CANTHO UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF EDUCATION ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FINAL PROJECT PRACTICING NOTE TAKING TO ENHANCE FOURTH -YEAR ENGLISH STUDENTS’CONSECUTIVE INTERPRETATION ABILITY Trung tâm Học liệu ĐH Cần Thơ@Tài liệu học tập nghiên cứu SUPERVISOR: NGUYEN BUU HUAN RESEARCHER: TO MY VIEN CODE: 7032585 COURSE 29 NN0354A4 CANTHO, JUNE, 2007 Practicing note taking to enhance fourth -year English students’ consecutive interpretation ability CONTENTS Content i Acknowledgement .iii Abstract iv List of Tables and Figures v Chapter Introduction 1.1 Problem and Rationale 1.2 Research Question 1.3 Hypothesis 1.4 Thesis Organization Chapter Literature Review Trung tâm2Học liệu ĐH Cần Thơ@Tài liệu học tập nghiên cứu 2.1 Translation 2.2 Interpretation 2.3 Consecutive Interpretation 10 2.3.1 Time and setting matter 10 2.3.2 Short-term Memory 12 2.3.3 Forgetting Curve 15 2.4 Note taking in consecutive interpretation 16 Chapter Research Methodology 3.1 Participants 25 3.2 Instruments 26 To My Vien B.A C 29 i Practicing note taking to enhance fourth -year English students’ consecutive interpretation ability 3.3 Materials 27 3.4 Design 35 3.5 Procedures 37 Chapter Data Analysis 4.1 Analysis of Questionnaires 40 4.2 Analysis of Tests 44 Chapter Conclusions, Limitations and Recommendations 5.1 Conclusions 54 5.2 Limitations 57 5.3 Recommendations 60 Trung tâm Học liệu ĐH Cần Thơ@Tài liệu học tập nghiên cứu Chapter A suggested system for training note taking in consecutive interpretation 63 Reference 72 Appendices Appendix 74 Appendix 75 Appendix 76 Appendix 77 Appendix 79 Appendix 80 To My Vien B.A C 29 ii Practicing note taking to enhance fourth -year English students’ consecutive interpretation ability ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Firstly, I would like to express my gratitude to Mr Nguyen Buu Huan, my supervisor for his great and continued generous support and useful advice Special thanks are also given to Ms Truong Thi Ngoc Diep and Ms Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy, who were very eager to help me collect my useful data In particular, sincere thanks go to Mr Trinh Quoc Lap for providing me with constructive comments in refining my thesis I, from the bottom of my heart, wish to thank my parents who bring me up with their interest and caring and my teachers in English Department who raise me up with their knowledge Thanks for all, I have occasion to the project, to Trung tâm Học liệuhow ĐH Cầnchallenges Thơ@Tài học tập invàlife nghiên cứu investigate, to know to face and toliệu be more mature Finally, in completing my research paper, I owe a debt of gratitude to all of my friends I thank them for spending their time doing questionnaires and tests Especially, I would like to thank Ms Le Thi Kim Phung and Ms Huynh Do Thu for their energy and encouragement Although some syntactical or linguistic faults may appear in my study, I am solely responsible for all To My Vien B.A C 29 iii Practicing note taking to enhance fourth -year English students’ consecutive interpretation ability ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of note taking in consecutive interpretation In detail, I want to measure whether note taking helps student recall information or distract them from concentrating ability Questionnaires were first delivered to the fourth-year students of English to consider their perception toward note taking in consecutive interpretation Importantly, thanks to using interview with five questions I could get a deeper understanding about students’ attitude on this problem The results collected from questionnaires and interview told me most of students believe that note taking plays an important role when interpreting Trung tâm HọcAlso, liệuthey ĐHmay Cần Thơ@Tài liệu học consecutively be distracted in cases what theytập havevà to nghiên interpret iscứu rather complicated The two tests were implemented by 40 students to reliably check the efficiency of note taking It is possible to conclude that the simplicity or complexity of materials and marking scales had a great influence on the effectiveness of note taking Considerably, note taking maintains its usefulness regardless of the great different standards between the two tests Some limitations and recommendations were also given for better studies about note–taking in consecutive interpretation To My Vien B.A C 29 iv Practicing note taking to enhance fourth -year English students’ consecutive interpretation ability List of figures and tables Table Frequency of questionnaires 42 Table Marking paper 45 Table Scores of interpretation in the second test 49 Figure Model of general translating process 12 Figure Case processing summary 40 Figure Percentage of questionnaires on the third item 43 Figure Percentage questionnaires on the fifth item 44 cứu Trung tâm Học liệuof ĐH Cần Thơ@Tài liệu học tập nghiên Figure The disparity of the first test in class 03 46 Figure The disparity of the first test in class 04 46 Figure Marks of accuracy in the second test 50 Figure Marks of clarity in the second test 51 Figure Marks of fluency in the second test 51 Figure 10 Marks of eye-contact in the second test 52 Figure 11 Marks of self-confidence in the second test 52 To My Vien B.A C 29 v Practicing note taking to enhance fourth -year English students’ consecutive interpretation ability Trung tâm Học liệu ĐH Cần Thơ@Tài liệu học tập nghiên cứu To My Vien B.A C 29 vi Practicing note taking to enhance fourth-year English students‘ consecutive interpretation ability CHAPTER INTRODUCTION 1.1 Problem and Rationale As it is widely held that interpretation skill is quite crucial to letter students of English, in comparison with four-language skills-listening, speaking, reading and writing-interpreting is, however, not paid much attention to For the matter, they find it hard and nervous in interpretation class in the short term If they, in the long run, choose interpreters as their desired careers, they will confront with a great number of difficulties due to lack of trained skills necessary for interpretation I am, in my study, mentioning note taking skill Not surprisingly, without taking any notes, interpreters cannot remember Trung