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C&IT Centre

No 6, Oct 95, Pt 2

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The Multilingual PC Directory

A guide to multilingual and foreign language products for IBM PCs and compatibles, 3rd edition, 1995, ISBN 1-873091-03-5

Typefaces and special characters for languages other than American English have always posed computing problems for scholars. Mac or Windows users face fewer problems, as the fonts in these systems are not tied to a particular word processor. Even so, there are over 4,000 spoken languages many of which have unique characters or unique character sets. Difficulties arise not only in choosing a suitable font but actually in finding out whether such fonts are available at all, and if so, whether they are compatible with their existing software and printer.

The Multilingual PC Directory goes a long way in solving at least the task of discovering whether relevant language support exists, with details of over 300 languages. The Directory is available in three formats: as a printed book, on disk as a Windows Help file, and on the World Wide Web (from where the Windows version may also be downloaded). Two main sections detail descriptions of the products, and profiles of the suppliers. There is also a section detailing some on-line sources, a useful table which places languages with scripts, a number of character set tables, and an extensive index with 19,000 entries.

The division in the printed book between the product descriptions and the company profiles seems to be an indication of how the author has organised the mass of information on his own database system. This division is almost transparent in the disk version which is certainly easier to search even if it does lack the illustrations and some of the reference data in the book. The Web version gives access to hypertext indices of products, languages and company profiles with the added benefit of links to numerous Internet sites. Although the third edition was completed in March 1995 (the Directory first appeared in 1991), printed software guides are notoriously difficult to keep up to date. I suspect that the print version might eventually disappear leaving the disk and on-line versions (which are less expensive for the user and easier for the author to update).

The Directory is not simply a list of fonts or even word processors. The products detailed range from well established packages which are available in a number of languages (there is a Russian version of Pagemaker for example) to dictionaries, spell-checkers, and a selection of further printed guides to language software. Some languages, such as Chinese, Hebrew, Greek, Russian as well as western European languages are well documented (as one would expect) whilst others are rather thinly supported. Inconsistencies between the indices and the product descriptions seem to be few and the Directory will be most useful to the isolated scholar who works with complex scripts but little computing support. This is a book recommended for every computer support service likely to be asked questions on fonts and word processors for languages as diverse as Irish, Birhari, Georgian or Sanskrit. I imagine it will be of considerable use to language faculties, and, amongst others, departments of classical and oriental studies.

Michael Fraser, CTI Centre for Textual Studies, University of Oxford

For further details contact

Ian Tresman,
Knowledge Computing,
9 Ashdown Drive,
Borehamwood, Herts, WD6 4LZ.
Fax 0181 905 1879
Email: [email protected]

Price: book: �35.00, disk & WWW version: �10.00 registration fee. World-Wide Web page: http://www.knowledge.co.uk/xxx/

TELL: Technology Enhanced Language Learning

As the three-year period of the TELL Consortium’s funding nears its end, developers are working against the clock to complete their materials on schedule. The majority of the packages will be distributed by Hodder & Stoughton, educational publishers, early in the New Year. Language departments and language centres in UK higher education institutions will be given the opportunity, via our contacts at the institutions, to purchase copies of the products at ‘handling cost only’ prices, under the terms of TLTP funding. The packages will also be available commercially outside this sector.

The consortium will continue to operate, developing new products and enhancing and adapting its existing products. TLTP funding for ongoing support and maintenance has been granted, and the consortium will be mounting a number of training events aimed at helping teachers to integrate the materials into the curriculum.

Thanks are due to the dozens of HE language teachers and students who took part in the evaluation of the TELL products: we hope many of them will enjoy working with the final versions.

A leaflet giving a full description of all the TELL materials is available from CTI Modern Languages at the address on page 1, or on the TELL home page.

Software availability announcement: Computer-Aided Assessment of Transferable Skills (CATS)

This project has been working on the assessment of computer-based transferable skills such as word processing and the use of spreadsheets and databases. A beta-test version of the word- processing assessment software is about to be released, to run on a PC compatible machine (486 recommended). This is available to anyone from an HEFC-funded institution.

