Note-taking Skills
Unit 2
This unit aims to help you to:
• 1- take notes from lectures and similar
learning resources in an efficient and effective
way.
• 2- store notes efficiently.
• 3- exploit your notes for successful study.
Exploiting Learning Resources:
• The most useful resources for learning
namely reading materials are :
• Books and journals articles.
• But there are not the only learning resources
that are available to students in higher and
further education.
Note-taking:
• We will probably want to note down
important points from what we read or hear,
either at the time or shortly afterwards.
The purpose of note-taking:
• 1- help our memory.
• 2- remember something exactly ( the phone
numbers)
• 3- in academic study, we might want to quote
something from a book or article accurately.
• 4- take careful note of source details ( authors’
names)
• 5- in listening to a lecture, we do not have to note
down everything exactly. Here, we have to write
down only the main idea, and we have to be
more selective.
Different Ways of Recording
Information:
Mode of recording
advantages
Disadvantages
1- writing down every word from
source
No information lost –
complete record.
Time-consuming- no time to think
about what the speaker is saying
and interact with it
2- using outline ( linear) notes
Very straightforward
method
Some details may be lost
3- using diagrams/ branching notes
Concentrate on the
main idea and
interact with the
speaker’s message.
Some details may be lost
4- (text) underlining/highlighting in
color
Easy and quick to use
Cannot be used on library books/
journals
Mode of recording
advantages
Disadvantages
5-(text) computer scanning
Easy and quick to use/ can be
saved and edited
Required specialized
equipment
( computer, scanner, printer)
6-(text) photocopying
Easy and quick to use/ can be
filed and highlighted.
Expensive/ does not require
interaction with the text.
7-(text) making notes in
margins
Easy and quick to
use/encourages interaction
with the text.
Cannot be used on library
books/journals. Comments
may be disorganized/ not
easily accessible.
8-(spoken input) audio
recording
No information lost/ complete
record.
Speaker’s permission may
have to be sought. Timeconsuming/ not as easy to
scan as written notes
Efficient note-taking: using symbols
and abbreviations
• We use symbols and abbreviations to safe
time.
• Symbols and abbreviations can be of three
Three
kinds of symbols and abbreviations:
kinds:
3- personal symbols/abbreviations
used by individual students:
1- field symbols and abbreviations:
The students specializing in a certain
field area will learn certain
symbols/abbreviations as part of the
study of that field.
For example ,students of Chemistry
will know that C stands for Carbon
and Ca for Calcium
2- commonly used
symbols/abbreviations:
They are in common use or widely
understood.
For example, ( i.e.) meaning that is ;
(=) meaning is equal to.
If you are frequently note down a
certain word or phrase , it is sensible
to find a quick way to represent it.
For example, students of English
Literature listening to a lecture on a
the poet Wordsworth might well use
the initial letter “W” instead of
writing out the poet’s name in full
each time .
• Do task 4 / page 40
Prediction/anticipation
• It is useful to try to anticipate or predict what a
writer is going to say in an article, book or
chapter, using information given in the title, your
background knowledge of the topic and so on.
• Obviously, the same applies to listening to a
lecture. This can help a lot in making what you
will hear relevant and meaningful to you.
• Do task 6/page 43
Discourse markers ( the ‘signposts’)
• One of the most useful ways to understand a spoken or
written input (source) is to be aware of the way it is
structured or organized.
• If the structure is a map, discourse markers are like
signposts (to point out the direction). They serve as
signals for the meaning and structure of the lecture,
text etc.
• They tell us how ideas are organized.
Functions of discourse markers:
• 1- The discourse makers may be used for LISTING ( firstly,
secondly, in the first place…)
• 2- they may be used to show the CAUSE AND EFFECT ( so ,
because, therefore..)
• 3- they can indicate that the speaker is going to illustrate his
ideas by giving an EXAMPLE
• (for example, for instance, let’s take…)
• 4- they may introduce an idea which runs against what has
been said-CONTRAST ( but, nevertheless, on the other
hand…)
• 5- they may be used to express a TIME RELATIONSHIP
( then, next,while…)
• 6- they may be used to indicate how important
something is- EMPHASIS (it is worth noting, a key issue
is…)
• 7- they may be used to REPHRASE what has already
been said, or to introduce a DIFINITION ( in the other
hand, by this I mean…)
• 8- speakers may add another related idea- ADDITION
( as well, in addition, not only…but also..)
• 9- they may be used to express a CONDITION. ( if,
unless, assuming that..)
• 10- a very important kind of discourse marker is a
SUMMARY ( to summarize, if I can just to sum up, it
amounts to this…)
• Do task 7/page 44
Lecture organisation (the map)
• Map : is the overall organisation of the
lecture.
• Good lecturers often help us to be aware of
their talks.
Indicators of lecture organisation
• 1- Good lecturers:
• Tell their audience what they are going to tell them.
• Tell their audience what they have told them.
A- start with an overview (main points).
B- what to expect the lecture will discuss.
C- review the main points of the lecture in a final
summary.
• 2- Some lecturers start with an anecdote to
amuse the audience or catch its interest.
• 3- Some like to conclude with just one
important point that they want their
audiences to think about.
• 4- some will show the structure of their talk
with an overhead transparency (OHT) or a
handout.
• It is very important for the listener to try to
figure out not only what the information is but
also how it is organized.
Cues to main points, subordinate
points and digressions
Cues to main points, subordinate
points and digressions
• 1- Speakers cue their main points in different
ways:
• A- use discourse markers, such as:
• I would like to emphasise….
• The general point you must remember is….
• It is important to note that……
• The next point is crucial to my argument.
• B- Stressing , or by repeating.
• C- facial expression or gestures.
• D- Write key points on a visual display, e.g.
blackboard, whiteboard, flipchart, OHP (overhead
projector) or computer (PowerPoint).
• 2- Examples and points of lesser importance are
cued by discourse markers, such as:
• I might add….
• Just to illustrate this point……
• 3- Sometime speakers digress by mentioning
unimportant things to give more spice, variety,
or interest to the talk.
• Digression can be cued by discourse markers,
such as:
• By the way…..
• I might note in passing that…..
Note-taking methods for extended
spoken inputs
• 1- Linear notes (Figure 1.3 in Unit 1)
• 2- Diagram notes (branching note) (Figure 1.4
in Unit 1)
1-Linear notes
2- Diagram (branching) notes
task 12 on page 53