Note­-Making & Summarizing

Note Making & Summarization based on a passage of approximately 200-250 words.

MARKING SCHEME

i. Note Making                      : 5 Marks ·       Title:                                                   1 ·       Numbering and indenting:            1 ·       Key/glossary:                                    1 ·       Notes:                                                 2 ii. Summary (50 words)      : 3 Marks ·       Content:                                             2 ·       Expression:                                       1

HOW TO MAKE NOTES

1. Read the passage carefully and thoroughly
2. While reading the passage, underline the key sentences. It will help you in forming the title and sub­titles.
3. Make a rough note of the main points and give them a logical sequence.
4. Use any format you like but it should depend on the theme of the passage.

ALWAYS REMEMBER

1. They should be short and to the point.
2. They should have all the important and relevant information.
3. Information should be systematically divided and sub­divided.
4. Use universally recognized symbols and abbreviations wherever necessary and provide key to the abbreviations.
5. Main title should be short. Avoid a long sentence as a title. It should reflect the spirit of the passage.
6. Notes must be written in points only. They should be listed one under the other and numbered properly.

ALWAYS AVOID

1. Avoid the use of a full and complete sentence.
2. Do not lift portions of the passage to form notes.
3. Do not include irrelevant piece of information in your notes.

USE OF ABBREVIATIONS

1. Capitalized first letter of words : UNO, CBSE, NCERT etc.
2. Arithmetic symbols : > <, kg, km, % etc.
3. Commonly used : sc., govt., Eng., Sans.
4. Invented (First and last few letters of the words with a dot at the end): ppl (people), artfl (artificial)

Note: The students must provide the key to the invented abbreviations. These should be 4 to 6 only. Ex.:

Abbreviations	Word
1.   prblm. 2.  trp'nt. 3.   rqd. 4.  dprsd.	Problem Transparent Required Depressed

PROPER INDENTATION & NUMBERING 

TITLE 1.     ____________________ 1.1  __________________ 1.2 __________________ 1.3 __________________ 2.    ____________________ 2.1   __________________ 2.2  __________________ 2.3  __________________ 3.    ____________________ 3.1   __________________ 3.1.1     ______________ 3.1.2    ______________ 3.1.3    ______________ 3.2  __________________ 4.    ____________________ 4.1    __________________ 4.2     __________________

SUMMARISING (50 Words)

Students are required to write a paragraph using the main points listed in the notes. Complete sentences are used. They are logically and cohesively linked together with the help of suitable linkers. Do not use abbreviations and symbols.

EXAMPLE:

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.

Effective speaking depends on effective listening. It takes energy to concentrate on hearing and to concentrate on understanding what has been heard. Incompetent listeners fail in a number of ways. First, they may drift. Their attention drifts from what the speaker is saying. Second, they may counter. They find counter-arguments to whatever a speaker may be saying. Third, they compete. Then, they filter. They exclude from their understanding those parts of the message which do not readily fit with their own frame of reference. Finally, they react. They let personal feelings about a speaker or subject override the significance of the message which is being sent.

What can a listener do to be more effective? The first key to effective listening is the art of concentration. If a listener positively wishes to concentrate on receiving a message his chances of success are high. It may need determination. Some speakers are difficult to follow, either because of voice problems or because of the form in which they send a message. There is then a particular need for the determination of a listener to concentrate on what is being said.

Concentration is helped by alertness. Mental alertness is helped by physical alertness. It is not simply physical fitness, but also positioning of the body, the limbs and the head. Some people also find it helpful to their concentration if they hold the head slightly to one side. One useful way for achieving this is intensive notetaking, by trying to capture the critical headings and sub-headings the speaker is referring to.

Note-taking has been recommended as an aid to the listener. It also helps the speaker. It gives him confidence when he sees that listeners are sufficiently interested to take notes; the patterns of eye-contact when the notetaker looks up can be very positive; and the speaker’s timing is aided-he can see when a note-taker is writing hard and can then make effective use of pauses.

Posture too is important. Consider the impact made by a less competent listener who pushes his chair backwards and slouches. An upright posture helps a listener’s concentration. At the same time it is seen by the speaker to be a positive feature amongst his listeners. Effective listening skills have an impact on both the listener and the speaker.

1. On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes on it using headings and subheadings. Use recognizable abbreviations wherever necessary.
2. Write a summary of the above passage in about 50 words.

ANSWER

Title: The Art of Effective Listening NOTES: 1. Eff. speaking depends on: 1.1 eff. listening 1.2 concen. on listening 1.3 concen. on understanding what you hear 2. Reasons why incompetent listeners fail: 2.1 their attention drifts 2.2 they find counter arguments 2.3 they compete & then filter 2.4. they react 3. Ways for a listener to be more eff.: 3.1 concen. on the msg. reed. 3.1.1 mental alertness 3.1.2 phys. alertness-positioning body 3.1.3 helps speaker-gives him confidence encourages the eye contact 4. Impce. of posture 4.1 helps listeners in concen. 4.2 seen by spkr. as a +ve feature among his listeners

List of Abbreviations

SN	Abbreviations	Words
1	Eff.	effective
2	concen.	concentrating
3	msg.	message
4	reed.	received
5	phys.	physical
6	Spkr.	speaker

Summary

Effective speaking and effective listening are two sides of the same coin, both equally important. An incompetent listener will always fail as he drifts away from counters, competes and finally filters what the speaker is saying. To be a good listener concentration is important combined with mental and physical alertness. The importance of other factors like note-taking and posture cannot be ignored. All these are effective listening skills and are viewed as a positive feature by the speaker among his listeners. They have an impact not only on the listener but also on the speaker.