For further details and requests for copies contact

Stewart Long
School of Information Systems
University of East Anglia
Norwich, NR4 7TJ
Tel: 01603 593102
Email: [email protected]

Discussion list for Lowlands

In May of this year the discussion list Lowlands-L was founded. Since then, over 200 people have subscribed to this list, which is intended as a forum for discussion about (and in) the languages and cultures of the Lowlands bordering the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, more specifically about Dutch, Low Saxon (Low German), and Frisian, and Lowlands-derived languages: Afrikaans, English, Scots, and other language varieties. New subscribers are invited, native speakers of the Lowlands languages, as well as students of Lowlands languages and/or cultures, professional linguists, as well as anyone else who takes an interest in the Lowlands. To subscribe, please send a message with the text:

subscribe lowlands-l Firstname Lastname
(enter your own name here)

to [email protected]

Navigating the Internet

Dates:14-15 November, 5-6 December 1995 The University of London Computer Centre is offering a new two-day course which concentrates on gaining access to the vast amount of information now available on the Internet. This course teaches you how to achieve this using a large range of software tools and includes plenty of hands-on practice, including an introduction to writing your own Web pages and locating people and computers on the Internet.

Cost: �175.00 academic rate, �295.00 non-academic rate (+ VAT @ 17.5%).

For further information or booking please contact:

Sharon Gomes
ULCC
20 Guildford St
London WC1N 1DZ
Tel 0171-405 8400 ext 362
Fax 0171-242 1845
email [email protected]

Open University

The Institute of Educational Technology is hosting the following one day workshops in 1995.

November
8th - Planning and producing a course for open or distance learning.
9th  - Getting started with computer networking.
23rd - Teaching with audio and video in open and distance learning.
24th - Assessing your learners.
December
12th - Dealing with copyrights for material-based learning.

For further information and booking please contact:

Brenda Parish, (Workshops Administrator)
IET
The Open University
Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA
Tel: 01908 653055, Fax: 01908 653744
Email: [email protected]

UCoSDA Publications

UCoSDA Publications for Higher Education July 1994 brochure has been updated with new additions and a clearance sale of longer standing items. The ITTI Catalogue of Material June 1995 Includes IT Application Skills, Basic IT Skills, Multimedia Courseware Tools and Training, IT Staff: Personal and Professional Skills Development. Contact:

Mrs Jean Burgan
UCoSDA
Level Six
University House
Sheffield S10 2TN
Tel: 0114 282 4211, Fax: 0114 272 8705
Email: [email protected]

Virtual CALL Library at the University of Sussex

URL: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/langc/welcome.html

The Language Centre at the University of Sussex, England, now has a World-Wide Web site with annotated links to Internet resources for a variety of languages, and a ‘Virtual CALL Library’ of shareware and freeware available to download via the Internet. This area aims to be a central point of access to the diverse collection of Computer Aided Language Learning (CALL) software scattered across the Internet, by providing links to as much of this software as the site manager can find. At present, only IBM compatible software is listed.

Natural Language Engineering

New Journal from Cambridge University Press

This new journal is designed to meet the needs of professionals and researchers working in all areas of computerised language processing. Its principal aim is to bridge the gap between traditional computational linguistics and the implementation of practical applications.

Natural Language Engineering enjoys a particularly prestigious Editorial Board from both the academic and industrial community. The review process is designed to be fast, ensuring rapid publication of accepted papers and authors will be encouraged to take advantage of LaTex technology. Shorter reports (on-going research, conference reports, discussions of NLE products) are also sought. Contact:

Journals Marketing Department
Cambridge University Press
FREEPOST, The Edinburgh Building
Cambridge, CB2 1BR

Netskills Discussion List launched

Participants at the ALT workshop on the Electronic Libraries Programme (held at Libtech 95, University of Hertfordshire) may recall mention of the Netskills project at the University of Newcastle. Netskills hopes to play a major role in shifting the culture within all Higher Education Institutions towards effective and widespread use of JANET, the Internet and networked information resources through training courses in network skills using both traditional and new (network based) methods of training.

