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Anna's Language Tutor
/~~~~~~~\
/XX XX X\
|XXXX XXXX |
| XXX XXXX|
\ X /
\XXXX___/
by
Abavagada Software
Shareware version 2.2
Copyright (C) 1996
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction....................1
System Requirements.............1
Installation....................1
Usage...........................1
Main Screen.....................2
Selecting a Language............2
Using a mouse...................2
Main Menu.......................2
Files...........................2
Select a Language..............2
Exit the Tutor.................2
Drills..........................3
Sound..........................3
Timer..........................3
Questions......................3
Translations....................3
Change options................3
Globe...........................3
Change speed..................3
Help............................3
Print...........................3
Printing reading material.....3
Printing drills...............3
Printing translations.........3
Selecting Items.................4
Submenus......................4
Creating your own data..........4
Readings........................4
Drills..........................4
Translations....................4
Adventures......................5
Memory Game.....................5
Verbalizer......................5
Phraser.........................5
Wheel Game......................6
Customization...................7
Interface.....................7
ESL.........................7
Fonts.......................7
Future Watch....................7
Registering.....................7
INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS "ANNA'S LANGUAGE TUTOR"? 1
Anna's Language Tutor is a totally user definable language teaching tool.
It has been designed to be flexible and adaptable, allowing a user to
create lessons for language teaching from any language to any other
language using a variety of different methods, including readings,
drills, translations, games, verb helpers, and a phrase builder. The
entire textual interface may be altered so as to become the same language
as the users. It has font capabilities on EGA/VGA machines to accommodate
different alphabets.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
■ IBM Compatible, running DOS 3.3 or higher.
■ Color or monochrome monitor. EGA/VGA needed if fonts are to be used.
■ Diskette or hard drive.
■ Mouse (optional).
INSTALLATION
You should have the following files:
LANGTUT.EXE - Anna's Language Tutor.
LANGTUT.DOC - This file.
LANGTUT.OVR - Various parts of the Tutor.
LANGTUT.CFG - Configuration file for the program.
LANGTUT.UTX - File containing text for interface, which may be altered.
*.LTC/*.LT? - Files containing data for languages.
The only files needed are "LANGTUT.EXE", "LANGTUT.OVR", and any language
files (i.e., with ".lt?" extension) that you wish to use.
Other files may be in existence, including files with the extensions of:
".utx" - Text provided for the program by a user.
".xtc" - Index for a language file.
".f16" \
".f14" |- Files containing font data
".f08" /
USAGE
To start Anna's Language Tutor, type in LANGTUT at the DOS prompt and hit
[ENTER].
After a few seconds, the opening screen should appear, showing the
copyright notice and date. When the program is ready, it will prompt the
user for a key press. Pressing any key (or clicking the left mouse button)
will start the program.
2
Main Screen
The Main Screen, from which the entire program is based, will appear. It
will be immediately replaced (temporarily) by the Language Selection
Screen, so the user may select a language unit to use.
Selecting a Language
Depending on the installation, one of two screens are possible for
selecting a language.
To select a language, the user moves the cursor, using the mouse or
keypad, through the directory. Only files with the extension ".ltc" and
directories will be shown. Once a user has chosen the language they wish
to work with by pressing [ENTER] or clicking the left mouse button, the
screen will disappear and be replaced by the main screen as the language
is loaded.
If the configuration is set for the second screen, a large, revolving
globe will appear. As the user moves through the list of languages, they
may appear in red on the globe on where they are primarily spoken.
Using a mouse
The Tutor has mouse interface capability (or MIC) as well as keyboard
(KEY) control. Almost everything that can be done by the KEY can be done
by the MIC. For the most part, the MIC is the same as other MIC programs.
The top line of the main screen contains info about the Tutor. The second
line is the Main Menu. On the left side is a small globe, beneath which is
a list of items to select from. On the right side is information about the
program or whatever the designer of this language unit has decided to
include. On the bottom line is a line of text to prompt the user and a
real time clock.
Main Menu
GETTING ABOUT
Press [F10] to access the Main Menu (second line of the screen).
