 Welcome to LanguageNow! Version 7!

If you're upgrading from an older version of LanguageNow!, you'll find that Version 7 has some exciting new features to make your language learning even more successful and enjoyable. This What's New file will help users of previous versions adjust to the new version.

Click on a topic below to learn more about Version 7.

 New Features - What's been added to the new version.

 Old Features - Where to find your old favorites.

 Conversion Features - How to use old Titles, etc. in Version 7.

When you're ready to try out Version 7, close this Help file, and follow the instructions in your printed documentation to launch the program.


New Features

The following new features were added to Version 6 to produce Version 7. See the LanguageNow! on-line Help for details on how to use these features.

Linking to Vocabulary Master

Video Unscramble

High Scores Charts

Import and Export Features

Keyboard Palettes

Improved Conversation Practice

Improved Main Screen

If you're upgrading from Version 5, the following features will also be new to you:

Pronunciation Scoring Graphs

Sentence Dictation

Improved Menus

Navigation and Mode Buttons

New User Interface

If you're upgrading from Version 4 or earlier, many of the items listed under Old Features may be new to you as well.

See Also:

Old Features - Where to find your old favorites.

Conversion Features - How to use old Titles, etc. in Version 7.


Video Unscramble

This entertaining game lets you organize mixed-up video clips while you improve your listening comprehension and your paragraph structure skills.

To start Video Unscramble or any other game, click [image] on the Reading Screen.


High Scores Charts

These colorful and informative charts appear after you've played any of the games. They organize all scores by player, Title, and game. With one click, you can switch between your personal scores and the highest scores by any player. You can also see more details about any game by clicking on the bar representing its score.


Improved Main Screen

The screen which appears when you first open LanguageNow! has been redesigned to make opening Titles easier. Now, you can choose a Title right away from the list on the Main Screen.


Keyboard Palettes

Keyboard Palettes provide a new way to type accented and special characters, such as á, ö, î, ç, ñ, and ß, in addition to the old way of typing the base character, holding down the Ctrl key, and pushing the up or down arrows. The Keyboard Palettes show maps of the keyboards common in various countries. You can click on any character in the Keyboard Palette to type it, or right-click on a character to see a bigger image of it. Capital characters are available by holding down the Shift key. See the LanguageNow! on-line Help for information on setting the language of the Keyboard Palette.

By popular request, Russian now has two possible Keyboard Palettes, representing the Russian Student keyboard and the Russian Standard keyboard.


Import and Export Features

Notes and CheckWord Lists can now be exported from one copy of LanguageNow! and imported into another, allowing you to share lists without the trouble of retyping them.

To export or import a list, open the List Viewer, click List Tools, and select the appropriate option. See the LanguageNow! on-line Help for more details.


Linking to Vocabulary Master

Along with LanguageNow! Version 7, Transparent Language is releasing an exciting new vocabulary drill program called Vocabulary Master. CheckWord Lists from LanguageNow! Version 7 can be exported and imported into Vocabulary Master for additional practice.

See the LanguageNow! on-line Help and the Vocabulary Master on-line Help for details.


Conversation Practice
Improved Conversation Practice

This exciting feature lets you play a role in an actual foreign language dialog. Pick a character, practice your lines, and listen as the computer responds to your voice. You'll build your conversation skills in no time! In LanguageNow! Version 7, the Conversation Practice screen has been redesigned to add video, excitement, and ease of use.

To start Conversation Practice, click [image] on the Reading Screen.


Pronunciation Scoring Graphs

LanguageNow! Version 7 has Pronunciation Scoring Graphs to give you detailed feedback on how closely your speech matches a native speaker's pronunciation.

The Pronunciation Scoring Graphs break your score down into five categories: Articulation, Loudness, Pitch, Timing, and Voicing. There is also a Composite graph which shows information on all these areas at once:

The LanguageNow! on-line Help has details on how to read each graph. To switch between graphs, click [image] and select the graph you want.


Sentence Dictation

Sentence Dictation is a new activity to help you improve your listening comprehension and spelling ability. It is similar to the Word Dictation feature added in Version 4 of LanguageNow!.

In Sentence Dictation, you will hear a native speaker pronounce an entire sentence. Try to type what you hear. It's a fun way to challenge yourself.