To join the Netskills discussion list, send a message to [email protected] with the text of your message reading

join netskills-news firstname(s) lastname (substituting your own name, of course)

Additional information on the Netskills Project is available from the URL http://www.netskills.ac.uk/

CALICO Publications

Proceedings of CALICO Annual Symposia 1994 'Human Factors' and 1995 'Computers & Collaborative Learning' are now available, and will also be included in a CALICO CD-Sampler, available soon. Also on sale is the CALICO Resource Guide for Computing and Language Learning. Full details from

CALICO
Duke University
014 Language Center, Box 90267
Durham, NC 27708-0267, USA
Tel: (919)660-3180, fax: (919)660-3183
email: [email protected]

News from Wida Software

The 1995 Wida Catalogue is now available on disk for PC, price �15.00 + VAT, p&p, refundable with orders over �100.00.

Wida are now marketing a Teacher Training Pack, a set of photocopiable instructions for teachers and materials, for use with the Wida/Eurocentres Authoring programs.

For details of both the above items, contact:

Wida Software Ltd
2 Nicholas Gardens
London W5 5 HY
Tel +44 (0)181 567 6941
Fax +44 (0)181 840 6534
email [email protected]

Hyperglot

Hyperglot now have a world wide web page at the URL http://www.hyperglot.com/hyperglot.html

Based in the US, Hyperglot supply software in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Russian and English for Windows, Multimedia Windows, MS-DOS and Macintosh. The web page has an online catalogue with short descriptions of each package including cost. Demonstration software for some of the programs can be downloaded via FTP. Hyperglot software is available in the UK through Guildsoft Ltd, tel 01752 895100, fax 01752 894833.

Recent Software Donations to CTI Modern Languages

• BBC English Basic Skills Demo (Vektor)
• BonAccord v1.1(FARO Systems-Brian Farrington)
• Bright Executive 2.5 (on-loan from Talkfast International Ltd)
• CD-Lesen CD-ROM (Collins Educational)
• Evaluating Learning Technology - A Database of Research ’94 (The Centre for Multimedia in Education)
• Expressions French/German/Spanish/English Demos (Vektor)
• FriDa (Andr� Kahlmann)
• Fun With Texts, French, German, Italian Interface (Camsoft)
• Fun With Texts Demo Version 2.0 (Camsoft)
• Nihongo Japanese Daily Conversation for Beginners CD-ROM (IBM Japan)
• T�l�-Textes CD-ROM (OUP)
• The Essential Selection CD-ROM Demo (Yorkshire International Thomson Multimedia Ltd)
• TV und Texte CD-ROM new 1994 version (OUP)
• Up to Standard French/German CD-ROM (MLS)
• Vinco Bingo, Roman Calendar, Natalis (Leo Curran-University at Buffalo)

Software Reviews

The following items of software will be reviewed in ReCALL, volume 7 number 2, November 1995:

• Mastering German Grammar
• Bonaccord
• Evita
• Ruf' Mal An
• Travel Talk/Reisegespr�ch
• Phonemic Alphabet in English

ReCALL is distributed free of charge to all libraries in the UK higher education sector, and is also available via membership of EUROCALL. For membership details, please contact Kylie Baxter at CTI Modern Languages.

CALL Awareness Days and Campus Visits by CTI Modern Languages team

Please note that there is no CALL Awareness Day planned for late 1995/early 1996. The reason for this is that CTI Modern Languages offices and the CALL facilities provided for these occasions are all moving into a new Language Institute building! The move is scheduled for January 1996, so the planned programme of events will be announced in the February Newsletter. During this period when events on the University of Hull campus are subject to builders' schedules, we hope to increase our programme of campus visits. For further details, please contact Jo Porritt at CTI Modern Languages.

