Investigating note-taking in consecutive interpreting : using the concept of visual grammar
Interpreting studies has so far tended to concentrate on simultaneous interpreting over the consecutive mode. Note-taking â an integral part of consecutive interpreting â has therefore received very little scholarly attention. As an indispensable tool in consecutive interpreting, note-taking plays an important role in supporting the interpreterâs memory. This study argues, however, that the interpreter's notes should not be viewed merely as a memory storage tool, but as a third visual language with its own logic and meaning-making practices that need interpreting. The way in which interpreters read their notes is explored here from the perspective of Social Semiotics for two reasons. Firstly, Social Semiotics conceptualises signs as meaning-making resources which are realized in specific communicative contexts to convey specific communicative intentions â unlike previous approaches to note-taking, that have tended to categorise signs as static constituents of relatively finite sign codes. Secondly, Social Semiotics not only accounts for how written language is used in notes, but also how the pictorial component of communication is encoded and interpreted through interpreterâs notes. The interpreter,
Chang, Li-Wen
consecutive interpreting  ; note-taking ; social semiotics  ; multimodality
Investigating note-taking in consecutive interpreting : using the concept of visual grammar. Interpreting studies has so far tended to concentrate on simultaneous interpreting over the consecutive mode. Note-taking â an integral part of consecutive interpreting â has therefore received very little scholarly attention. As an indispensable tool in consecutive interpreting, note-taking plays an important role in supporting the interpreterâs memory. This study argues, however, that the interpreter's notes should not be viewed merely as a memory storage tool, but as a third visual language with its own logic and meaning-making practices that need interpreting. The way in which interpreters read their notes is explored here from the perspective of Social Semiotics for two reasons. Firstly, Social Semiotics conceptualises signs as meaning-making resources which are realized in specific communicative contexts to convey specific communicative intentions â unlike previous approaches to note-taking, that have tended to categorise signs as static constituents of relatively finite sign codes. Secondly, Social Semiotics not only accounts for how written language is used in notes, but also how the pictorial component of communication is encoded and interpreted through interpreterâs notes. The interpreter,
investigating note taking consecutive interpreting use concept visual grammar interpreting study far tend concentrate simultaneous_interpret consecutive mode note taking integral_part consecutive interpreting therefore receive_little scholarly_attention indispensable tool consecutive interpreting note taking play_important_role support interpreter memory study argues however interpreter note view merely memory storage tool third visual language_logic meaning_making practice need interpret way interpreter read note explore perspective social semiotics reason firstly social semiotics conceptualise sign meaning_making resource realize specific communicative_context convey specific communicative intention unlike_previous approach note taking tend categorise sign static constituent relatively finite sign code secondly social semiotics account write language_use note also pictorial component communication encode interpreted interpreter note interpreter