Use whatever language that comes to your mind!

  Use different languages combined with symbols and abbreviations.

  Do not use loose sheets of paper; use a note-pad.

  Write only on the recto side of successive pages of the note-pad.

  Use an old-fashioned lead pencil (which flows more quickly across the page).

  Take notes in an economical way

  Symbols and abbreviations must be easily recognizable.

  Notes must be unequivocal.

  Do not invent symbols and abbreviations in the course of a speech if these symbols and abbreviations do not make immediate sense.

  Do not develop symbols and abbreviations so complicated that they take longer to note down than writing notes long-hand.

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Symbol/Abbreviation	Stands for
:	say, talk, tell
≡	think, believe
？	ask, demand, question
!	command, emphasise
$	money, pay, rich
β	budgetary
ε	economic, economy
ƒ	function of, depend on, change according to
OK	approve, accept, good
→	movement, leading to
↑	increase, improve, go up
↓	decrease, deteriorate, go down
↗	tend to increase
↘	tend to decrease
♀	woman
♂	man
人	person
∴	so, therefore, as a result
∵	because, since
But	but, however, nevertheless
+	in addition, also
±	Approximately, around
＞	more than
＜	less/fewer than
＝	equal to, the same as
≠	not equal to, not the same as
□	country, nation
#	numbers, statistics
W	work, employment
Re	regarding, about
☺	happy, satisfactory, promising
	unhappy, pessimistic
♡	want, like, wish, desire
	meeting, conference
*	conflict, fight, dispute
｜—	Start
—｜	finish, end
║	at the same time, while
—	negation: OK
( )	brackets used to indicate a digression (a joke or an anecdote), to remind the interpreter to include it in the interpretation. Key words can be noted in the parentheses.
b	Billion
m	Million
t	Thousand
Grammatical Marker (superscript)
d	-ed, past tense
ll	will/shall, future tense
g	-ing, progressive tense
s	Plural
r	-er
Combined and Modified symbol
	asking, questioning
	questions, doubts
	many questions, very doubtful
	somewhat acceptable, mediocre
	excellent, great success
	sort of like
	don’t want, dislike
	very much want to, yearn

References

Rozan, Jean François. (1956). La prise de notes en interprétation consécutive. Genevè: Librairie de l’Universite Georg & Cie S. A.

Jones, Roderick. (2002). Conference Interpreting Explained (2 ed.). Manchester: Routledge.

Mikkelson, Holly. (1998). Consecutive interpreting theory and consecutive note taking (videorecording). California: ACEBO.