In search of an alternative to note-taking: an experimental study of the use of mnemonic devices in consecutive specialized interpreting

The subject of this study is the completeness of consecutive specialized interpreting performed using three different methods of information fixation: note-taking, traditional memorization, and memorization with the aid of mnemonic devices. Given the limitations on the use of note-taking in consecutive interpreting, there is a need for alternative methods of information fixation. As a potential solution, this study proposes considering the use of mnemonic devices, particularly the method of loci, which utilizes the resources of working memory. The research aims to examine the cognitive mechanisms underlying the processes of information fixation and reproduction in consecutive interpreting. The goal is to establish the possibility of using mnemonic devices as an alternative to traditional note-taking, thereby ensuring a sufficient level of fixation of incoming information and contributing to the achievement of semantic equivalence in consecutive interpreting, especially in situations where the use of note-taking is complicated or impossible. To achieve this goal, a methodology of quantitative assessment of the completeness of consecutive translation is used, where the basis of the metric constitutes the completeness of reproduction of the source text. The study conducts three memory tests with an experimental group of interpreters: with fixation of auditory information using note-taking, with traditional memorization, and with memorization using the “method of loci” technique. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that, for the first time, the quantitative component of the completeness of interpreting performed using different methods of fixing auditory information is determined. Obtaining such data makes it possible to objectively assess the advantages of one or another method of fixation, to identify the individual cognitive characteristics of each interpreter with regard to one or another method of fixation, and to optimize training programs for students of translation specialties. The main result of the work is the confirmation of the hypothesis that the method of loci can be used as an alternative way of fixing information in consecutive specialized interpreting, including cases with abstract material. The results of this study open new perspectives in improving the efficiency of consecutive specialized interpreting in conditions where note-taking is difficult or impossible to use.

translation studies, interpreting, note-taking, mnemonic devices, translation completeness, method of loci, working memory, translation accuracy, quantitative quality assessment, translation quality assessment