From here, a user may select from one of the choices below:
Files
Under this menu a user may
1) Select a language: The language selection reappears and allows the
user to choose a new language unit to use. The one they choose will
replace the current one loaded in the Tutor automatically.
2) Exit the Tutor: This option allows the user to end this session with
the Tutor and return to DOS.
3
Drills
Under this menu a user may
1) Sound: The user may select whether to turn the sound for the drills
on or off.
2) Timer: The user may select the time limit for a drill (0-99).
Selecting a time of 0 means the drills will not be timed, which is
useful for users who are just getting started in learning a language.
3) Questions: Sets and override for the number of questions to be asked
during a drill. A setting of 0 will disable the override, and the
normal number of questions will be asked.
Translations
Under this menu a user may
1) Change options: These are the toggle switches for the translation
screen. Turning these on or off determine what will be shown during
the reading of a translation. ([ENTER] turns ALL of them on or off on
the actual translation screen.
Globe
Under this menu a user may
1) Change speed: This selects the globe rotation speed.
Help
Under this menu a user may
1) Help: Get information on how to use the Tutor.
2) About LANGTUT: Read about the Tutor itself.
3) About Abavagada: Read about the company who wrote the Tutor.
Print
Using this command, a user may, in certain areas of the Tutor, print out
information to a printer or a file. Areas that may have things printed
from are:
1) Printing reading material: In the reading sections, whatever text is
currently open for reading is printed.
2) Printing drills: During a drill, using this option will print a drill
with the same features as the one being used. However, note that the
printed drill will not be the same as the one currently being asked
(since each question is chosen randomly as it is asked), and the
printed version will also contain an answer key.
3) Printing translations: The full text of the untranslated text will be
printed exactly as it appears on the translation screen.
4
Selecting Items
On the left side of the Main Screen is a list of items from which a user
may select from. Upon selecting an item (by pressing [ENTER] or double-
clicking the left mouse button), a different feature of the Tutor will
start, based on how the language unit has been designed. The different
features are described here in detail.
Submenus
For each item from the list of items of the Main Screen, a single submenu
may exist. An item may then be selected from this submenu the same as the
from the item list.
NOTE: There can only be ONE submenu for each item of the item list, and
submenus DO NOT have submenus.
CREATING YOUR OWN DATA
Since this is a shareware version, the manual for creating your own
modules has not been included. Upon registering, you will receive a
digital copy (diskette or e-mail) of the technical reference manual, which
goes into the details necessary to create and edit your own language
modules.
Readings
Using
These are the basic study areas. Histories, stories, vocabulary,
phrases, or anything else that a person must read and study can be put
in this format. It will appear in a scrolling window for the user to
read at their own pace.
Drills
Using
This is where the user may practice what he has learned. This section
will show the person so many items, each with certain, possible
answers, and the person must choose which they feel is correct. The
program keeps score.
From the Main Menu, time may also be selected for how long each item is
viewed, 0 being not timed at all.
Pressing F5 or clicking on the pointer in the upper right corner of the
drill screen will change the size of the drill screen.
Translations
Using
Once a user feels confident in reading and understanding the language,
they may practice their skills in this area. A bunch of text is shown,
and the user may read through it at their leisure. If they come to a
word they need help on, they may easily view the meaning,
pronunciation, any notes, and a translation of the phrase or sentence
it is used in.
Pressing "=" will bring up a complete translation for the user to
read.
5
Adventures
Using
These are like a cross between translation screens and drills. In this
area, the user reads a text in the language they are learning, much
like the translation section. They can view any words meanings,
pronunciations, notes, and phrase translation. At the end of the text
are a list of choices, which the user may select from by pressing a
number, 1-5. This will then move the user to another text, with more
options, and so on. The contents of an adventure can be anything from
a simple conversation to an exploration of Paris or New York City or
Rome.
