| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: Have you ever studied to improve your typing skills? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Rebecca Garber 
Local time: 00:02
Member (2005)
German to English
+ ...
I'm self taught, which was ok until I found typer shark. Now I am much, much faster.
I have done transcriptions of manuscripts in various languages, which is excellent practice for touch typing. It also creates the multistroke patterns for different languages.
My husband, who is an engineer, took typing in high school. He claims it is the most valuable class he ever took, because he has to write a lot. Anyone can do math, according to him, but only people who can type fast eno... See more I'm self taught, which was ok until I found typer shark. Now I am much, much faster.
I have done transcriptions of manuscripts in various languages, which is excellent practice for touch typing. It also creates the multistroke patterns for different languages.
My husband, who is an engineer, took typing in high school. He claims it is the most valuable class he ever took, because he has to write a lot. Anyone can do math, according to him, but only people who can type fast enough and express themselves well will succeed in engineering.
I format anything he needs beyond the basics, because I'm faster. He checks any math that shows up in my patent translations. It's a lovely relationship. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | In high school | Jan 13, 2016 |
It was a mandatory course in grade 9. At that time we had manual typewriters.
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Yetta J Bogarde wrote:
and by the way, voice recognition is not available in my language.
Not surprising for a language even humans don't understand...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix852eFDhMA
| | | | | Optional typing class in high school | Jan 13, 2016 |
It was tedious learning but very useful. The teacher was very strict and we had to type with our hands under a piece of paper taped over the keyboard so we wouldn't cheat and look. I got good at it and now I find it relaxing. I even placed 5th in a state competition!
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Noura Tawil
Syria
Local time: 08:02
Member (2013)
English to Arabic
| A love story | Jan 13, 2016 |
It's a love story. I was in love, with an author's writings!
I was a budding writer myself. And every week I would anticipate her column in the local newspaper of Latakia, I also bought and read her publications (novels and short stories), and attended some of her literary evenings.
At the age of 17 I decided to make her a hand-made book as a gesture of appreciation, containing all of the columns she wrote within a year, with brief comments and simple designs in each p... See more It's a love story. I was in love, with an author's writings!
I was a budding writer myself. And every week I would anticipate her column in the local newspaper of Latakia, I also bought and read her publications (novels and short stories), and attended some of her literary evenings.
At the age of 17 I decided to make her a hand-made book as a gesture of appreciation, containing all of the columns she wrote within a year, with brief comments and simple designs in each page.
So I grabbed "Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing", a CD that my dad bought, and started practicing. Later, I went on typing the writer's columns and designing the book. This was an excellent practice to employ what I had learned.
Within a few months I was touch typing at around 50 words/min at an excellent accuracy.
What was meant as an act of love is today a much appreciated productivity 'tool' for me, since I can go on typing and editing my translation without taking my sight off my screen. So I can stay focused while thinking.
I never printed that hand-made book.
[Edited at 2016-01-14 08:33 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 06:02
French to English
In my first "proper" job I was teaching in a language school run by a geek who had produced software to teach touch typing. I decided to learn since the machines were right there and I could just use one that was free in between lessons.
It was a brilliant move, because the boss noticed and started giving me stuff to type up, then he asked me to help improve the software and adapt it for other keyboards. I then went on to work on methods to teach English on a computer. This was bac... See more In my first "proper" job I was teaching in a language school run by a geek who had produced software to teach touch typing. I decided to learn since the machines were right there and I could just use one that was free in between lessons.
It was a brilliant move, because the boss noticed and started giving me stuff to type up, then he asked me to help improve the software and adapt it for other keyboards. I then went on to work on methods to teach English on a computer. This was back in the 80s so we were total pioneers, it was the most exciting job I've ever had (and best paid). Pity the company went bankrupt.
