Interpreters' note layout and coherence building in consecutive interpreting: A rhetorical structure theory approach

This study investigates how professional interpreters externalise coherence-building processes during consecutive interpreting (CI) through the spatial organisation of their notes. Twelve English-Chinese professional interpreters performed a long CI task, and their handwritten notes were analysed using Rhetorical Structure Theory (RST) to examine whether note layout corresponds to the rhetorical structure of the source text. The analysis focused on how interpreters grouped information into note blocks and how these blocks were spatially arranged to signal relations between discourse units. Interpreters most frequently mapped individual elementary discourse units (EDUs) to single blocks, but they also merged EDUs in ways that aligned with higher-level rhetorical spans, while selectively omitting satellites more often than nuclei. Layout cues such as shifts and indentation were used systematically, with indentation occurring disproportionately with subordinate relations, and parallel alignment appearing mainly with coordinate relations. Supplementary linguistic and symbolic markers (e.g., arrows, added connectives) were employed when coherence relations were non-local, implicit, or not readily captured through layout alone. Despite differences in training backgrounds, interpreters showed notable convergence in these coherence-related layout strategies. Overall, the findings indicate that note layout provides a visible trace of discourse-level processing during CI and suggest concrete layout practices that could be incorporated into training to support effective coherence building. • Note layout reflects interpreters' coherence-building processes in consecutive interpreting. • Elementary discourse units are mapped to note blocks and merged according to higher-level rhetorical spans. • Indentation signals subordinate relations; parallel alignment signals coordinate relations. • Arrows, connectives, and other markers supplement layout for non-local or implicit coherence relations. • Consistent layout strategies across interpreters suggest practical training applications for effective CI note-taking.