Navigation and Mode Buttons

When you open LanguageNow! Version 7, you'll notice a row of buttons at the top of the screen.

The first four are navigation buttons. Click on them to go to the Main Screen, Conversation Practice, the Games, and the Listen and Speak Activities.

The final three buttons control the mode of the Reading Screen. You can choose between Video Mode, where you can see video or illustrations; Sound Mode, where you can work with the Sound Palette; and Text Mode, where the Title window is expanded to the width of the screen.


User Interface

The Version 7 user interface was designed to be efficient and intuitive.

Click on any part of the picture below to learn more about it.


Menu Commands

All LanguageNow! features are available

through these menus.


Go To Main Screen Button

This button takes you to the Point & Click Main Screen.


Old Features

All your old favorite features from Version 6 and earlier are included in Version 7, but some of them are now in new locations, or have slightly different instructions.

Click on any feature below for a brief description of how it works in Version 7.

Accented and Special Characters

CheckWords

Conversation Practice

Customizing

Games

Highlighting

Listen and Speak Activities

Menus

Notes

Searches and Grammar Links

SlowSound

Sound Palette

ToolTips

Video and Illustrations

Word and Segment Sound

If you're upgrading from Version 5 or earlier, some of these features may be entirely new to you. See the LanguageNow! on-line Help for complete details on how to use these features.

See Also:

New Features - What's been added to the new version.

Conversion Features - How to use old Titles, etc. in Version 7.


CheckWords

The CheckWords feature lets you build personal vocabulary lists. To add a word to your CheckWord List, select it in the Title and click [image] on the CheckWord tab. To remove a CheckWord, click [image]. (These buttons replace [image] and [image] from Version 5 and earlier.)

In Version 7, your current CheckWord List appears right on the Reading Screen, in the CheckWord tab. Click on the top part of this tab to make it active. You can go to any CheckWord in the text by clicking on it the CheckWord tab or use the [image] [image] buttons to move from CheckWord to CheckWord. The old List Viewer, with the tools for creating, choosing, naming, and deleting lists, is still available by clicking [image] on the CheckWord tab. CheckWords can be used with Vocabulous!, Crosswords, Word Pronunciation, and Word Dictation.

In Version 7, CheckWord Lists can now be exported, imported, and copied.


Notes

The Notes feature lets you add your own comments to LanguageNow! Titles.

In Version 7, Notes appear in the Note tab on the Reading Screen. To create a Note, click on the top part of the tab to make it active (if it isn't already), then click in the lower part of the tab and start typing your Note. You don’t need a separate Note Edit box as in Version 5 and earlier. To move between Notes, use the [image] [image] buttons on the Note tab.

The old List Viewer is still available by clicking [image] on the Note tab. The List Viewer has tools for creating, choosing, naming, clearing, and deleting lists, along with new tools for importing, exporting, and copying lists.


Sound
Word and Segment Sound

You can hear every word and Segment in your LanguageNow! Titles pronounced by a native speaker, as long as the CD-ROM is in the drive. (Old Titles on diskette do not have sound.)

To hear a word or Segment, click [image] or [image] below the Title window. (These buttons replace [image] above the Word and Segment windows in Version 5 and earlier.) The [image] [image] buttons go to and play the previous or next word or Segment.  plays words or Segments continuously, starting at your current location. You can still hear a word by double-clicking on it in the Title, too.


SlowSound

SlowSound allows you to reduce the speed of the native speaker's voice so you can listen carefully to every sound.

SlowSound is now controlled by the [image] button under the left-hand corner of Title window. (Instead of [image], [image], or [image]). When SlowSound is active, the button appears [image]. You can right-click on this button to change the SlowSound rate.


Sound Palette

The Sound Palette lets you hear sounds, see their waveforms, record your own pronunciation and compare it to the native speakers.

To open the Sound Palette, click [image] at the top of the Reading Screen. (Instead of [image] in the Status Bar.) The Sound Palette will replace the Video window.

On the Sound Palette, you can play the word or Segment sound by clicking [image] or [image], record your own pronunciation by clicking and holding [image] while you speak into the microphone, hear your pronunciation by clicking the lower [image] button, and compare your pronunciation to the native speaker's audibly, by clicking [image], and visually, by looking at the waveforms and Pronunciation Scoring Graphs. You can change graphs by clicking [image].