tâm Học ĐH Cần liệu học tập nghiên cứu information fullyliệu and exactly whenThơ@Tài interpreting consecutively Thevà point here is that they may be prevented from listening if they have no experiences of note taking This is the reason why I choose practicing note taking to improve fourth-year English students‘ consecutive interpretation ability as my confidential topic I think I can find out best solutions that help students train note taking as an important skill for their job later To My Vien B.A C 29 Practicing note taking to enhance fourth-year English students‘ consecutive interpretation ability 1.2 Research Question We, of course, cannot deny the effectiveness of note taking in consecutive interpretation It means, due to limits of short –term memory, we cannot remember fully what the speaker speaks Or, interpreters are required a fast speed of interpreting; therefore, they are under pressure of both time and setting Unfortunately, to inexperienced interpreters or student interpreters, taking notes while interpreting, to some extent, may cause many problems That is to say, it may distract them from their concentrating ability with note taking This is why I in my research try to answer the only following question: ―Does note taking in consecutive interpretation help fourth-year English students recall information or distract them from concentrating?‖ Trung tâm Học liệu ĐH Cần Thơ@Tài liệu học tập nghiên cứu To My Vien B.A C 29 Practicing note taking to enhance fourth-year English students‘ consecutive interpretation ability 1.3 Hypothesis In consecutive interpretation, interpreters have to interpret a complete thought of the speaker There is certainly a lot of information to remember Thus, with note taking, they can interpret better since they can, hypothetically recall exactly the speaker‘s talk Trung tâm Học liệu ĐH Cần Thơ@Tài liệu học tập nghiên cứu To My Vien B.A C 29 Practicing note taking to enhance fourth-year English students‘ consecutive interpretation ability in one year p.a information info kilogram kg less than < maximum max minimum minus - much greater than >> much less than [...]... written down in the notes N = Note taking To answer the question above, ―N‖ in the formula is the best answer That is note taking It is the most important focus in my research I, thus provide some related works of note taking To My Vien B.A C 29 16 Practicing note taking to enhance fourth- year English students‘ consecutive interpretation ability Taking notes while interpreting is notoriously difficult... order to grasp whether note taking helps students reminisce information inconsecutive interpretation thanks to marking The disproportion of two times of tests (one without note taking and other with note taking) is, certainly the most unimpeachable answer for my research questions To My Vien B.A C 29 26 Practicing note taking to enhance fourth- year English students‘ consecutive interpretation ability. .. base to continue my research Though it took me a lot of time to search information, then to select and then to restate them for a fully done literature I find that it is vital to get some more works to support my topic Trung review, tâm Học liệu ĐH Cần Thơ@Tài liệu học tập và nghiên cứu To My Vien B.A C 29 24 Practicing note taking to enhance fourth- year English students‘ consecutive interpretation ability. .. and Recommendations That note taking is really effective to the fourth- year English students and that there are still some unavoidable shortcomings in the thesis are all mentioned in the final chapter Also, thanks to discovering many interesting and useful issues when To My Vien B.A C 29 4 Practicing note taking to enhance fourth- year English students‘ consecutive interpretation ability doing the study,... prct, prvity are unambiguous Of course, students need to be trained basing on these some principles to enhance their consecutive interpretation ability Moreover, they can create for themselves a special and effective way of note taking To My Vien B.A C 29 22 Practicing note taking to enhance fourth- year English students‘ consecutive interpretation ability Thankfully, I really find out a true direction... short It is up to 30 seconds, Peterson (1959) found it to be 6-12 seconds while Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968) and Hebb (1949) state it is 30 seconds To My Vien B.A C 29 13 Practicing note taking to enhance fourth- year English students‘ consecutive interpretation ability Considerably, in consecutive interpretation, it requires ―a speaker to pause every few sentence to allow the interpreter to interpret... sự được thông qua The first time of note taking: To My Vien B.A C 29 23 Practicing note taking to enhance fourth- year English students‘ consecutive interpretation ability 1.1924th An bây giờ bắt đầu 2.Chương trình tạm for p.m hội nghị xem văn kiện số 1271 The second time of note taking: 1.1924th An bắt đầu 2 Chương trình for p.m xem #1271 The third time of note taking: 1 An 1924th bắt đầu 2 (p.m) chương... another language with the help of some notes the interpreter writes down upon hearing the original message‖ (Guía To My Vien B.A C 29 19 Practicing note taking to enhance fourth- year English students‘ consecutive interpretation ability Metodológica, Traducción IV, 2007) Again and again, with the importance of note taking, it has to be trained for any interpreter who wants to be successful in their career... C 29 20 Practicing note taking to enhance fourth- year English students‘ consecutive interpretation ability her own ways of note taking Therefore, the training of note taking may vary depending on each person ―If you are studying conference interpreting at some stage you will undoubtedly hear, or be told that no 2 interpreters‘ notes are the same and quite possibly, that every interpreter has to develop... two-night tour is priced at VND 11,950,000 for two persons Tourists will fly to Danang Airport, where they will be welcomed with fresh flowers A guide will take them to see the attractions in Danang City, stopping at interesting To My Vien B.A C 29 28 Practicing note taking to enhance fourth- year English students‘ consecutive interpretation ability places such as Marble Mountain and the stone handicraft