Scoping Made Affordable (SMA)
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This will teach you how the steno language works. It includes four sections breaking
down the steno language by phonetic sounds. Each chapter includes an introduction
to five or more sounds. They also include briefs and phrases to become familiar
with. Briefs and phrases are strokes that court reporters use to combine easily into
words or phrases that are used frequently throughout a transcript.
Each phonetic sound is introduced to you, with sample words as needed to
understand that sound. Then you will be given several steno words to practice your
readability of those words. I found it very beneficial to write these words out and then
also write them out in the steno letters so that I was accustomed to going both
directions with my understanding of it.
Learning the steno language with its fixed positions on the stenographer’s keyboard
will enable you to be able to fluently read this language. Many legal terms are
incorporated into this learning process.
There will be quizzes given to you every few sections to show you how well you are
mastering your new language skill. If you get stuck with something, please let Devon
know, and she’ll be happy to help you out.
Learning and mastering the steno language is essential to most scoping work
because it helps one in making dictionary entries, which is the backbone of the CAT
programs we use.