Accented and Special Characters
Accented and Special Character

Accented and special characters, such as á, ö, î, ç, ñ, and ß, can still be entered by typing the base character, holding down the Ctrl key, and pushing the up or down arrow keys until the character you want appears.

In addition, many characters can now also be typed with the Keyboard Palettes.


Customizing

In Version 7, you can open and close Reference windows directly from the Reading Screen. Click on the bar above any window to close it, then click the bar again to open it.

You can also customize other aspects of the LanguageNow! Version 7 program, such as text sizes and fonts, color schemes, Keyboard Palettes, and sounds. To bring up the Preference panels, choose View / Preferences. (In earlier versions, this menu item was Customize.)


Video
Video and Illustrations

Video and Illustrations now appear beside the Title window in the upper right-hand area of the Reading Screen when you are in Video mode. To switch to Video mode from any other, click [image].

To play video for the previous, current, or next Segment, click [image], [image], or [image] below the Video window. (These buttons replace [image], [image], and [image] from Version 5 and earlier.) Click [image] to play the video continuously, starting from the current Segments.

To see the previous or next Illustration, click [image] or [image] below the Video window.


Highlighting

By default, the current Segment and phrase are always highlighted in the Title. To turn this highlighting off or on, choose View / Highlight Phrase (or) Highlight Segment. (These commands replace the [image] buttons on the Word and Segment windows in Version 5 and earlier.)


Menus

Menu changes since Version 6:

The old Customize option in the View menu is now called Preferences.

A new View Flyby Hints option has been added to the View menu.

Menu changes since Version 5:

The old Pronunciation menu is now called Sound.

The old Locate menu is now called Find.

A new Activities menu gives access to the Games, Listen & Speak, and Conversation Practice screens.

A new Reference menu gives access to Grammar Basics and the Alphabet Reference, plus GrammarPro!, WordAce!, and Vocabulary Master if you have them installed.

A new Paste option has been added to the Edit menu.

See the LanguageNow! on-line Help for details on all menu items.


Games

Version 7 offers a set of interesting games: Vocabulous!, Unscramble, Plug-n-Play, Crosswords, Video Unscramble, and Segment Unscramble.

To open any of the games, click [image] at the top of the Reading Screen. When the Select a Game Screen appears, choose the game you want, then pick a Segment Range, Word Length, and Pace, if appropriate.


Listen and Speak

LanguageNow! Version 7 offers four Listen and Speak Activities: Word Dictation, Sentence Dictation, Word Pronunciation, and Sentence Pronunciation.

To open any of these activities, click [image] at the top of the Reading Screen. When the Open an Activity Screen appears, choose the activity you want, then pick a Segment Range.


Searches and Grammar Links

In LanguageNow! Version 7, you can search the Title text for specific words, roots, and grammar links. You can also link directly to detailed grammar information that applies to the current word.

To access any of these features, click on [image] beside the Grammar window, then select the search or link you want. This button combines the functions of the [image] and [image] buttons in Version 5 and earlier.

You can also right-click on a word in the Title to bring up the Word Tools menu.


ToolTips

ToolTips are a quick way to get brief information about a button, dialog box, menu item, or anything else on the screen. To see ToolTips, position the cursor over a button or other object and wait for a second. In Version 7, ToolTips can now be turned off and on by choosing View / View Flyby Hints.


Conversion Features

As an upgrade customer, you may have Titles, Notes, or CheckWord Lists from previous versions of LanguageNow! that you want to use with version. You may also have other Transparent Language products, like WordAce! or GrammarPro!, which you would like to link to the new version.

Titles

All Titles from Versions 4, 5, and 6 are fully compatible with Version 7. If the Version 7 installer detects any of these Titles on your system, it will copy them for you.

If you have any Titles which aren't copied this way, perhaps because they weren't on your system at the time you installed Version 7, or because they were in an unusual directory, reinstall those Titles. Put the Title CD-ROM or diskette in the drive, open LanguageNow! Version 7, and choose File / Install a New Title from the Main Screen. In the Install a Title dialog box, select the drive you are installing from, and locate the Title on the CD or disk. It may be in a folder called TL4. Select the Title and click OK.

Titles from Version 4 or Version 5 of LanguageNow! may or may not have video or illustrations, and will not have Conversation Practice dialogs. Titles from Version 3 and earlier cannot be run in Version 7.

