I have been professionally engaged in conference interpreting in the Polish language since 2005.
I work as an interpreter of Polish, English, Spanish and Catalan in different face-to-face events that are held both in Barcelona and in other locations in Spain and abroad.
Consecutive interpreting is one of the most used interpreting modalities in face-to-face events such as press conferences, presentations, workshops, training courses, master classes, talks, interviews, speeches and presentations.
In this type of interpretation, the speaker speaks, the interpreter listens, takes notes and then reproduces the speech in the target language.
The interpreter is capable of repeating long speeches thanks to the use of his main tools, which are memory, good preparation of the topic and note-taking technique.
Consecutive interpreting does not require equipment, booth assembly, or advanced technology. A pen and a notebook are enough.
A notepad full of doodles, apparently without rhyme or reason, is the great ally of the conference interpreter.
Note-taking is an essential tool in consecutive interpreting, while in simultaneous interpreting it is hardly used.
The note-taking technique consists of writing down a series of semantic keys of a speech in order to later be able to synthesize it and reproduce it in another language. Each interpreter has his technique, it is not a standardized procedure, like shorthand. Some use more symbols and graphic language, others more words or abbreviations.
Although it seems simple, it is not easy to find an efficient note-taking style. It took me several years.
The essential thing is to be able to understand the notes. The notes are taken very quickly and although at the moment of writing them down their meaning seems obvious, a few minutes later, when it comes to deciphering it, it is no longer. Here is where the problems start…
¿Cómo elaborar una buena técnica? Probando, probando y volviendo a probar. La práctica hace al maestro.
I suppose that each interpreter has his/her experience. Mine is that during acting studies and the first years of my professional career, I used to use many symbols that I had invented for different concepts. Although I loved my symbols, they were not practical at all; Rather than help, they distracted me. So I was eliminating them, keeping only a few, combined with keywords and abbreviations. It was an intuitive and time-consuming process. Little by little, without realizing it, I began to take really reliable, clear and understandable notes for myself.
In the 21st century, the era of information technology, the most important thing I take to any interpreting job is a few notepads and a couple of good pens.
Examples of consecutive interpreting projects I have carried out in recent years:
Animac Festival
Consecutive interpreting during the lectures and the master class on animation in cinematography given by the Polish artist Piotr Dumala.
Eurocon
Consecutive interpreting during the presentation and talk with the director of the film “Author of Solaris” at “Filmoteca de Catalunya”.
Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Spain
Consecutive interpretations during the Alimentaria fair in Barcelona.