shorthand question

[TheGoofster]

I was wondering if anybody who is familiar with shorthand could answer a question for me.
We live here in Mexico City, and one of the ladies who goes to our church has offered to teach me son how to write in shorthand. My son is very ambitious and loves to learn as many new things as possible. We did have a question, though. Does anyone know if Spanish shorthand (this is what he will be learning) is the same as English shorthand? I know there are a few different kinds of shorthand, but we really don't know much about it.
If he learns shorthand here, would he be able to adapt it easily to English shorthand if it is different?
For example, a good friend of mine who was fluent in sign language in the states was able to adapt to Spanish sign language very quickly. He said it was a little different, but close enough to be adaptable. Would shorthand be the same way?
Any info about shorthand would be greatly appreciated.

 

[DrCavin]

Does anyone even use shorthand anymore??

 

[NikitaZee]

I think it would be easily adaptable. Shorthand is just quick symbols for letters, like the word 'me' is a long dash for the 'm', with a circle at the end for the 'e'. I imagine that the symbols are universal for each letter - it would just be the spelling that would change.

 

[KAMLEM]

Does anyone even use shorthand anymore??

That was my question. I would think that there are many alternatives nowadays.

 

[cybrkitn]

That was my question. I would think that there are many alternatives nowadays.

I don't know if Greg or Pitman are being used anymore. Speedwriting, however, is. But that is based on the English language and has some phonetics to it. This is what I learned in business school/college.

 

[onyx8]

Doesn't one just use shorthand for notes that they are going to transcribe later anyway? Therefore, he could take his shorthand notes in Spanish and just translate them into English if he so desired.

 

[Art 1]

Spanish short hand is different than English. My wife has been taught both and proficient at each. Just last week a very old and dear friend of ours asked her to take some notes for him in shorthand, he is on his death bed and he wanted to give his life's story. He told it in English and took it in Spanish shorthand
and copied it into English for him.

So to answer your question, they are different.

 

[TheGoofster]

Spanish short hand is different than English. My wife has been taught both and proficient at each. Just last week a very old and dear friend of ours asked her to take some notes for him in shorthand, he is on his death bed and he wanted to give his life's story. He told it in English and took it in Spanish shorthand
and copied it into English for him.

So to answer your question, they are different.

Thanks for your answer! Would it be possible to ask just how different they are? Is there some similarities, or is it just like learning a completely different language?

As to why he is learning it, even though it isn't all that used anymore, he just wants to, because he loves to learn new things. It's possible that he might never really use it that much, be he loves the challenge of it.
He must get that from his mother.

 

[momof1princess]

i went to business college in 1992-1993, and shorthand was obsolete by then. we were taught a system called "superwrite", which was basically shortened words. i didn't use it much once i started working, to be honest; most everything was machine dictation. however, if it's something your son is eager to learn, i don't see the harm. i would never discourage a child's enthusiasm for learning.