TAKING NOTES_TOPIC 15_ENGLISH LANGUAGE FORM 1

TAKING NOTES

Note taking means writing down what you read in books or what you hear from people when they talk.

Normally notes are taken from two main sources, these are as follows:

A: WRITING NOTES FROM ORAL TEXTS

In taking notes from oral sources one should consider the following thing:

i.            Listen carefully in order to hear everything said.

ii.          Note down important words, definitions, explanations as well as headings.

iii.        Keep your notes brief and precise.

iv.         Write by using symbols “eg” instead of “for examples”

v.           Device your words that will make you remember easily. Example: the word REMEMBER can stand for:

R = Reproduction

E = Excretion

M = Movement

E = Irritability

M = Nutrition

B = Development

E = Emotion

R = Respiration

vi.         Write things that the speaker emphasizes by repeating them.

vii.       Organize your notes properly so that your notes to flow logically.

viii.     Use number for different points e.g. 1……. 2 …… 3 ……….. etc.

EXERCISE

Your teacher will read a passage from which you will have to take notes.

Passage (To be read by teacher)

Oh God make me a better parent. Teach me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they say and to answer their questions as patiently as I can. Give me the courage to guide them without fear, correcting them boldly when they make mistakes but praising them when they deserve praise.

B: WRITING NOTES FROM WRITTEN TEXTS

You read variety of books, texts and journals, in there we find some useful information that you would like to use them later.

The following are things you need to observe when taking notes from written texts:

i.             Read the texts carefully in order to determine what it is all about.

ii.            Pick out the main sources.

iii.          Use abbreviations and short forms where necessary.

iv.          Do not copy everything from the text (Use your own words in taking notes).

v.           Organize your notes in terms of topic (major and minor) and subtopic.

vi.          Underline points which you think are important.

Example:

WEATHER

(i)          Temperature

(ii)         Rainfall

-         Cyclonic

-         Convectional

-         Relief

(iii)        Pressure

EXERCISE

Read the following text and then write notes from the text.

Oh God make me a better parent. Teach me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they say and to answer their questions as patiently as I can. Give me the courage to guide them without fear, correcting them boldly when they make mistakes but praising them when they deserve praise.

Give me too the courage to admit mistakes and to ask for forgiveness when I know I have done them wrong. Help me to grow with my children, to treat them as those own age, but let me not expert of them, the judgements and the conversions of adults. Allow me not to deprive them of the opportunity to learn, choose and make decisions.