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How to resolve “WinAlign export files cannot be migrated because your User ID has not been specified”

2013/03/28 Leave a comment
  1. Steps to replicate:
    1. in Winalign window:
      1. menu:file / export file pair
      2. dialogue: “export file pair to file”, choose an name and format: text,
      3. wait for “export”dialogue to disappear;
    2. in SDL Trados Studio 2009,
      1. left menu pane: “translation memories”, menu button”:”open translation memories”,dialogue:”menu button: “open document”, choose the source text document, in dialogue:”open document”, dropdown: “target language”,
      2. dropdown: “target language”,  select yours
      3. dropdown”: add”: “file-based translation memory”
      4. open dialogue:”file-based translation memory”, select exported text file;
    3. Error pops up:  image
  2. Resolution: follow the instructions in the error dialogue.
    1. Bonus points for knowing that “translator’s workbench” is a legacy application and accessible only through SDL Trados Studio 2007: open this from the start menu.
    2. In the left pane, click to open “Translator’s workbench”:  image
    3. Give your username: image
  3. Test: on your next try, you will get past the error into upgrade converting your winalign-exported text file into TMX:20130328_163935
Categories: audience-is-students, audience-is-teachers, e-languages, Glitches&Errors, service-is-testing-troubleshooting-debugging, Translation, translation-software Tags: , , , ,

How to prevent squealing noise on the brown headphones AKA audio feedback

2013/03/13 Leave a comment
  1. Symptom:high-pitched squealing sound, usually when logged into the computers along the  wall (listening stations –other computers have different black headsets which are not as prone to this problem,) and not wearing the headset.
  2. Short answer: LRC Assistants will let the student who causes the squealing noise know:
    1. ”Turn the volume knob on the brown headset down!”
    2. “You can turn it back up once you have put the headset on”.
  3. Explanation:
    1. The brown (analog) headsets on the listening stations exhibit this squealing noise  when
      1. the students do not wear the headset
      2. AND the microphone is too close to the headphone speakers
      3. AND the headphone volumne knob is turned up to high.
    2. This phenomenon is called an (audio) feedback loop:
      1. The headphone speakers echo what is spoken into the microphone (this is called sidetone).
      2. This is an important language learning feature (helps you control your pronunciation).
      3. However, it spirals out of control when students do not wear the headset. They also need to “wear the headset!” (general recommendation in the language lab) to have the benefit of the sidetone (and then their head insulates between speakers and microphones).
Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, audience-is-students, digital-audio-lab, Glitches&Errors, Listening-Stations Tags: , ,

How a teacher can organize a student-controlled high-stakes assessment recording session using the Sanako in the LRC

2013/03/12 Leave a comment
  1. How:
    1. An initial central microphone and speaker test (animated step-by-step) is recommended. Clear the session afterwards.
    2. Recording: Have the student operate the Sanako recorder to individually record (like during a self-access assignment)
      1. For starters, teacher can display this narrated individual recordings with the Sanako Student Recorder training screencast, it auto-starts and auto-cycles):
      2. And/or explain:
        1. Red Record Button to record;
        2. Blue Stop button to stop recording
        3. Green Play Button to play their assignment for review (also use the recap button to jump back)
        4. Menu: “File / New”, if they want to redo the assignment.
        5. Button: call/envelope to call the teacher on the teacher station for help (an audio connection between student and teacher should pause  the recorder automatically)
    3. Submitting:
      1. Individually by students:
        1. Menu “File” / “Save” (opt to save as student track mp3), to save locally, once student is happy to submit.
        2. (recommended:) upload the save file to a Moodle single-file upload assignment. Requires the teacher to create a Moodle Single file upload assignment, with optional attached file first.
      2. From the Sanako tutor at the teacher station:
        1. For entire class (If you do not need the flexibility to have students end at different times). TBA
        2. Group-wise (varying (staggered) recording times):  TBA
  2. Pro’s:
    1. Less distraction from language learning by having to operate technology (editing audio rather then practicing L2) and more language-learning-specific features (sidetone, recap) than if using Audacity.
    2. Works with the Sanako Study 1200 teacher stations (e.g. automatic pause of recorder when remote connecting to student during monitoring of recording task).
  3. Con’s:
    1. noise interference with dozens of student speaking in a confined space simultaneously. Nobody wants to return to the language lab station of yore, i.e. in a cubicle. However, a teacher-controlled oral exam (sample video, step-by-step video),
      1. can play a soothing background sound to students over the headphones which insulates them from their neighbors (prevents both distraction and cheating);
      2. there is no room  for distracting unrelated chit-chat;
      3. there is no need for distracting conversation when  students do technical troubleshooting, during highly structured question/response exams.
    2. More user flexibility/control  is achieved by more individual distracting operation of computer technology, which always implies more opportunity for user error. To reduce (not eliminate!) the error ratio:
      1. Students
        1. have to have received the general digital audio lab introduction for students.
        2. have to double-check their recordings for quality before submitting.
      2. Teachers
        1. have to monitor students’ recording progress closely
          1. which the Sanako Study 1200 teacher station (link cannot replace hands-on training) greatly facilitates (provided Students use  the Sanako Student Recorder, as described above).
          2. however, even with a classroom management system like Sanako Study 1200, it is impossible to completely monitor a class size of students operating computers. Therefore teachers
        2. have to check the validity of submissions before students leave.
          1. If you use submission through Moodle, here are 2 tips how to do this quicker:
            1. how to quickly download their Moodle file submissions
          2. Whether you use submission through Moodle or collection through Sanako tutor:
            1. view end of this video for how to quickly check validity of all file submissions in a folder using Audacity
          3. are advised to have a make-up assessment plan not only for those students missing the exam, but also for those that miss to complete the computerized multimedia assessment correctly.
Categories: audience-is-students, audience-is-teachers, digital-audio-lab, documentation, lms, multimedia-recording, Presenter-Computer, step-by-step-guides, Student-Computers, training Tags: , , ,

