Note-taking for the CCL: 9 techniques that save marks

A CCL segment can be 35 words long, with a number, a date and two names in it. Good notes don't record everything. They hold the details you would otherwise forget. Here are nine techniques that work.

1. Write numbers first. Amounts, dates, times and quantities are the easiest marks to lose and the easiest to note.
2. One idea per line. Start a new line for each clause, so the order of ideas stays clear.
3. Keywords, not sentences. Write "rent late 2 wks", not the whole sentence.
4. Use symbols. ↑ more, ↓ less, → causes or leads to, ✗ not or no, ? question, $ money, ☎ phone, 🏥 or H for hospital.
5. Mark negatives clearly. A missed "not" turns into a distortion. Circle or underline it.
6. Note names phonetically. Spell them however helps you say them back correctly.
7. Use either language. Write in whichever language is faster for that word.
8. Leave space. Cramped notes are hard to read back under pressure.
9. Practise with real audio. Notes only get fast with repetition. Replay mock segments, take notes, then interpret from them alone.