
• The Libya Observer. (2021, April 5). Press conference of Prime Ministers of Libya and Malta. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poMoIYJKR8Q accessed on 10.04.2023

Note
1. The maximum number of students to participate in one sectional group is 20, if it exceeds that
they will be divided into 2 classes.
2. All participants are required to sign a participation consent form.
3. Attendance will be taken to ensure accuracy of post-course analysis, for it may affect student
performance in the post-course test.

29