Can shorthand be read as quickly as other forms of writing?

November 13, 2008 8:28 AM

Can shorthand be read as quickly as other forms of writing?

I'm considering learning to write my notes in (Gregg) shorthand. I've found plenty of information on how fast one can expect to learn to write and how much practice that takes. However, I read my notes more than I write them, so I'm concerned with whether I'll be able to read them at least as quickly as my normal half-block letters / half-longhand.

If anyone's got absolute numbers (words-per-minute), relative to any other form of writing, or even a subjective impression (e.g. about the same to read through, but harder to skim).. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

posted by ggruschow to education (8 comments total)

I thought shorthand generally was used for writing quickly while listening to a lecture or something, and then when you get home (where you have time) you can re-write them out in proper english (and perhaps organize them in a way that makes more sense to you as well) for easier reading...
posted by Grither at 8:35 AM on November 13, 2008

Yeah, some forms of shorthand must be slower to read because they deliberately omit things right up to the point it's barely readable in favor of writing speed. However, Gregg looks like it might be readable, and people did seem to write notes for others using it.
posted by ggruschow at 9:20 AM on November 13, 2008

Wouldn't using a laptop be just as fast (or faster)? BTW, I took shorthand in high school (yes, before laptops) and haven't used it since. I think I still write my first name.
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 10:04 AM on November 13, 2008

If you're literate enough, yes Gregg shorthand can be read just as rapidly as regular handwriting or typed text. I'm a bit out of practice now (although my Mom still leaves me shorthand notes so that no one else in the family can read them), but at one time my mind was trained enough that I automatically saw the English letters/words represented by the strokes and brief forms.
posted by Oriole Adams at 10:18 AM on November 13, 2008

My (distant) memory is that once learned, shorthand is as easily read as anything. But then, I didn't use shorthand for lecture notes -- at one point, I used Tengwar. Also as easily read as English once you're used to it.

It's really like learning a second language. There is a level at which you become fluent.
posted by dhartung at 10:40 AM on November 13, 2008

@Taken Outtacontext: If I'm at a computer, I'll certainly use one. I'm not the sort to carry one around with me at all times though, and I find using a laptop in front of someone impersonal at best. I always have at least a pen and a few 3x5 cards on me though, and I frequently have a sheet or two of 8.5"x11" paper folded in my other pocket.

This surprised me too: The fastest shorthand writers wrote faster than anyone types on a laptop. The world record for typing on a qwerty or dvorak keyboard looks to be ~215wpm. Shorthand records are at least 100wpm higher (over 300wpm!!). Then again, the record typing english on a stenotype is 375wpm(!), and they make portable battery powered ones.

Paper has a lot of advantages over a full-on laptop. A MacBook Air weighs 3 pounds (1.4kg - people often diet for months to lose that), it's 3/4" (2cm) thick, stops working after a couple of hours unless you plug it in, looks worse than horrible newsprint in sunlight or even from an angle, costs $1000s, is terrified of small falls / being sat on / liquids / etc, sucks for quick diagrams or sketches, doesn't fit in my back pocket (or even my pants.. maybe that's why most macbook air users wear skirts? :)), and I'm certainly not going to give it away to someone I just need to give my delivery address to, and can't be easily made into an airplane.

I realize paper can't access the tubes, edit easily, or store more than a day or two of good notes, but those can be good things too.
posted by ggruschow at 12:33 PM on November 13, 2008

where is everyone learning shorthand now-a-days?

i have searched online/nyc craigslist/comm colleges to find a place to learn. i have always wanted to learn! i'm only 25, but i can definitely see the value in shorthand over, say, typing on a laptop.

ggruschow - sorry to hijack your question
posted by alice ayres at 1:22 PM on November 13, 2008

Yes, shorthand can be read as quickly as regular text, if not quicker. It depends mostly on having good, legible outlines as well as a knowledge of your individual pitfalls when writing at speed. I used to be a court reporter using both pen and machine, and either method are easy to read back if you get the small words right. It's the "with", "of", "to", "if, "in" etc that can pose stumbling blocks to reading fluency, so you need to get the most common words clearly represented and standing out to get the flow.

A lot of experienced shorthand writers will have developed a very individual writing style that probably no-one else can read. There are often elements to the shorthand theory that the writer doesn't like so will adapt to suit their penmanship and these differences can be what make fluent readbacks.

Another good tip for reading shorthand back quickly is to have an organised layout to the page. If you have reams and reams of outlines to scan, your brain will pack up. You need to have a good margin to write longhand equivalents of ropey outlines as well as leaving lots of paragraphs and columns to be able to scan through information quickly.

(And another tip: number each page in your notebook!)
posted by stenoboy at 2:38 PM on November 13, 2008