Notetaking Skill

Cecilia HeJune 2nd, 2013

Functions of Note-taking

• Facilitating STM• Streamlining logic analysis and helping with

information retention through symbols, abbreviations, structures, etc.

How to take notes?

A. Symbols

Pictogram

• 开心，喜人，良好

• 伤心，不佳，差强人意

• 忧虑，担心，寝食难安

• 哭泣，伤心欲绝，晴雨表

• 震惊，愤怒

• 波动，震动

• 影响

Conventional symbols强调，注意

重要，关键

交流，交换

合作

国家

国内

国外

国内外

出口

进口

人民币

美元

会议

历史

未来

Mathematical symbols因为

所以

增加

减少

大于，超过

小于

属于

正确，同意，批准

X 错误，不行，没有

↓ 减少，下降

↑ 增加，上升，上报

↗ 逐步增加

↘ 逐步下降，减少

→ 向前发展

≠ 不等于

English letters

天

周

月

年

经济

财政

美国

欧盟

d

w

m

y

e

f

US

EU

English abbreviations

• “prof” for “professor”• “UN” for “the United Nations”• “HK” for “Hongkong”• “SOE” for “state owned enterprise”• “FIE” for “foreign invested enterprise”• “GDP” for “gross domestic product”• “R&D” for “research and development”• “CEPA” for “Cross-strait Economic Partnership

Arrangement”• “CIF” for “cost, insurance, freight”• “FOB” for “free on board”

CH abbreviations家庭

学校

健康

动物

挑战

机遇

市场

友情，朋友

B. Structure of notes/ – slashes: to segment linguistic elements

() – parenthesis: to indicate attributives

[] – brackets: to indicate adverbials

( – single parenthesis: to combine information of the same level

“” – quotation marks: to indicate quotations, concepts, policies, or information repeatedly mentioned

– to continue notes at the next line

Case study

What to Note

• Note down the main ideas (5W1H).

• Systematically note down the links between different ideas.

• Note down accurately the numbers, dates and proper names.

Principles of Note-taking

• Use as many symbols as you feel comfortable with but don’t mess them up

• Note-taking should not overshadow interpreting• Note-taking should display the concept and

structure of the message• Note down information-intensive and difficult

message (figures, proper names, etc.)• Fully utilize the extant notes• Avoid creating many new symbols on site