General digital audio lab introduction for student users of the LRC

2013/03/02 Leave a comment
  1. The LRC has been upgraded from use of  solely Audacity to a digital audio lab and classroom management system geared towards language learning, and teaching. The Sanako Study 1200 is a professional software suite that includes a remote-controlled dual track audio recorder with many specialized features not found in OSS audio editors and simple free web-based recorders.  It successful use, even by so-called “digital natives”,  requires, for lack of exposure, training .
  2. Archived online versions of overview training (for your review; sorry: viewing is NOT equivalent to taking the training) were published here when the Sanako was first set up:
    1. Recorded LRC Director overview training screencast
    2. Student interface overview and summary
  3. Specific tasks:
    1. How student downloads, edits and submits files sent from the teacher with Sanako Study 1200 Homework –the ultimate training summary….
    2. How students can do voice insert recordings with Sanako Study 1200 student recorder – the ultimate training summary…
    3. More student task training videos are being added continuously as time permits, check back at this link: Sanako step-by-step training videos for students.
  4. Sorry, we have no self-study online tests to check learning outcomes in digital audio lab proficiency. However, we offer interactive live trainings for classes.
Categories: animated-GIFs, audience-is-students, digital-audio-lab, screenshot-albums, training Tags:

Web-based Greek to Roman characters transliteration using Greeklish

2013/02/28 Leave a comment

image

http://speech.ilsp.gr/greeklish/, 255 characters max. Or 5000 max at http://services.innoetics.com/greeklish/:

image

 

Categories: audience-is-students, Greek (modern), Reading, Speaking, websites, Writing Tags: ,

Bab.la.com: Arabic–English Online Dictionary

2013/02/27 Leave a comment

Bab.la features:  easy lookup (1,2,3), and for each lemma: grammar information (4), synonyms (5, with lookup (6)), usage samples (7), pronunciation help (8: audio, but not IPA), reverse lookup (9).

image

And an example for the reverse lookup: image.

In short, this is a real dictionary, unlike Google Translate, which is amazing in itself, but often misused  by language learners. Unlike Google Translate, Bab.la helps with lookup by Arabic letter, but does not come with a phonetic transliteration to make it usable with a Roman letters keyboard. Fortunately, the LRC features to phonetic transliterators integrated into Windows: MS-Maren and Google Arabic Input.

Categories: Arabic, audience-is-students, audience-is-teachers, Dictionaries, English, Speaking, websites, Writing Tags:

Which browser and operating system we could get which Moodle Kaltura webcam assignments to work in

2013/02/14 Leave a comment

Below please find our current (work in progress) test matrix. Use one of the combinations that worked (“YES”) to avoid problems when taking or grading webcam assignments (or come to the LRC where we set up a working combination). You can view your version of the Kaltura video player and of Adobe Flash by right-clicking on the Kaltura video window.

Categories: audience-is-students, audience-is-teachers, lms, multimedia-recording Tags: , , , , , , ,

How to record your voice with Vocaroo.com

2013/02/07 Leave a comment
  1. Click the red record button:
  2. image
  3. IMPORTANT: You have to allow the web app access to your microphone (you would not want webpages  be able to record you without having been asked for permission, would you?): CAM01633
  4. And/or Click “allow” on this screen:
  5. image
  6. Speak, when done, click the square stop button:
  7. image
  8. Click the triangle to listen to your recording (if you do not see the triangle, but a warning at the bottom, have you clicked “allow ” in step 3 above? If you are not sure, press “F5” now to refresh the page, that will bring up the dialogue again for you press “allow ”):
  9. image
  10. Listen:image
  11. “Save”.
Categories: audience-is-students, multimedia-recording, Speaking, websites Tags: ,