Thomas' Work Space

1. Our small group work spaces each now have a Wacom Bamboo drawing tablet installed.
2. You can use these tablets in conjunction with the Windows XP writing pad IME to input Mandarin/Kanji character strokes and receive autosuggest options you can pick you character from which make not only writing faster, but also reward you for remembering your characters, expose you to more and help you identify the correct one from a list of options.
3. Here is what the Windows XP writing pad IME and Wacom tablet looks like in action (behind the pen: our Japanese tutor).
4. Here is how to access Windows XP Japanese IME keyboard and handwriting: 
   1. Open the application you want to write in, e.g. MS Word (the language input option is specific to the current window and defaults to”English-US international”  in the LRC if you open a new window).
   2. In the taskbar, in the language toolbar section, select Japanese or Chinese or Korean.
   3. If only the language identifier is showing in the language toolbar, right-click on it and choose “Show additional icons”
   4. Select as input method for the chosen language from icon “Options” or “Tools”” , the “IME pad” / “Handwriting”
   5. Prerequisites
      1. you need to have the handwriting IME installed for Japanese or  Chinese or Korean in Control Panel / Regional and Language Options / Text Input, and East Asian language support). 
      2. For simplified Chinese, the IME Pad may not be checked to be displayed by default. Access the Tools icon menu to check it.
      3. For both simplified and traditional Chinese, if checked, the IME Pad becomes a separate top-level ion in the language bar.
      4. Some screenshots may help:

       

Last week, I noticed this student in the LRC working on a speaking assignment in her SLA class. First, she wrote a draft of her presentation. She then had the Deskbot TTS wizard (in the lower right of her screen) read out the draft to her. She recorded her version, modeling after the Deskbot’s pronunciation. Then she had the Deskbot read out the draft again, to compare with her own recording.

Look for the little guy in the lower right corner of the screen with the cartoon bubble over his head.

I favor the use of the Deskbot TTS (a Windows XP technology) as an easily accessible speaking dictionary, including during face-to-face teaching, when students may otherwise be too shy to make an utterance because they are not sure about the pronunciation of a single word, or even ask the teacher to pronounce it for them. Prosodically, the deskbot TTS leaves many things to be desired. Let’s hope that Windows 7 will enable us to set up more advanced TTS support in the LRC.

This 5-minute video shows how an actual oral exam in interpreting from French to English, using the software instructions from Part I.

Audio Source is a prerecorded mp3 file. Other sources are also possible, including live teacher microphone

Students speak during hardcoded pauses after listening to program track – insert recording without hardcoded pauses is also possible.

Clear structuring of the exam is recommended for first-timers, including adding clear audio signals in the program track when to speak and stop.

Content

0:00

teacher explains exam format (structure of audio with gaps for students to respond (here interpreting) and cue when to begin / end responding)

0:55

explanation of Sanako player volume control

1:35

students can’t believe their luck: “it is going to record automatically?” – “you do not have to do anything!” Just language (that’s the point, isn’t it?)

2:08

audio started

2:30

beep – students speak  (cut to abridge)

2:40

beep – end of student response  – beginning teacher track

3:32

beep – end of student response

4:10

beep – end of student response  – beginning teacher track

4:50

end (file collection is not show, teacher only needs to press in activity pane button “End”  and in folder name dialogue button “OK”)