Training for interpreters: how does your memory work?

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University / ddh 1

How does our memory work?

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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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Laying down new memories

Information Senses Cortex Hippocampus

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Memory

A huge filing system!

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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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Long term memory

Memories of events,

How to do things

Facts.

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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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Working memory

The ‘blackboard of our mind'.

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What is your earliest memory?

Usually at 3 or 4 years old

Not accessible before speaking

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Improving your memory

Association of facts with meanings

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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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Speaking words

We use the part of our brain called Broca's area.

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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..)

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University / ddh 40

To conclude

What will you remember about memory?