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Note-Taking Obstacles and Their Cognitive Causes in Arabic-Chinese Consecutive Interpreting: A Case Study of Student Interpreters’ Notes at the Graduate Institute of Interpretation and Translation, Shanghai International Studies University



Author(s)

Shimaa Abdelrahim Ali Ahmed

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DOI:10.17265/1539-8080/2026.04.004

Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China

Interpreting notes constitute an essential cognitive support tool in consecutive interpreting, and their quality directly affects interpreters’ information retention and target-language production. Compared with more commonly studied language pairs, such as English and Chinese, Chinese and Arabic differ significantly in syntactic structure, information organization, and modes of cultural expression, which places a heavier cognitive burden on note-taking in Arabic-Chinese consecutive interpreting. However, existing studies have mainly focused on language pairs, such as English-Chinese, while systematic research on note-taking in Arabic-Chinese consecutive interpreting remains limited. Based on classroom note samples and interpreting outputs produced by master’s students specializing in Arabic interpreting at the Graduate Institute of Interpretation and Translation of Shanghai International Studies University, this study employs classroom observation, note-sample analysis, and comparative analysis of target-language output to identify and explain typical note-taking obstacles in Arabic-Chinese consecutive interpreting. The findings reveal three major problems among student interpreters: disconnection between listening comprehension and note-taking, disorganized note structure, and information-organization bias caused by mother-tongue transfer. The study further demonstrates that syntactic differences between Arabic and Chinese, excessive cognitive load, and insufficient automation of note-taking skills are the major causes of note-taking failure. On this basis, the paper proposes a conceptualized note-taking training approach centered on “meaning construction” and attempts to establish a pedagogical framework for consecutive interpreting note-taking that accommodates the bilingual characteristics of Arabic and Chinese. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the cognitive mechanisms underlying Arabic-Chinese consecutive interpreting and also provides practical implications for Arabic interpreting pedagogy.

 Arabic-Chinese consecutive interpreting, interpreting notes, cognitive load, mother-tongue transfer, interpreting pedagogy

Shimaa Abdelrahim Ali Ahmed. Note-Taking Obstacles and Their Cognitive Causes in Arabic-Chinese Consecutive Interpreting: A Case Study of Student Interpreters’ Notes at the Graduate Institute of Interpretation and Translation, Shanghai International Studies University. US-China Foreign Language, April 2026, Vol. 24, No. 4, 163-168 doi:10.17265/1539-8080/2026.04.004