Stenographer Course

Lesson 1 • Equipment and Workspace Setup

Introduces the stenotype machine, software, and ergonomic workspace configuration. Proper setup prevents injury and supports long-term productivity.

Lesson 2 • Professional Roles and Work Environments

Defines stenographer roles across courts, legislatures, and corporate settings. Connects job duties to the skills taught throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • Professional Standards and Ethics

Covers confidentiality, impartiality, and accuracy obligations binding all stenographers. Students understand the ethical framework before touching the keyboard.

Lesson 1 • Home Position and Stroke Mechanics

Establishes neutral hand position and the mechanics of a clean, simultaneous chord stroke. Proper mechanics prevent repetitive strain and build speed.

Lesson 2 • Initial and Final Consonant Drills

Practices all initial and final consonant combinations through structured repetition. Drills build muscle memory for the most frequent English consonant patterns.

Lesson 3 • Vowel Combinations and Diphthongs

Covers all vowel strokes and diphthong representations unique to the stenotype system. Accurate vowel output is essential for readable transcripts.

Lesson 4 • Keyboard Layout and Finger Assignment

Maps every key to its designated finger and explains the phonetic logic of the layout. Correct assignment is the prerequisite for all speed development.

Lesson 1 • Phonetic Foundations of English

Reviews consonant and vowel phonemes as the basis for steno theory decisions. Understanding phonetics prevents guessing and accelerates dictionary building.

Lesson 2 • Suffix and Prefix Stroke Patterns

Catalogs standard suffix and prefix strokes used to extend root words efficiently. Mastery reduces stroke count and increases writing speed across all vocabulary.

Lesson 3 • Brief Forms and Phrasing Theory

Introduces abbreviated single-stroke briefs and phrasing for high-frequency word groups. Briefs are the primary mechanism for achieving professional writing speeds.

Lesson 4 • Multistroke Word Construction

Applies phonetic theory to build words requiring two or more strokes. Multistroke fluency bridges single-key drills and real-time writing speed.

Lesson 1 • Baseline Speed Assessment

Establishes each student's starting words-per-minute rate and error profile. Baseline data guides personalized practice plans throughout the chapter.

Lesson 2 • Accuracy Metrics and Error Analysis

Teaches students to calculate accuracy percentages and identify systematic error patterns. Error analysis converts mistakes into targeted practice priorities.

Lesson 3 • Certification Speed Benchmarks

Aligns practice to recognized professional speed thresholds for court and CART work. Students simulate certification test conditions to build exam readiness.

Lesson 4 • Structured Repetition Drills

Uses graduated repetition of sentences and passages to build automaticity. Repetition at controlled speeds locks in correct strokes before acceleration.

Lesson 1 • CAT Software Interface Navigation

Covers the main workspace, menus, and real-time translation display of professional CAT software. Fluent navigation is prerequisite to all editing and dictionary tasks.

Lesson 2 • Dictionary Structure and Entry Types

Explains how CAT dictionaries store stroke-to-word mappings and the types of entries available. Understanding structure enables efficient dictionary customization.

Lesson 3 • Real-Time Translation Quality Control

Monitors translation output during live writing and flags untranslates for immediate resolution. Real-time quality control reduces post-job editing time significantly.

Lesson 4 • Job Dictionary and Scopist Workflow

Creates job-specific dictionaries for specialized vocabulary and coordinates with scopists. Effective workflow integration accelerates transcript delivery.

Lesson 1 • Punctuation and Grammar Editing

Applies grammar and punctuation rules to raw steno output to produce readable text. Editing skill distinguishes a professional transcript from raw machine output.

Lesson 2 • Exhibit and Index Management

Integrates exhibit references and generates word indexes and exhibit indexes. Accurate indexing is a deliverable requirement in legal and legislative transcripts.

Lesson 3 • Speaker Identification and Q-and-A Format

Covers question-and-answer colloquy formatting and accurate speaker attribution. Correct Q-and-A format is mandatory in deposition and hearing transcripts.

Lesson 4 • Transcript Format Standards

Defines line length, margin, font, and page layout conventions required in professional transcripts. Consistent formatting signals competence to attorneys and agencies.

Lesson 1 • Technical and Engineering Terminology

Addresses technology, engineering, and patent vocabulary encountered in technical hearings. Technical terms often require custom dictionary entries built before the job.

Lesson 2 • Medical and Scientific Terminology

Introduces anatomical, pharmaceutical, and diagnostic terms encountered in medical depositions. Medical vocabulary requires phonetic decomposition for accurate stroking.

Lesson 3 • Building Subject-Specific Dictionaries

Teaches a repeatable process for researching, stroking, and loading subject dictionaries before assignments. Proactive dictionary building is a hallmark of expert reporters.

Lesson 4 • Financial and Corporate Vocabulary

Covers accounting, securities, and corporate governance terms used in business proceedings. Financial vocabulary appears frequently in arbitration and shareholder meetings.

Lesson 1 • CART and Accessibility Services

Delivers Communication Access Realtime Translation for deaf and hard-of-hearing consumers. CART requires consumer-centered display customization and communication skills.

Lesson 2 • Real-Time System Configuration

Sets up real-time output connections between the stenotype, CAT software, and display devices. Reliable configuration is the technical foundation of all real-time work.

Lesson 3 • Broadcast Captioning Fundamentals

Covers live television and streaming captioning workflows, timing, and encoder integration. Broadcast captioning adds time-code synchronization to standard real-time skills.

Lesson 4 • Managing Difficult Speaking Conditions

Develops strategies for accents, rapid speech, simultaneous speakers, and poor audio quality. Handling difficult conditions separates expert reporters from average practitioners.