Archive for Study

Touch Typing

Today with computers becoming part of our lives, all of us have to do a lot of typing. I have observed many people using the keyboard and found that the majority use only 1, 2, 3 or maximum 4 fingers to type. They also have to look at the keyboard while typing to type without mistakes.

Touch-typing is the art of typing without looking at the keyboard. When you are a touch typist you will use all your fingers to type. You will use the correct fingers to strike the correct keys. You will increase your typing speed and your productivity. You will reduce the number of typing errors. You will do all these without looking at the keyboard–that is the beauty of touch-typing. Till now, mostly stenographers, personal assistants, secretaries and other data entry operators have practiced touch-typing.

In today’s competitive world where everyone is required to work on a computer, the single finger or two finger typing will not do. Every one who uses the computer (especially the information worker who uses it for performing almost 80% of his/her tasks) needs to learn how to type correctly—i.e., learn touch-typing. Touch typists can do more work in fewer hours, giving them extra time to devote to other tasks as their typing speed will increase many times.
Touch-typing is a skill like riding a bicycle–a skill that can be learned and can be perfected and improved by practice. So once you have learned touch-typing in the correct way, the more you practice, the faster and better you get. Touch-typing will improve your productivity. As you reach higher speeds, you will be able to finish your typing tasks–composing an email, writing a letter, posting an entry in your blog, completing a class assignment or preparing a project report–in much lesser time.

When you are touch-typing, you need not look at the keyboard. This will free your mind and help you in better organizing and structuring the material that you are typing. Another advantage of touch-typing is that it frees the eyes from the keyboard.

The single, two or three finger typists are typing incorrectly–they are not using the correct fingers to tap the keys. So even if they have been typing for many years, there is a limit to which their typing speed will increase. Touch-typing is the correct way of typing where you use the correct fingers to tap the various keys.

Touch-typing has many advantages. One, once you have learned touch-typing, the more you type your typing speed will increase. Second, since you are typing in the correct method, the typing load is evenly distributed between all the fingers and so the chances of typing related injuries are less. Third, since you don’t have to look at the keyboard while typing, the eyestrain is reduced.

So by learning touch-typing, you can increase your typing efficiency. You get more time for other activities. You will also straining your fingers and eyes to a lesser degree, which reduces fatigue and tiredness. You can use the time you save to do your favorite activities.

There are many software programs that teach you touch typing like:

  1. Typing Master
  2. Typing Tutor
  3. MasterMind Typing
  4. Touch Typing Trainer
  5. KAZ Keyboard A-Z
  6. Ten Thumbs Typing Tutor

There are also free resources that help you learn touch typing:

  1. Learn2Type
  2. NimbleFingers
  3. KTouch
  4. Stamina Typing Tutor

A comprehensive list of touch typing tutors both free and shareware can be found at All Touch Typing Tutors.

Happy typing…

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