Typing in other languages

Most languages don't fit onto a standard US-English keyboard layout (for example, the Spanish ñ or non-Latin alphabets such as Hindi or Chinese). To type in these languages, first enable the appropriate language, then select your current input language.

Note: Some languages' character sets must be installed before they can be enabled (see below).

Installing non-Western character sets (Windows only)

Note: Mac users can skip this step.

If you desired language is on the following list, you must first install its character set:

East Asian languages	"Complex script" languages
Chinese	Arabic
Japanese	Armenian
Korean	Georgian
	Hebrew
	Indic languages
	Thai
	Vietnamese

To install a missing language:

Insert a Window XP CD into your optical drive. If you don't have an XP CD, visit us at the Helpdesk and we'll lend you one.
Go to: Start > Control Panel > Regional and Language Options > Languages tab
- If you can't find Regional and Language Options, click Classic View on the left sidebar
Under Supplemental language support, check either the complex script checkbox or the East Asian checkbox, depending on which language you are installing.

Enabling a keyboard layout

Note: If you installed the East Asian character sets in the step above, then their keyboard layouts are automatically enabled for some reason (go figure).

WindowsWindows

Go to:

Start > Control Panel > Regional and Language Options > Languages tab
- If you can't find Regional and Language Options, click Classic View on the left sidebar

Under Text services and input languages, click the Details... button.

Click Add and select the language that you want to use. Windows will suggest a default keyboard layout to use when typing in that language, but you can select a different one of you want to (for example, choosing a specifically Latin American keyboard layout over a continental Spanish one).

Mac OS XMac OS X

Click the Apple at the top left corner of your screen and select System Preferences...
Click the International option
Click on the Input Menu tab
Select your desired language(s)
- Some languages have more than one keyboard layout (e.g. Korean). If you know which one you want, uncheck the others, otherwise just leave them all and try them out once you're done.
Select the Show input menu in the menu bar check box

Switching between input languages

When typing in a different language, your keys will behave differently (for example, when typing in Russian, hitting the P key will enter П). Unfortunately, we don't yet have magic keyboard ink that change shape at will, so you'll have to memorize the new behavior of the keys. However, if you connect a foreign keyboard it will function correctly.

WindowsWindows

The Language bar should have appeared on the right side of your taskbar:

If not, right-click on the taskbar and select Toolbars > Language bar

The bar should currently have a button labeled "EN" (English). Click on it to select a different language. If you decide you want to add more languages or keyboard layouts layer, simple repeat the enabling step above.

Mac OS XMac OS X

At the top-right corner of your screen should now be a flag denoting the currently selected input language (probably an American flag at the moment). Click on it and select your desired input language. You can switch back and forth whenever you want to.

If you don't see any flags, make sure you checked the Show input menu in the menu bar check box in the previous section.

Spell-checking in Word

If you want Microsoft Word to spell-check and grammar-check your new language, install that language's dictionary.

FAQ.TypingInOtherLanguages moved from FAQ.TypingInOtherLangauges on 08 Aug 2007 - 01:24 by NedBurns - put it back

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