Symbols are extremely important in any note-taking system, but sometimes coming up with good symbols that meet your interpretation needs may be hard. For the past 3 years, Nanyi has created a note-taking system based on over 400 symbols for medical, legal, and general interpretation that have helped her and her students improve their accuracy and memory retention for long and short consecutive interpreting.

Why should you learn symbols for note-taking?

  • Symbols prompt your memory with visual cues.
  • Symbols can become automatic just like numbers which significantly reduces the cognitive load of writing and listening at the same time.
  • Symbols have a clear and specific meaning, they are not ambiguous like letters and abbreviations.
  • Symbols are faster to draw than letters and words, therefore you have more time to listen and work on the details of the message.
  • Symbols are multifunctional. You can apply the same symbols for different interpreting specializations which removes the need of abbreviating important and recurrent words on the spot.
  • Symbols are fun to learn and they improve your creativity and visual communication skills.

What does Nanyi’s Symbol Glossary include?

  • Over 400 entries with symbols, their meaning in English and Spanish, and an explanation of the symbol creation technique used.
  • Lifetime updates with Nanyi’s new symbols. You will have access to all the symbols Nanyi creates every year for a single payment.
  • A search feature that allows you to easily locate any symbol that matches the word you have searched for.
  • Over 20 categories to sort the symbols according to interpreting specialization, symbol creation technique or symbol families.
  • Online access to the glossary from any device.

Become a Master + Memory Club member and get so much more!

As a Master + Memory Club member, you have access to both Nanyi’s Symbols Glossary and all of the note-taking and interpreting practice materials that InterpreMed offers:

  • Carefully designed note-taking and memory retention practice materials to learn how to use symbols during interpreting encounters.
  • Monthly live note-taking and memory retention lessons and practice sessions led by Nanyi.
  • Self-paced consecutive, simultaneous, and sight translation practice materials that include audios with translations in English-Spanish and English only.
  • Monthly study guides that cover a medical department, specialty or healthcare topic (this includes our trademark NBCMI/CCHI Written & Oral Exam Prep).
  • Weekly live practice sessions with interpreters in the US and across the globe.
  • Monthly interpreting ethics club meetings led by Kelly Grzech. This club will teach you how to apply the Codes of Ethics & Standards of Practice in medical interpretation encounters and develop the analytical skills needed to solve ethical dilemmas.
  • Vocabulary practice with flashcards, quizzes, register grids, audio glossaries, etc.
  • And much more!

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