LLTT Newsletter #9 - January 2024
LLTT - Issue #9 - January 2024
Welcome to all of our new subscribers this month. We're glad to have you.
As the calendar has flipped to a new year, many of us in the Teeline world find ourselves reflecting on the past year and setting some intentions for the coming months. While we often know what we should be doing, it's easy to fall into patterns that are limiting to future growth.
“If You Always Do What You've Always Done, You'll Always Get What You've Always Got.”
So amid the grand plans you may have for this year, keep in mind there is something to be said for the basics. That is the message for this month.
Drilling is not training
Once you've learned the basics of Teeline, speed building becomes part of your daily routine. After all, we embrace the process of learning shorthand to one day take down the spoken word. To get there, practice is the only way to improve.
One of the better definitions of practice is "the performance of an activity or skill so as to acquire or maintain proficiency". Isn't this an interesting way to think about it? Far from mere wordplay, shorthand is, ultimately, about performance. And to that end, it is important to realise that you cannot improve your performance unless you work on your weakness.
This, of course, will be different for everyone. You likely know the handful of things that hold you back. Do you find yourself hesitating too much during a dictation? Do you try to carry too many words in your head before ultimately dropping some out of frustration? Is the actual transcription part problematic for you? You must be able to identify what is holding you back.
And that brings us to the crux of this message: Drilling is not training.
Please don't misunderstand. Drills ARE important to your shorthand skill development. However, it's easy to fall into the trap, particularly when building speed, of believing that drills alone will get you to your destination.
There's an old joke in the shorthand world: "A drill is for boring holes. And shorthand students."
Drills, by definition, are best thought of as the performance of what you have already learned. Read that again. Drills are about performing what you have already learned.
So if you are struggling in a particular area, you should stop and think about what is giving you difficulty. Perhaps some additional revision work is required.
Don't ignore this step, for it is a crucial one. While there are other skills that allow you to focus only on your strengths, shorthand is not one of them. You must not only identify, but actively work on, your weakness. You must train yourself to properly identify your trouble spots and then set about to correct them. Otherwise, you are just drilling.
Shorthand is not a mere mechanical art. In its acquisition and its practical application it calls for the constant exercise of the intellectual powers. True, it often is practised mechanically, but those who thus practise it can never attain proficiency, which is only acquired by considerable mental as well as manual effort. The mental operations during the process of note taking are of a complicated character, the mind having to listen to one set of words while the hand is writing another, and, at the same time, to take in a sense of the whole. - Frank Harrison
Interesting Links
A curated collection of interesting links that may ignite your curiosity or broaden your horizons.
A KPI card-based dashboard using map layers for major crimes in London. Beautifully done.
Butterick's Practical Typography
Typography is the visual component of the written word. Thus, being a publisher of the written word necessarily means being a typographer.
A site that explores the art and science of pencils since 2005.
Recent updates
Outline of the Day
Discover daily doses of Teeline shorthand! We post a new card every day, featuring single Teeline outlines, groupings, and/or a concise phrase. Elevate your revision sessions through our #OOTD (Outline of the Day) hashtag series.
Blog
If you missed any of our posts over the past two months, here are some links that are worth checking out:
.jpg)
At the start of the new year - 180 word mock
Jan 30, 2024 - Jo Goodall - Two mocks in one. 180 words. 60 wpm for three minutes and then 90 wpm for two minutes.
The Tapestry of Human Expression
Jan 12, 2024 - Jo Goodall - Some dictations are more complex, and challenging, to write. However, all that is usually required is more time and attention.
Buying a Christmas Tree - Speed Development
Dec 22, 2023 - Jo Goodall - The dictated speed here is irrelevant. What is important is that you push yourself beyond your comfort zone.
Buying a Christmas Tree - 60 WPM
Dec 15, 2023 - Jo Goodall - This 60 paper focuses on Distinguishing Outlines, Special Outlines and Word Groupings you should know.
Jumble Joe Receives Overnight Fame - 100 WPM
Dec 08, 2023 - Jo Goodall - More fun with consonant - BL words, only this time at 100.
Soundcloud
As of this month, there are more than 374 graded audio dictation files available for your revision work on Soundcloud. Here are some playlists to get you started.
60 WPM
80 WPM
100 WPM
120 WPM
Thanks for reading!
Visit us at the LLTT Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Quizlet and Soundcloud.
If you have suggestions or topics you'd like to see covered in future newsletters, please contact us: https://www.letsloveteelinetogether.com/contact-us.
If you find this newsletter helpful, please forward to a Teeline friend and suggest they sign up!
A Parting Thought
"Don't Get Worried. Don't Get Stressed. Let's Love Teeline Together."
