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Where do we store
information?
Many parts of our brain:
Sensorial memory - perception
Working memory - filing and retrieving information
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How does our memory work?
Memories are formed
when certain
connections
(synapses) are
strengthened.
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Why is memory important for
interpreters?
Consecutive
Interpreting?
Simultaneous
Interpreting?
Remote Interpreting?
Research?
Vocabulary?
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How good is your memory?
Look at the following
phone numbers and try
to remember them
0 5 1 2 8 9 9 3 6 4 5 7
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Short term memory-Immediate
memory
Information is stored for immediate use
With regular stimulation:long term memory
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Short term memory
Can store information for less than a minute
It is limited in capacity to about:
7 items when they are not connected, however difficult
they are
10 to 20 items when they are connected (sentence…)
Uses auditive memory
Distraction will immediately erase the information
stored in our immediate memory
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Short term memory
Best friends:
Concentration
Relaxation
Adrenaline
Worst ennemies:
Distraction (external
and internal)
Fear
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Short term memory and
interpreting
Used in:
Simultaneous Interpreting
Chuchotage
Short Consecutive
Interpreting (ad hoc, over
the telephone…)
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Storing information long term
Memory 3 hours later 3 days later
Auditive 70% 10%
Visual 72% 20%
Combination of
the 2
85% 65%
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Storing information long term
A few secrets:
Stimulate your memory
often on the same topic
Use all memory
combinations for optimum
results
Understand your favourite
sensory channel
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Ancient memory tricks
.
Cicero
recommended
breaking a
long text into
bits.
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Testing, testing…
Listen to the text
carefully
Concentrate
Answer questions on
the handouts on your
own
Do not speak
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Improving your memory with
medication
Smart drugs: positive
help on rebuilding
memory after a stroke
or Alzheimer disease
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Right and left brain
In most people, the
left side of the
brain - which
controls the right
side of the body -
deals more with
language.
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Conference Interpreters
Usually we listen with
our right ear and
Uncover our left ear to
listen to our delivery
When you phone,
which ear do you use
spontaneously?
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To get the whole picture
We actually need both
sides of our brain to get
the 'whole picture'.
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What about interpreters?
We need to build
bridges between
listening and
understanding
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Understanding words
When we listen to (or
read) words, we are using
a part of our brain known
as Wernicke's area.
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Language pathways in our
brain
a complex network between speaking
(Broca's area) and understanding words
(Wernicke's area).
When we speak a word that we have read or
heard, the message goes to the parts of our
brain concerned with seeing or hearing, and
then to both language areas before an
instruction is sent to other areas concerned
with movement of the tongue and lips.
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However…how much do we
understand?
10% comes from the
words (conscious level)
40% comes from the
tone of the speaker’s
voice
50% comes from non
verbal attitude
(unconscious level)
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Emotional memory
When remembering an
emotional event, we
recall not only what
happened, but also how
we felt - an emotional
memory.
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Feedback from the memory test
3 possible channels
Visual memory
Auditive memory
Kinetic memory
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Who are we?
Results for the test are not
rigid, they can change
depending on life styles
and new skills (playing a
new musical instrument…)
There is no right or wrong
result, the ideal is to have a
balanced result in all 3.
Once we understand our
strong channel, we can
consciously encourage the
storage of new information
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Visual memory
Use colours, space,
harmony, elegance and
order
Look at people’s
outlook when you
speak to them
Visualise events like
sequences of a film or
a cartoon
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Auditive memory
Concentrate on the
intonation and the intensity
of the voice of the speaker
Learn new vocabulary
reading words out loud,
using intonation or tune
Use silence or a light
musical background when
studying
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Kinetic memory
Use movement to
concentrate
Remember emotions felt
at the time you were
exposed to new
information
Use your sense of humour
Use your common sense
when listening to
understand how facts
interact with one another
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Combination of memories
We remember:
10% of what we read
20% of what we listen to
30% of what we see
50% of what we listen
and see at the same time
80% of what we say
90% of what we say and
do at the same time
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Remembering information:
3 stages
1. Exposure to information
2. Recording of information
3. Recalling information
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Exposure to information
You hear info for the
first time:
Concentrate
Avoid distraction
Use passive listening
skills
Use your sensory
channels (visual,
auditive, kinetic
memories combined)
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Recording of information
Create word-idea
associations . It is vital to
think in terms of ideas
Use mental images
involving senses (touch,
smell..)
Use your own words
Organise ideas in
sequences (film)
Take notes
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Recalling information
Remember information in
order, from the beginning
(sequence 1, 2, 3 etc…)
Use your notes
Remember senses triggered
during stage 1 (emotion,
colour of the room, voice
of speaker etc..)