Academic and Professional English
2023, Fall
Aidi Tang Assistant Professor
School of International Trade and Economics, CUFE
Last Updated：October 20, 2022
Unit 7: Lecture Note-taking
7.1: The Importance of Note-Taking
7.2: Different Methods of Note-Taking
7.3: Useful Tips for Improving Note-Taking Skills
7.4: Useful Tools for Note-Taking
7.1 The Importance of
Note-Taking
Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve
Ø Experiment about forgetting
Ø Three-letter nonsense syllables
Ø From 20 minutes to 31 days
Hermann Ebbinghaus
Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve
The Importance of Note-Taking
• Listening → Short-term memory
• Listening + Note-taking → Long-term memory
• support your listening efforts
• test your understanding of the material
• help you remember the material better
• give you a sense of what is important
• create your “ultimate study guide”
https://elearningindustry.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/8793f6f05bb276b291233b67f9ad05de.jpeg
7.2 Different Methods of
Note-Taking
Different Methods of Note-Taking
1 Writing down every word
1 The sentence method
1 The outlining method A combination
of methods
1 The mind-mapping method
1 ... ...
1. The Sentence Method
Main Topic Date
1. Sentence 1
2. Sentence 2
3. Sentence 3
…
1. The Sentence Method
Ø Advantages
• Organized
• Getting most of key information
Ø When to use
• Lecture lacking organizational cues
• Lecturer speaking quickly
1. The Sentence Method
1. The Sentence Method
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2. The Outlining Method
Main Topic Date
Topic 1
Sub-topic 1
Importance Detail 1
Detail 2
Sub-topic 2
Detail
Topic 2
… ...
2. The Outlining Method
Ø When to use
• Lecture in a regular organizational pattern
• Having enough thinking time
Ø Advantages
• Recording content & relationship
• Saving time on review & editing
2. The Outlining Method
2. The Outlining Method
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3. The Mind-Mapping Method
3. The Mind-Mapping Method
Ø When to use
• Heavy and well-organized content
• Lectures with unanticipated organization
Ø Advantages
• A clear overview
• Easy editing
3. The Mind-Mapping Method
3. The Mind-Mapping Method
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7.3 Useful Tips for Improving
Note-Taking Skills
Some suggestions on note-taking
Some suggestions on note-taking
Before the Lecture
1. Get prepared for the content of the lecture.
• Doing the assigned reading
• Reviewing & Previewing
• Searching online or in the library
2. Arrive early.
• At lease 10 minutes before the lecture
• Taking a good seat
• Switching off your mobile phone
Before the Lecture
3. Prepare the stationery.
• Carrying necessary stationery
• Loose leaf notebook
• Asking permission for the use of a voice recorder
During the Lecture
4. Mark your notes properly.
5. Focus on key information
• Beginning & Ending of the lecture
• Anything on the board or in the slides
6. Pay attention to verbal and non-verbal cues.
• Verbal cues
• Non-verbal cues
During the Lecture
7. Develop your own system of abbreviations and
symbols.
• Write down only the first syllable (and possibly the second
letter of the next syllable).
• Leave out vowels.
• Use an apostrophe.
• Leave out unimportant words.
8. Revise your notes as quickly as possible.
• Immediately after the lecture
• Reading over your notes and adding the missing parts
During the Lecture
After the Lecture
9. Reflect on your notes.
• Reviewing your lecture notes at least once a week
• Recalling the content of the lecture
• Asking yourself questions
• Discussing with others
10. Synthesize your notes.
• Combining notes of several lectures into a coherent whole
7.4 Useful Tools for Note-Taking
Take Notes Using Powerpoint
Take Notes Using OneNote
Top 10 Note-Taking Apps
