A SURVEY OF THE IMPACT OF HIGH RATE OF FAILURES IN SHORTHAND IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SECRETARIAL STUDIES, BENUE STATE POLYTECNIC, UGBOKOLO

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1            BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Shorthand is any brief, rapid method of writing that is used in recording the spoken word.

          Samalia (1973) define shorthand as a method of writing rapidly by substituting characters, abbreviations, or symbols for letters, words or phrases.

          These method of writing have been invented and used during ancient and modern times,  by different great men and countries with many system, but the first commercially used phonetic system of shorthand was invented by Sir Isaac Pitman, whose shorthand manual was first published in 1837, to date, it is the most prevalent system in English speaking world outside the united states.  Sir Isaac Pitman used some signs that had been employed by others, what he did was original and important was to organize the principles for using the signs into a dependable system by which all words heard could be written.

          Today, in some industrial nations, shorthand is used in business industry and in some profession to facilitate business transactions.  Historians date the beginning of shorthand with the Greek.  Historian xenophone, who used an ancient Greek system to write the memoirs of Socrates.

          In the fourth century B.C, Marcus Tillius Tiro, a secretary to the Roman Orator cecero, invented a shorthand system called Tironian.  According to Stoddard and scatter good (1983), the time that Tiro invented his system was quite clear and some people were as far as to say that he stole a system used in Greece.  However, most people agree that Tiro’s notes were the first organized system that enable a writer to take down notes as fast as the were said.

          Although shorthand writing has undergone many modifications since its invention.  The Grreg and Pitman methods are the best known systems using symbols.  About 1913, shorthand written by machine was introduced and Greg simplified version of shorthand written by machine was introduced in 1949 Crevised in 1963 and in the latter part of 20th century, the use of shorthand machines became widespread.