CheckWord Lists and Notes

If the LanguageNow! Version 7 installer detects a previous version of LanguageNow! on your system, it will copy your old Titles, Notes, and CheckWords. However, you must still convert lists from Version 5 or earlier before you can use then with your new version of LanguageNow!.

Important Note: Do not run this conversion on lists from Version 6. Lists from Version 6 will automatically work with Version 7.

To convert Notes and CheckWord Lists from Version 5 or earlier of LanguageNow!:

1.	Let the Version 7 installer copy your files from Version 5 into your new directory.

2.	Put your LanguageNow! CD in the drive.

3.	Using File Manager or Explorer, look on the CD and find the program dbconvert.exe.

4.	Double-click on dbconvert.exe to run it.

5.	Click OK when it asks if you want convert your files.

Some older Titles, like Survival Phrases and The Most Common Words, may have the same name as new Titles that you may have purchased with Version 7. Notes and CheckWord Lists from these old Titles will not work with the new Titles of the same name, because the text of the new version may have been changed to take advantage of the new features of LanguageNow! Version 7. To be able to use those old lists, keep the old version of the Title on your system along with the new one. To hear sound for these Titles, use the CD from which the Title was installed.

WordAce!

All versions of WordAce! can link to LanguageNow! Version 7. When you install LanguageNow! Version 7, it will automatically find any version of WordAce! installed on your system and establish the necessary links. Likewise, if you install WordAce! after you install LanguageNow! Version 7, it will also set itself up properly.

GrammarPro!

All versions of GrammarPro! can link to LanguageNow! Version 7. If the Version 7 installer detects any GrammarPro! files on your system, it will ask if you want to copy them. Click Yes to do so.

If you have any GrammarPro! files which aren't copied this way, perhaps because they weren't on your system at the time you installed Version 7, or because they were in an unusual directory, reinstall GrammarPro!:

GrammarPro! 1.2: Follow normal installation instructions.

GrammarPro! 1.0 or 1.1: Reinstall GrammarPro! and choose the directory where you installed LanguageNow! Version 7 as the Destination Directory. The links will automatically be established.

See Also:

New Features - What's been added to the new version.

Old Features - Where to find your old favorites.


LanguageNow!

A Transparent Language Master Program in any language.

Current LanguageNow! programs include ArabicNow!, DutchNow!, EnglishNow! for Spanish Speakers, FrenchNow!, GermanNow!, Irish GaelicNow!, ItalianNow!, LatinNow!, PolishNow!, PortugueseNow!, RussianNow!, SpanishNow!, and SwedishNow!.


Title Window

This window contains the original language Title.

This foreign language text is the heart of LanguageNow!.

All other activities, games, etc. are based upon it.


CheckWord Button

This button adds the currently

selected word to the active

CheckWord List, or removes

it from the list if it is already a

CheckWord.

You can use this button even

when the CheckWords tab

isn't active.


CheckWords Tab

This tab shows all the words in your current CheckWord List (a personal vocabulary list of words from the Title text). Click on this tab to make it active. Click on any word in the list to go to it in the Title text.


Previous Bookmark Button

This button moves the selector to the

previous Bookmark. It is disabled if

there is no previous Bookmark.


Bookmark Button

This button places a Bookmark in

the Title at the current location, or

removes an existing Bookmark.

You can have as many Bookmarks

as you like in a Title.


Next Bookmark Button

This button moves the selector to

the next Bookmark. It is disabled if

there is no next Bookmark.


Word Meaning Window

This window displays the translation of

the currently selected word. (Right now,

the current word is ha.)

To hide this information, click the bar

above the window. Click it again to restore

the window.


Root Word Window

This window displays the root form

of the current word. If the word and

root are the same, this window may

be empty.

To hide this information, click the bar

above the window. Click it again to

restore the window.


Phrase or Word Group Window

This window contains the translation of a phrase or

word group. (Right now, the selected phrase is ha sido.)

To hide this information, click the bar above the window.

Click it again to restore the window.


Grammar Window

This window contains basic grammar

information about the current word or

phrase, as well as comments on such

things as capitalization conventions.

To hide this information, click the bar

above the window. Click it again to

restore the window.


Word Tools Button

This button lets you work with the current word in several ways. When you click on this button, a menu appears:

First, there is a list of grammar topics relevant to the current word. Click on a topic in the list to jump to the relevant topic in the grammar help file.