Anyway the typing course has continued to prove useful over the years, but I see my daughter can type just as fast as me simply because she has used a computer since the age of about nine. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 00:02
English to Spanish
+ ...
| Typewriters rule! | Jan 13, 2016 |
Typewriting was part of my business high school curriculum, from freshman to 3rd year, twice a week. I loved it. Then again, I was a type nerd without knowing it.
Our typewriters, back in 1976, were pretty old and heavy. Out of the 20 or 30 typewriters laid out for us, only two were pretty modern Olivettis. If you came in earlier than the other kids, you could get your pick. It was murder.
One of the few smart things my father did back then was give me a typewriter as a... See more Typewriting was part of my business high school curriculum, from freshman to 3rd year, twice a week. I loved it. Then again, I was a type nerd without knowing it.
Our typewriters, back in 1976, were pretty old and heavy. Out of the 20 or 30 typewriters laid out for us, only two were pretty modern Olivettis. If you came in earlier than the other kids, you could get your pick. It was murder.
One of the few smart things my father did back then was give me a typewriter as a birthday present. Boy, did I use that thing for years!
I wasn't too confident in my typing skills until much later. Touch typing became so natural, I'm doing it right now! My average touch typing speed is about 70-80 wpm. And I love typewriters, they are the closest thing to handwriting as far as machines go.
In fact, I have a candy red IBM Selectric III typewriter (the one with the golfballs) on a desk behind me. Yes, I do use it. ▲ Collapse
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I learned to touch type for fun when I was 18 or 19 years old and had no idea that I would become a translator. It came in handy later.
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Andy Watkinson
Spain
Local time: 06:02
Member
Catalan to English
+ ...
Alison Sabedoria wrote:
I've learned to type reasonably well, though speed doesn't matter to me that much as I can't see the need to type faster than I can think.
Intrigued by this, I took a couple of online tests to calibrate my typing speed, accuracy etc... and the initial results suggested I should be nowhere near a keyboard.
Subsequent tests revealed that I was in fact a good deal better and actually typed a mediocre 38 words/minute.
Then I did a simple calculation.
If I can type 38 words/min. and do so over the course of one hour (mind you, an hour of only 45 minutes, to account for time spent staring at the ceiling, patting/stroking pets/fumbling with that thingy that's stopped working, etc.) I could easily polish off 1,710 words per hour.
Do any of us claim to translate c. 1,700 words an hour?
OK. Typing skills make it easier. And it's a bleedin' nuisance having to go back and retype words. But it's no big deal.
Alison said it all: "...I can't see the need to type faster than I can think.
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Parrot wrote:
One of a working mom's ideas of a summer programme.
I cheated - couldn't help looking at the keyboard. But on the whole I passed. The following summers were more entertaining.
The classroom monitor got a lot of raised eyebrows - everyone else in the class was in college. "She's the librarian's daughter", she'd explain.
Are we sisters?
Do we have the same mom?
I started I think at 8 or 9, and then from 14 to 17 I went to typing classes 3 times a week....
I went to an Institute... and I was one of the youngest among all those girls studying to be secretaries...
I could NOT look at the keyboard as many of the typewriters had blank keys... on purpose....
We raced against each other and against the clock...
I went to so many classes during vacations (ballet, social etiquette, typing, drawing, math) ...
Well I am a single child so my divorced mom found ways of keeping me busy. (Puzzles was another vacation activity)
Thank you for the question... it brought nice memories
Happy Translating!
[Edited at 2016-01-14 02:26 GMT]
| | | | Andy Watkinson
Spain
Local time: 06:02
Member
Catalan to English
+ ...
[quote]Andy Watkinson wrote:
Alison Sabedoria wrote:
I've learned to type reasonably well, though speed doesn't matter to me that much as I can't see the need to type faster than I can think.
Intrigued by this, I took a couple of online tests to calibrate my typing speed, accuracy etc... and the initial results suggested I should be nowhere near a keyboard.
Subsequent tests revealed that I was in fact a good deal better and actually typed a mediocre 38 words/minute.
Then I did a simple calculation.
