Vocitrainer: User Guide

This guide refers to both versions of Vocitrainer, Macintosh version and Windows version. For a short introducition to Vocitrainer, please read our overview page.

Starting Vocitrainer:

After having loaded Vocitrainer down on your computer and uncompressing it, you can start it and you will see a 'StartUp Screen' with two fields to enter your registration number and your name. Please enter here the code that you received from us and press 'Register' or press 'Demo' if you have not registrerd Vocitrainer yet. Now you can see the Vocitrainer menu bar (Macintosh version) or the main window (Windows version). If you have Vocitrainer vocabulary lists, you can open them via 'Open'. Otherwise, you have to enter the words yourself - choose 'New' under the 'File'-menu.

Opening files:

Vocitrainer has been programmed to read vocabulary lists from other programs in the format 'question-tab-answer-newline' (like Claris FileMaker or another database program). Normally, it saves its words in its own format where it can save additional information. Open your files by 'File' - 'Open list' or by clicking in the empty vocabulary card-index.

Saving Files:

You can save Vocitrainer words in a Vocitrainer-File with the command 'Save list' under 'File'. That's the normal way to save your vocabulary. There is also the possiblity to save words as 'Tab-separated text', a common database format ('File'- 'Export Cards'). You may choose this way if you want to have this words on another platform (mac -> win or win ->mac). The commands 'Export Question' and 'Export Answer' (both under 'File') allow to save only one language in a file. You can use those functions to check spelling in a text editor: open the exported file from Microsoft Word or another editor and choose 'Check Spelling'.

Questionning vocabulary:

In this version of Vocitrainer, there are for different possibilities to check vocabulary. You can find them in the 'Examination' menu.

  1. 'Systematic Examination' is programmed that words you do not know are asked more often than words you know well. Normally, you should use this method. The 'Vocitrainer - systematic examination' dialog appears automatically when you open a list with more than 10 words.
  2. 'Examination in Entry Order' (second menu) asks word after word until you were asked all word in a list. Use this method if you want to go through all words in a list.
  3. 'Examination in Random Order' (third menu) asks vocabulary in random order. Use this kind of examination if you do not want to learn the order of the words instead of the meaning. It can be used when you have more than 3 words in a list.
  4. 'Examination of Wrong Words' asks you for all words that you did not know during all earlier examinations. Use this way before you end Vocitrainer to repeat all words that you do not know well.

There are several other ways to learn vocabulary besides the four 'standard' ways. You can find them in the last menu:

  1. 'Examination of the Known Words' asks you all words you knew good enough to put them in the 'known words' - list.
  2. Examination of all words of a certain lesson can be done in the entry order, in random order or systematic. If you want to use this kind of questionning, you have to choose a lesson under 'Choose Lesson' and then you can open one of the examination dialogs.
  3. Examination of all words on a certain level. For that, choose 'Choose Level' in the last menu and open then the examination-dialog.

Everytime you open a vocabulary list there opens a examination - dialog. Here you can see an example of it (German, Windows version):

abfrage.gif (8904 bytes)

Enter the translation in the 'answer' field and press 'OK' or enter. If the answer you entered is not the same as the answer in the Vocitrainer-database, you can see the following dialog:

stimmtantwort.gif (11918 bytes)

Here you can choose if yor answer is right or wrong and you can, if you want, change the answer in the database..

Database-Functions:

You can find all functions to change the vocabulary cards in the 'cards' menu.

  1. The command 'new card' opens a dialog where you can enter new cars. Enter the meaning of the word into 'question' and its meaning in your language in 'answer'

  2. neuekarte.gif (9426 bytes)

  3. You can sort your vocabulary by choosing 'sort'. You may do so before you print a vocabulary list. If you want to sort your vocabulary in another way you have to open the overview-dialog and click on a column.
  4. By choosing 'Exchange question and answer' you can exchange the question and the answer of your word. Afterwards, Vocitrainer will ask you for the answer and you will have to enter the question.
  5. 'Modify Cards' allows you to modify a card. Press on 'Search Id', 'Search Question' or 'Search Answer' to look for a card and enter here the ID, question or answer of your card. You will see your card if there is one. Now you can modify it and commit your changes by clicking OK. It is important that you enter your question exactly. Otherwise you will get an error. You can delete a card by pressing 'Delete Card'.
  6. Overview gives you an overview over the vocabulary of your vocabulary file. We are still developing a Macintosh version of this command...

Some useful features of Vocitrainer:

Vocitrainer has a preferences dialog (File, Preferences) where you can enter the maximum level that your words can achieve. If you e.g. entered 5, you would have to enter your words five times correctly until they are put into the list of known words.
There is also a checkbox available where you can enter whether you want to see the additional inforation during an examination.
And there are radiobuttons where you can choose if:

  1. you have to enter your words exactely as they are saved in the database,
  2. you can change the order of the words - e.g. tree, bush would be the same as bush, tree -
  3. you can leave out some words - bush would be enough.

You can print vocabulary cards (File - Print) to your printer. If you are using the Macintosh version of Vocitrainer you can also print Vocabulary cards (format A7 or A8) on an A4 sheet. To do so you have to choose 'Print Cards' under 'File'. This will first print the front of your cards. Afterwards you have to turn the sheets and lay them into the printer - the rear will be printed. Duplex printers are not supported now.

By the Way:

Vocitrainer is Shareware. You can find additional information under registration.
Visit us, the Authors of Vocitrainer, under Credits
And if you are offline and you want to visit us online: http://a.die.supsi.ch/~gull/vocitrainer.
Our English version still contains a lot of language errors. That's why we need YOU to correct it.
If you do that we will send you a free registration code.
And if you want to translate it to your language - feel free to contact us. (It will take you ~5 hours, the documentation included).

Emanuel Gull, gull@die.supsi.ch. Please contact me if you need more information.