"I found the online shorthand system a brilliant way to learn. It fits well with a busy and unpredictable working schedule, and I found to my surprise, it's actually quite fun. Of course there's no getting away from the need to put the hours of practice in. But the flexibility of the online resources makes it very easy to tap in regularly at your own convenience.

The telephone tutorials help to keep a focus and give a sense of regular progress with a real person. The encouragement I received was excellent and I found I quickly developed speed and confidence".

When Caroline Vaughan, PA to a major newspaper Production Director, missed out the start of a college shorthand course the first person she called was Angela Austin at the NUJ in Glasgow.

Assistant Organsier Angela, who is in charge of all NUJ training courses in Scotland, put her straight in touch with the online course which journalists all over the UK are signing up for.

The course - Reuters journos are among those on the books - surprised and impressed Caroline. She said "The college courses had already started and the NUJ opened the door for me to get started immediately online. Elaine Galloway, my tutor, is so helpful and full of praise and encouragement."

"I talk to her by phone every week and every student can go at his or her own pace. I'm actually enjoying it and learning at the same time."

"In general, I thought it was very good. I was surprised how easy it was to learn outside of the classroom setting and the resources you have set up are really amazing. I also felt the flexibility to rearrange classes was very valuable ..."

"The course was perfect for a busy working person who likes individual instruction and the ability to progress at one's own pace. The web-based resources added enormous value to a well-organised programme ..."

"I really did like the way you set up and ran the course and am enjoying the use of the web resources immensely!..."

"This is a very exciting way of learning!"

"Elaine Galloway has broken new ground in the training of shorthand. The journalism trainers at Reuters were searching for a way to teach shorthand worldwide, in remote locations and across different timezones... foreign correspondents simply cannot be at one place at a specific time - news wrecks all timetables."

"In the profession of journalism, many believed shorthand distance learning was not possible; Elaine proved it could be done."

"I needed to take a refresher course in Teeline shorthand and investigated the options, but needed something that fitted into my working life. I didn't want to sign up for a traditional college course that involved sitting at a desk every week, but surprisingly, this is what some business shorthand courses still expect students to do.

"Elaine Galloway's method of teaching shorthand wins hands down over others, and is brilliantly designed to fit today's business world. Because of the way Elaine cleverly combines the use of the internet, telephone and textbooks as learning tools, students can study absolutely anywhere and at any time, without getting bored. Her method is fun and flexible, and - most importantly - it works."

"I, like many others, didn't manage to reach the 100wpm benchmark needed during my 20 week NCTJ course. In my case, this was due to shear bone idleness."

"There was little chance I was going to be able to pass the 100wpm test off my own back. So, when I heard about Elaine's course, I gave her a call and decided to give it a go. I'm very glad I did too, because it proved to be remarkably effective. By using the broad range of teaching methods on offer on the internet-based course, I passed the 100wpm NCTJ exam in an external test at my company's head office within 10 weeks."

"When I first enrolled on the course, the first teaching tool that grabbed me was the time trial games, in which you have to identify the shorthand outline in as short a time as possible. I also printed out all the worksheets, which are clear and well set out. But probably the most effective tools are the masses of online timed speeches and Elaine's tutorials over the phone on a weekly basis, or more often if required. She was fantastic at communicating exactly what needed to be done to improve my shorthand speed."

"All in all, it is a well set-out package which should get the most hopeless shorthand case up to speed pretty quickly."

"The great thing about OnlineShorthand.com is that it is extremely flexible. You learn when you want to learn. As a broadcast journalist working in a 24-hour news environment, any course that ties me into fixed times or locations is a non-starter.

Having all the resources you need to develop your Teeline skills located on the web is a fantastic idea. It means that you can study whenever and wherever you want - ideal if you are out and about.

The audio files for practicing dictation passages means there is no need to lumber around cassettes or walkmans. It is literally a case of click-and-go. I have been able to access the resources over the web from Spain and Italy without any problems whatsoever.

The tutorials with my personal tutor allowed me to ask questions about parts of the theory that were not clear and gave me confidence that I was making progress and that all my efforts were paying off.

In short, the course is fun, flexible and ideally tailored to the needs and work requirements of a journalist."

"I first learned Teeline Shorthand 17 years ago but was never really happy taking down notes at speed. As a result, my shorthand fell into decline. After beginning lessons with OnlineShorthand.com in March I reached a speed of 70 wpm with 98 per cent accuracy within 3 months.

This has been achieved whilst I was travelling around the UK, accessing the website from my laptop and having regular tutorials with my personal tutor.

The website is well put together. My tutor was exceptionally good, full of practical advice and encouragement. The dictation passages were the biggest help in building speed. It was like having a shorthand tutor on call 24 hours a day. I have now regained my confidence with shorthand and feel that a real breakthrough has been made. Would happily recommend onlineshorthand.com to any trainee journalist - and the not so young ones whose shorthand is not as good as it should be."

"After a year of working away at shorthand (Teeline Revised Version from tapes and the text book) on site at a well known training institution, I was not getting anywhere.

