Insufficient memory to store a large amount of information from speakers is a common terrible fear of rooky interpreters, resulting in such sudden blankness despite their flawless English communication. How rookies can enhance their memorizing skill to leave a profound impression upon clients and other audiences? These simple answers are given in the following lines.

1. Put personal issues out of mind

Interpreters should always keep a cool head while doing a mission. Not all clients are ideal clients. Yet, do not consider them monsters preventing you from doing your job.

Beside, sweep out any distracting thought, such as “I have just had a heated debate with my spouse this morning” or “Am I being weird?”, etc. since when your mind is wandering, the speaker may have already finished speaking.

2. Keep an eye on speaker’s body language

Have you ever noticed that watching other’s gestures help you memorize more effectively?It is pointed out that communication consists of three elements: verbal, non-verbal (sign and gestures) and tone in which verbal element makes up only 7% while tone accounts for 38% and non-verbal, amazingly, is the most effective element of communication, at 55%. As human rate of thinking is many times greater that of speaking (700 to 1200 compared to 120 to 150 word per minute), words barely can transmit speaker’s whole messages, resulting in our body always try to express those through body language.

Thus, paying attention to body gestures and expressions will fervently support interpreters in understanding speaker’s messages and effectively memorize them.

 3.Keep a cool head before amid distractions and noises.

During interpreting process, there are many “temptation” interpreters do face, especially when doing consecutive and whispering interpretation. These distractions could be construction noises nearby, audiences’ small talks, or even weird gestures performed by speakers and delegates, anything.

Keep in mind that, when interpreting, speakers’ messages should be the only things that matter.

 4. Listen to speaker’s ideas, not words.

There is a paradox that many rookies may object as it is different from what they were told during college years: “Too much focus may lose your focus”. Non-sense! I bet that many would presume that way. However, let’s analyze our bold and bizarre conclusion stated above.

Firstly, For an adult population (age range 18–64) the average speed of copying is 68 letters per minute, with the range from a minimum of 26 to a maximum of 113 letters per minute (Dave, 2011) while our rate of speaking, as cited above, is 120 to 150 words per minute. See the difference?

Furthermore, when one tries to jot down as many information as possible, many unexpected incidents may occur like dry or broken pen, his word stream is suddenly interrupted and instantly, he faces a serious crisis. Thus, instead of trying to catch every word the speaker presents, interpreters should pay attention to key words, general ideas and signals in the article.