Memory Game
Using
The memory game is a unit for training connections between vocabulary
words in a not-drill fashion. In a normal game of memory, a deck of
cards is dealt out, face down. The players then take turns flipping
over pairs of cards. If the cards match, the player gets to turn over
another pair. If they don't match, the pair is turned face down again
and the next player has a turn. In the Tutor version, a match is
between the same words in one language and the other. For example, the
word "bear" would match the word "orso" in Italian.
In the upper left corner of the screen are a few commands the user may
also use to affect the game. The first is [ESC], which will end the
game at any time and return to the main screen. Next is the [NEW]
command (KEY: N), which restarts that particular round of the game,
resetting the scores to before the match was started. The third is a
sound toggle (KEY: S). When it is selected and sound has been off, a
beep will be heard, indicating that the sound is now on. Selecting it
again will turn the sound off.
Verbalizer
Using
The Verbalizer is a unit for viewing verbs in their various
conjugations and tenses. Using the up and down arrows, or clicking on
their mouse equals on the screen, will move through the list of verbs.
Using the left or right arrows (or screen equals) will change the
tenses of the current verb.
Phraser
Using
The Phraser is a unit for allowing the user to practice building
phrases from a group of vocabulary words. A phrase in the users native
tongue will appear, and they must then select from a list of words in
the new language and construct the phrase properly. They may add and
delete words, edit the order the words are in, and clear the entire
phrase out to start again. When the phrase is built to what the user
believes is correct, they may then "submit" it for grading. The Tutor
will then show them the correct answer, what words they missed, what
words they added in, and give them a grade in percentage correct.
6
Wheel Game
Using
This is another game which can help with vocab recognition and
spelling. It is based loosely on the American game "Wheel of Fortune".
Players take turns spinning the wheel and guessing a letter of the
puzzle. If they correctly guess a letter, then they earn the number of
letters that appear times the number on the wheel, and they get another
turn. If they guess incorrectly, they lose the amount on the wheel and
it is the next players turn. The winner(s) is the one who has scored
the most once the puzzle is solved.
Use the space bar to spin the wheel. Pressing a key while the wheel is
spinning will stop it.
Pressing "?" will give the player a hint to the puzzle.
Pressing "S" will toggle the sound affects on and off.
Pressing "ESC" will end the entire game and return to the Tutor.
7
CUSTOMIZATION
Interface
ESL
To provide the Tutor with a truly multilingual adaptability, the text of
the interface itself may be altered by the user. For example, for a
French speaker learning Italian, not only may a French-Italian language
unit be created, but all of the text for the Tutor may be translated
into French, so English is not required to use the program.
This may be of special interest to English as a Second Language (ESL)
teachers, for with this, they may create language units from a foreign
language INTO English. Therefore, the student can study in their own
language without leaving their own.
To do this, the language unit designer need only to copy the file
"LANGTUT.UTX" to a file for their unit with the extension ".UTX". For
example, to create a unit to teach English to Italians, for which the
language unit is called "ITAL-ENG.LTC", copy "LANGTUT.UTX" to "ITAL-
ENG.UTX". Then, simply translate all of the text in quotes in the "ITAL-
ENG.UTX" file to Italian.
Fonts
Many languages use alphabets different from the Latin alphabet, for
which a PC is usually using. For this reason, users of EGA/VGA monitors
may create their own fonts to use in the Tutor.
Future Watch
OTHER PROGRAMS: In the future, I want to combine this program with some
others I am working on, so as to have a whole "Cultural Machine". This
would allow anyone to view timelines, histories, pictures, maps; hear
music, language, and sounds from different world cultures; study
languages, customs, beliefs, etc; and just about anything else that might
help people to learn about the world we live in.
I encourage anyone to send me their feelings about what I have said,
comments (criticisms or suggestions) on this program, or any help they
might have to offer to me:
Abavagada Software
Erik Zidowecki
RR 2 Box 279
Litchfield, ME 04350
USA
mycroft709 @ AOL
REGISTERING
Also, remember that registrations of $10 dollars or more will receive the
"Anna's Language Tutor Technical Reference Manual", which will go into
great detail about how to create your own lanuage modules for use with
the tutor. See the included form "REGISTER.FRM".