How hard is it to learn shorthand?

The basics of Pitman's Shorthand can be learned in three months if you work through your instruction book and practise regularly. Teeline is simpler so may be quicker to learn. Shorthand learning needs a different approach than school work, as you are aiming to be able to write it without thinking, like you do in longhand. This is why practising is essential for success and for increasing speed and accuracy. Working through the book quickly helps to maintain interest and motivation, and overcomes the unfamiliarity when learning a new subject.