If I can type 38 words/min. and do so over the course of one hour (mind you, an hour of only 45 minutes, to account for time spent staring at the ceiling, patting/stroking pets/fumbling with that thingy that's stopped working, etc.) I could easily polish off 1,710 words per hour.
Do any of us claim to translate c. 1,700 words an hour?
OK. Typing skills make it easier. And it's a bleedin' nuisance having to go back and retype words. But it's no big deal.
Alison said it all: "...I can't see the need to type faster than I can think."
| | | | | In highschool | Jan 14, 2016 |
During my highschool (Gymnasiet) years, we had a short typing class. It was great and interactive, on the computer, and the computers saved the score of best user. Another class mate dared compete with me - and as eager teenagers we went beating the records in each computer in the data room. As a result I ended up typing 6 characters per second and the whole alphabet in 2.2 seconds. I honestly doubt I type so fast today, but it was a great background to translate later! ... See more During my highschool (Gymnasiet) years, we had a short typing class. It was great and interactive, on the computer, and the computers saved the score of best user. Another class mate dared compete with me - and as eager teenagers we went beating the records in each computer in the data room. As a result I ended up typing 6 characters per second and the whole alphabet in 2.2 seconds. I honestly doubt I type so fast today, but it was a great background to translate later! ▲ Collapse
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Pascale Pluton
Netherlands
Local time: 06:02
Member (2005)
English to French
+ ...
| as part of secretary course | Jan 14, 2016 |
I first studied to be a secretary and typing was part of the course.
My first job was as a typist with Word-Perfect and I was trained to use the shortcut keys as rapidity was paramount.
I do not regret this background and take advantage of it every day as a translator.
I recently tried voice recognition but I found out that it was a completely different approach of translating than the one I am used to while typing.
So I guess, I will have to put some more ... See more I first studied to be a secretary and typing was part of the course.
My first job was as a typist with Word-Perfect and I was trained to use the shortcut keys as rapidity was paramount.
I do not regret this background and take advantage of it every day as a translator.
I recently tried voice recognition but I found out that it was a completely different approach of translating than the one I am used to while typing.
So I guess, I will have to put some more time and efforts in getting the hang of it to integrate it in Trados and improve my speed. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Muriel Vasconcellos (X)
United States
Local time: 21:02
Spanish to English
+ ...
I taught myself in junior high school by putting adhesive tape on the keys. Later, my mother insisted that I get some practical training before I got married, so I trained as a bilingual secretary at the Latin American Institute in New York City. We used to wear hats, gloves, and stockings to class.
I built up my speed in school. We couldn't graduate unless we could type 120 wpm with only 3 typos in both English and Spanish.
It was in secretarial school that I started t... See more I taught myself in junior high school by putting adhesive tape on the keys. Later, my mother insisted that I get some practical training before I got married, so I trained as a bilingual secretary at the Latin American Institute in New York City. We used to wear hats, gloves, and stockings to class.
I built up my speed in school. We couldn't graduate unless we could type 120 wpm with only 3 typos in both English and Spanish.
It was in secretarial school that I started to study Portuguese and fell in love with the language. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 02:02
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
When I was 16-18, this was a common course most people wanted to do, believe it or not. And I had to learn it in mechanical typewriters. Then we moved to electric ones, and later to thos wonderful machines that had amazing fuctions like memorizing a line and then centralizing it, or even erasing the last character! Incredible!!
Nowadays, if you even mention such a course, people will laugh at you, but it is very, very rare to see a person who can actually type correctly and use all ... See more When I was 16-18, this was a common course most people wanted to do, believe it or not. And I had to learn it in mechanical typewriters. Then we moved to electric ones, and later to thos wonderful machines that had amazing fuctions like memorizing a line and then centralizing it, or even erasing the last character! Incredible!!
Nowadays, if you even mention such a course, people will laugh at you, but it is very, very rare to see a person who can actually type correctly and use all their fingers for it. ▲ Collapse
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