touch typing- how long does it take to learn?

[elliot3]

a bit like how long is a piece of string but is it easy to learn? Any good courses you'd recommend? Can you learn online?

[southeastastra]

try this for fun

[Fimbo]

I learned at school the hard way - on a manual typewriter. The teacher used to cover up some of the keys so you couldn't look at them.

I guess its easier now as you can backspace and delete.

I still keep my fingers on the home keys though.

[sweetie66]

I did a course at night school. It was quite cheap and lasted about 8 weeks. You begin by learning where to put your fingers and then gradually moving them around. Once you have found all the keys you then start doing sentances. To be honest once you know the keys it is just a matter of practise to improve speed and accuracy. When you see how fast some PA's are you will be amazed.

[Anna8888]

I did a course for three months in my gap year - typing and shorthand for three hours a day, five days a week. I forgot the shorthand instantly despite it being much more time-consuming to learn than typing.

My sister was so horrified by my experience that she taught herself using a book to avoid being sent off like me.

I am, however, a much faster typist (and can touch type on both Qwerty and Azerty keyboards).

[calsworld]

Great mind numbing 'game' SEA, at a time when thats just what I need...rank 56 but will do some more practice - would be easier on a regular keyboard .

Jura - think I learnt on wintype too! Mum used to teach it so just got playing, then competed with my sisters.

Its all about practice - once you've learnt the basic key positions, the rest is easy in time!

[DontCallMeBaby]

Good stuff calsworld, I only got to 80 - trampolining injury is playing up, and DD is distracting me with imaginary cups of tea, would have done better otherwise

[ShowOfHands]

I used to have a crappy Mavis Beacon programme on my computer which taught me. Took a few days to get the hang of it and then it was just practice.

[AuntyVi]

Haha I learnt in a couple of weeks I think when I was at school, my mum bribed me with a tenner (that was looads of money back then!). Did it with an old typing book she had and a manual typewriter, unfortunately the book was German so had a letter where British typewriters have ";", so I had to type loads of words with ;'s in the middle. Still learnt it though and can still type pretty fast now! So I suppose the lesson is, don't spend loads of money on fancy ways of learning cos you don't need them... you can probably get a book in the library or find something online.

[hatwoman]

I learnt very basic touch-typing in an afternoon. it involved running round a room shouting out letters. not everyone's cup of tea but it worked for me. It was the only decent piece of training I ever got out of my former employers

[UglyNakedGuy]

Just MN a lot I may not do proper touch typing. But I type quickly and don't look at the keys, rarely make errors and if I do I correct straight away iyswim.

[Flibbertyjibbet]

I did it as an extra at school at lunchtimes, on old manual typewriters.
So we had weeks and weeks of it very slowly but I've never forgotten it.
Takes a lot of practice and you have to keep up the practice too - its really easy to start looking at the keys.

MN is really pissing me off tonight cos I am rattling away at my usual 80wpm and am typing faster than the letters can come on the screen.

[MarsLady]

I went to Sight and Sound years ago. Basically they covered the keys and brainwashed you into learning.

Letter flashes, letter is named, you hit key. Magic. I get confused if I look at the keys. I also know when I've made a mistake before the letter appears!

[BecauseImWorthIt]

I learnt at school, in the 6th form. We had the huge 'sit up and beg' manual typewriters, and there were no letters on the keys. At the front of the classroom there was a huge poster with the keyboard/letters on it, to encourage you to look up/away from the keyboard.

Lots of tedious exercises, typing ASDFG HJKL;
and various combinations over and over again till you learnt where the letters were.

Doesn't take long to learn this - it's building up your speed and accuracy that takes time/practice.