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Personal Shorthand, originally known as Briefhand in the 1950s, is the only completely alphabetic shorthand in the United States.
Unlike pure symbol shorthand systems (Gregg, Pitman) and hybrid shorthand sytems (Speedwriting, Stenoscript, Stenospeed, Forkner), Personal Shorthand uses only the 26 letters of the alphabet. Dramatically less complex than either symbol or hybrid systems, PS uses no nonalphabetic symbols, no artificial joinings of letters, no misplaced capitalizations, and no phonetic uses of punctuation.
Put simply, Personal Shorthand is merely a method of systematically abbreviating American English.
Personal Shorthand cannot be written as fast as symbol shorthands, which a few individuals can write in excess of 200 words per minute (wpm), but learning time is drastically reduced; PS students can acquire a basic shorthand skill (50 to 60 wpm) in a single school term, compared to a year or more for symbol systems. Symbol and hybrid shorthands require students to memorize the uses of symbols and also demand extensive practice to correctly write those symbols. There is no such relearning with Personal Shorthand, which can be written cursively, printed, typed, or even used in a computer.
All Personal Shorthand theory is presented in just 10 lessons, after which review and practice can lead to writing speeds of 60 to 100 words per minute.
Authors of the contemporary version of Personal Shorthand are Carl W. Salser, C. Theo Yerian, and Mark R. Salser.
Publisher, ERA Learning/National Book Co (http://www.eralearning.com/01/ps.php)
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