There was no shorthand tutor directly available or even contactable by phone; one had to make an appointment for a meeting which then occurred a fortnight or so later. One was entitled to such meetings. I had one meeting, that person I met with had some knowledge of shorthand, but not any great interest or, as far as I was concerned, any particular understanding of what it takes to teach oneself shorthand.

So self discipline and motivation were key factors here; but, often, under pressure of work (I edit a fortnightly insurance publication), I would often miss scheduled sessions for weeks on end.

One was not allowed to take home the course work or dictation tapes. Then it would take another week to get myself back to the level where I had left off. But with OnlineShorthand.com, the coursework, dictation passages, time trials and other drills are always available online at home or at work. And the course is highly structured; so one always knows what to do next and for how long."

Then there are the weekly tutorial sessions with my personal tutor (who is steeped in the cultures and histories of both Pitman's and Teeline shorthand) to assess progress. These sessions, despite my tutor's gentle approach, can be quite sobering but there is nothing like these tutorials for strengthening resolve and focusing the mind. But importantly, my tutor is always only an email or telephone call away and always ready with gentle encouragement, advice or alternative strategies to rise above a plateau.

I have just passed my 80 wpm with distinction and I am now working towards 100 wpm."

"When I first started learning shorthand I attended set weekly classes.

I would finish work at 5pm and travel 30 miles to attend my lesson, quite often not returning home until 9pm.

Since I started the Online Shorthand course, studying has been much easier, more flexible and ideal for a working person.

One of the great benefits is having all the tools available at the touch of a button and being able to access dictations without the need of a tape recorder.

Under Elaine Galloway's tutorials my shorthand has improved quickly and has put me on target to reach my goal of 100 words per minute.

I would recommend the course to anyone wanting to learn shorthand."

"I was blown away by your system ..."

"I first heard about OnlineShorthand.com through the National Union of Journalists. I had taught myself the theory of Teeline shorthand from a book, but I wanted to do a course that would help me build up my speed. Under Elaine Galloway's direction I succeeded in improving my speed from 60 to 100 words per minute".

"The great advantage of the internet-based course was that I did not have to attend set classes, but could access the website and arrange tutorials at times that suited me. This was particularly helpful because I work full time in a demanding role as a broadcast journalist. I would happily recommend OnlineShorthand.com to anyone else who wants to learn shorthand or develop their speed".

"The online shorthand resources were a useful addition to our face-to-face sessions. The time trials were especially popular with the students, many of whom were very eager to compete against each other so that they could climb their way up to the top of the leader board. The site was easy to navigate and there was a good variety of activities".

"Thanks again for all your help as I feel I've made more progress since starting your online course than I had done in the previous six months! ... I'm pleased I've managed to nudge my way into the top of some of the time trials!"

"In my opinion OnlineShorthand.com offers an unbeatable service.

If it had not been for the website and the support provided by my personal tutor I am certain I would not yet have been anywhere near achieving my goal of 100 wpm.

As it is, in 15 weeks I went from 70 wpm to over 100 wpm and passed my exam with confidence.

The website is comprehensive, easy to use and provides much more than just pieces of dictation.

For me the Time Trials, e-Pen and Virtual Notebook not only provided added stimulation but also helped increase the speed with which I learned outlines and began to write faster.

Probably the most important aspect of the course was that there were no set times I had to be online.

I could log on for 20 minutes in my lunch break, do an hours shorthand after coming back late in the evening from a council meeting or even get up that bit earlier and ensure that I did my practice for the day.

With any distance learning there is always a greater degree of self-motivation needed than when sitting in a classroom but my tutor was always on the other end of the phone or contactable by e-mail when I needed her.

By following the scheme of work set out at my induction I was able to progress quickly and steadily and with regular feedback on my transcriptions I was able to rectify any errors before they became ingrained.

The ability to move up a speed as soon as I felt ready with just the click of a mouse was also invaluable as it meant I could push myself that little bit more."

"... I passed the 80 with distinction!! Woohoo!! ... Thank you for all your help getting me there!"

"The OnlineShorthand.com course took me from zero shorthand to 70 wpm - and still going - while working in a busy evening paper. I now use Teeline on a day-to-day basis whereas before I was struggling to make sense of scribbled longhand.

The teaching methods are varied and I was surprised how quickly I picked up the theory and began to build up speed. As an online hack I found the resources particularly handy and I had access to them whenever I needed.

My online tutor was also very understanding with my personal circumstances and in my case extended the time of the course to allow me to catch up and continue learning.

I would recommend the course to anyone who needs to learn shorthand while working in the industry; it's the ideal way to fit the study into your everyday life and the tutor's enthusiasm helps keep you committed."

" ... Online Shorthand was both enjoyable and rewarding. I managed to complete 2 semesters of work in 1 as I enjoyed it so much. You can do as little or as much as you like at a pace which suits you. I would definitely recommend it to anyone wishing to learn shorthand."

... yesterday at the Old Bailey, my shorthand was put to the test in a very public manner. We were all sitting in the press benches at a pre-trial hearing when the judge asked for a shorthand note to be taken about an order she had given. She asked specifically if there was anyone here from my newspaper and I was forced to put my hand up and she then proceeded to tell me what to write. There's no way I would have managed it a year ago ..."