Below the grammar topics, you have the options:

Find Grammar Link (to find other words with similar grammar information.)

Find Word (to locate other occurrences of the current word)

Find Root (to locate other words derived from the same root word).


Notes Window
Notes Tab

This tab provides a space for you to create your own

comments, questions, or messages. Each Note is linked

to a word in the Title.

To create or edit a Note, click anywhere in the lower part

of this tab, then start typing.


Previous Note and Next Note Buttons

These buttons move the selector from Note to Note in the Title text.

They are disabled if there is no previous or next Note.

When the CheckWord panel is active, these buttons move from

CheckWord to CheckWord.


View Note List Button
List Viewer Button

This button displays the CheckWord List Viewer,

if the CheckWords tab is active, or the Note List

Viewer, if the Notes tab is active.

From the List Viewer, you can choose, name,

rename, create, copy, export, import, delete,

clear, or print lists.


Segment Meaning Window

This window shows the translation of the current Segment (usually one or more phrases or clauses). Right now, the selected Segment is El arte en los lugares públicos siempre ha sido importante para los mexicanos.

To hide this information, click the bar above the window. Click it again to restore

the window.


Play Word Button

This button plays the native speaker's pronunciation

of the selected word in the Title.

Use this option to hear the word in its "citation form,"

as it would be presented in a pronouncing dictionary.


Play Segment Button

This button plays the native speaker's pronunciation of the current Segment.


Play Words Button

This button plays the sound for individual words

continuously, starting from the current word.


Play Previous Word Button

This button goes to and plays the sound for the previous word.

It is disabled if there is no previous word.


Play Next Word Button

This button goes to and plays sound for the next word.

It is disabled if there is no next word.


Play Segments Button

This button plays Segments continuously, starting with the

current Segment. Use this option to hear the entire Title read.


Play Previous Segment
Play Previous Segment Button

This button goes to and plays sound for the previous Segment.

It is disabled if there is no previous Segment.


Play Next Segment
Play Next Segment Button

This button goes to and plays sound for the next Segment.

It is disabled if there is no next Segment.


Video Window

In Video mode, this window shows

the Video for Video Titles and the

Illustrations for Illustrated Titles.

Video is clearer in the program

than in this picture.


Previous Video Button
Play Previous Video Button

This button plays the video for the

previous Segment in a Video Title

or shows the previous illustration

in an Illustrated Title. It is disabled

if there is no previous video or

illustration.


Play Video Button

This button plays the Video for the current Segment.

In an Illustrated Title, this button does not appear unless

the illustration has a video clip or a voice-over.


Next Video Button
Play Next Video Button

This button plays the Video for the

next Segment in a Video Title and

shows the next illustration in an

Illustrated Title. It is disabled if

there is no next video or illustration.


Play Continuous Video Button

This button plays video continuously, starting with the current

Segment. Use this option to see video for the entire Title.


Segment Number : Word Number

This area displays the Segment number and word

number of your current location in the Title.

Click on this button to go to any Segment and

Word Number you enter.


Go To Listen & Speak

This button takes you to the Listen & Speak activities: Word Pronunciation, Word Dictation, and Sentence Pronunciation and Sentence Dictation.


Go To Conversation Practice

This button takes you to the Conversation Practice dialogs.


Go To Games

This button takes you to the games: Vocabulous!, Unscramble, Plug-n-Play, Crosswords, and Video Unscramble.


Text Mode Button

This button expands the Title window to the width of the screen, hiding the Video window and the Sound Palette.


Sound Mode Button
Sound Palette Mode Button

This button displays the Sound Palette in place of the Video Window.

Note: If LanguageNow! cannot find the sound files, this button will

prompt you to put the correct CD in the drive and enter the correct

letter for your CD drive.


Video Mode Button

This button displays the Video window in place of the Sound Palette.

Note: If LanguageNow! cannot find the video files, this button will

prompt you to put the correct CD in the drive and enter the correct

letter for your CD drive.


Help Button

This button opens the on-line Help for this screen.


SlowSound Status
SlowSound

This button activates SlowSound and reduces the speed of individual words. Right-click on this button to change the SlowSound rate.

When the turtle's shell turns bright green, SlowSound is active.