Forthcoming Events

26-28 October 1995, London: The London Language Show

Information: Bruce Campbell/Alison Thomas, Brintex, 32 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1 V 2SS, UK, Tel 0171 973 6401, Fax 0171 233 5054

29-31 October 1995, Milano: VIIth Annual Conference of the European Association for International Education

Information: EAIE Secretariat, Van Diemenstraat 344, 1013 CR Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Tel +31 20 2727, Fax +31 20 620 9406, Email [email protected]

7-10 November 1995, Karslruhe, Germany: LEARNTEC Conference for Technology

Information: Karlsruhe Congress and Exhibition Centre, PO Box 1208, D-76002, Karlsruhe, Germany, Tel +49 721 3720137, Fax +49 721 3720149

18 December 1995, Edinburgh: Learning Technology Dissemination Initiative (LTDI) Workshop on Evaluating Implementations

Information: LTDI, ICBL, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, Tel 0131 451 3283, Fax 0131 451 3283, Email [email protected]

5 January 1995, Edinburgh: Learning Technology Dissemination Initiative (LTDI) Workshop on Study Skills

Information: LTDI, ICBL, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, Tel 0131 451 3283, Fax 0131 451 3283, Email [email protected]

10-13 January 1996, London: BETT '96

Information: Jo Hall/Stella Diamond, EMAP Education, Greater London House, Hampstead Road, London NW1 7QZ, UK, Tel 0171 388 2430, Fax 0171 388 2578

25-27 January 1996, Stirling: Scottish CILT Conference on Multiple Media for Language Learning

Information: Lottie Gregory, Scottish CILT, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK, Tel 01786 467631, Fax 01786 46732, Email [email protected]

9-16 February 1996, Melbourne: XIVth World Congress of the F�d�ration Internationale des Traducteurs

Information: Congress Management, Fauth Royale & Associates Pty Ltd, 15 Cooper Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 Australia, Tel +61 2 211 6711, Fax +61 2 211 6608

15-19 February 1996, Paris, France: Expolangues

Information: OIP Expolangues, 62, rue de Miromesnil, 75008 Paris, France, Tel +33 1 49532760, Fax +33 1 49532788

2 March 1996, Hull: Joint CILT/CTI Modern Languages Conference on Quality, Technology and Self-Access

Information: CILT, 20 Bedfordbury, London WC2 4LB, UK, Tel 0171 379 5110, Fax 0171 379 5082

29 March-1 April 1996, Exeter: Conference of the Association for Language Learning (ALL)

Information: ALL, C Wilding, 16 Regent Place, Rugby, CV21 2PN, UK, Tel 01788 546443, Fax 01788 544149

22-24 May 1996, Aalborg, Denmark: EURO EDUCATION '96

Information: Aalborg Kongres & Kultur Center, Postbox 149, Aalborg, DK-9100, Denmark, Tel +45 99 355555, Fax +45 99 355533

27 May - 1 June 1996, Albuquerque, New Mexico: CALICO '96 Symposium

Information: CALICO, Duke University, 014 Language Center, Box 90267, Durham, NC 27708-0267, USA, Tel +919 660 3180, Fax +919 6603183, Email [email protected]

22-24 June 1996, Hong Kong: International Conference on Language Rights

Information: Phil Benson, Department of English, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, Fax +852 2333 6569, Email [email protected]

29-31 August 1996, Szombathely, Hungary: EUROCALL 96

Information: CTI Modern Languages, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK, Tel 01482 466373, Fax 01482 473816, Email [email protected]

5-7 September 1996, Budapest, Hungary: 'Transferre necesse est' conference on Current Trends in Studies of Translation and Interpreting

Information:Kinga Klaudy/Andrea Papp, Hungarian Academy of Science, Office for International Co-operation, H-1051 Budapest, N�dor u 7, Hungary, Tel/Fax +36 1 1172840

16-18 September 1996, Glasgow: ALT-C 96, Conference for the Association for Learning Technology

Information: Mrs Shona Cameron, ALT-C 96, Computer Centre, University of Strathclyde, 100 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G4 0LN, Tel 0141 5524400 ext 3460, Fax 0141 5534100, Email [email protected]

11-13 September 1997, Dublin, Ireland: EUROCALL 97

Information: CTI Modern Languages, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK, Tel 01482 466373, Fax 01482 473816, Email [email protected]

First part of this newsletter

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