Technology Tips: Foreign Keyboards

Make sure you do the GoogleDocs Tech Tip first, before you do any other tips this semester.

Many foreign languages use the Roman alphabet but with modifications, special accent marks and other diacritics that adapt the old Roman alphabet to another language. It is possible to configure your actual keyboard to type with different characters, but if you just need to occasionally type in a foreign language that uses diacritics, you might find the web-based tool, TypeIt.org to be really useful. You can also use this tool when you are in the library or a computer lab and don't have access to your specially configured keyboard at home. I use it whenever I need to type something in Polish; you will also find support there for French, German, Italian and Spanish, along with many other languages. It even contains a keyboard for Russian using the Cyrillic alphabet. If you need a Greek keyboard, check out TypeGreek.com, which was built by a former student in this class!

Here is what you need to do to complete this Tech Tip:

STEP ONE: Type something using foreign characters.  Go to TypeIt.org and choose your language. If you do not know another language that uses foreign characters, choose the foreign currencies option, which has the signs for the Euro, etc., or else choose the symbols option. If you are studying ancient Greek and prefer to use the Greek tool at TypeGreek.com, that is fine, too!

Type something that requires the use of at least one special character. Notice also that this is a great tool if you are mixing-and-matching languages in a single message; you can instantly switch to another keyboard by clicking on the list of languages to the left. 

STEP TWO: Copy and paste into an email. Next, copy and paste the text into an email and send it to me. (If you are using TypeGreek.com, you will have to use the Edit menu to copy-and-paste; the usual keyboard shortcuts do not work at that webpage.) Make sure you give your email a Subject Line that says "Tech Tip Keyboards."

When you have sent in the email, you can enter this tip on your GoogleDocs Checklist and then do the Gradebook Declaration for Extra Credit. Here is the text of the Gradebook Declaration you will complete: