Materials and software
This section of the website is divided into 3 main parts:
1. advice on selecting materials and software for language learning,
2. products to buy, and
The products to buy section also contains:
- multi-lingual proofing tools
- multi-lingual wordprocessors
- multi-lingual speech recognition/dictation software
Translation software and dictionaries are found in other sections of the website.
Advice on Selecting Materials
Nowadays, there is a wide variety of materials available for learning languages. Modern materials and software such as CD ROMs, DVDs, cassettes, and videos, provide colour, variety and sources of authentic input (examples of real language used by native speakers). Traditional materials are mainly text-based and tend to focus more on reading and writing skills e.g. course books, work books, text books, graded readers, and grammar exercises - these can also be very useful. All these materials are designed for language learners, but we should not forget that there is a huge amount of authentic material designed for native speakers which can be used for advanced learners, and adapted for those who are less proficient: books, magazines, newspapers, games, music, films, radio, and tv.
When selecting materials for language learning you should try to find those that match your:
- language level e.g. advanced level
- age group e.g. adult
- reason for learning the language e.g. to improve your letter writing ability
- preferred approach e.g. like to do repetitive exercises
- mode of learning e.g. self-study
- price range e.g. £15 to £25
- equipment available e.g. using Windows 95+
Look for attractive materials, which you find interesting, colourful and useful. They should be clearly laid out and well-structured. Borrow materials from a friend or a library first, if you can, to make sure that you can get on with them. You can also ask your teacher or fill in a short online form to use our advisory service.
You can also consult the CILT resources library . Another possibility is the Hull CALL software database.
Global Office - an enhancement to Microsoft Office for 100+ languages
Global Writer - a word processor with a wide range of languages
Microsoft Office Proofing Tools - allows users to proof documents in 50+ languages (currently out of stock)
CD ROMs and DVDs from Eurotalk for learners of most languages and all levels
Not sure what to buy? Why not use our advisory
service and fill in a short online
form?
Selected Products
LINKS (in alphabetical order)
Free Light Japanese
- V1.4b, Free Light Software 1997.
Vocabulary builder based around a labelled picture
. Option to draw characters too, and to record
and compare pronunciation. Can create own exercises.
Free
Light Japanese II adds sentence gapfill.
Global Office - an enhancement to Microsoft Office 97/2000 for 100+ languages
Global Writer - a word processor with a wide range of languages
JapAlpha
- (shareware), O. Thill 1999.
Learn Japanese ideograms -you're shown the characters
and their roman transcriptions, then take a multiple
choice quiz. Demo version has 100 hiragana, 100
katakana and 80 kanji plus 1,600 words; full version
has 800 kanji and 14,000 words.
Japanese
Verbs - V1.0 (shareware), KiCompWare.
Windows program offering three kinds of flashcard,
multiple choice and matching quizzes, plus a game-like
tutorial. Verbs can be displayed in romaji, hiragana,
katakana or kanji/hiragana, showing derivation and
example sentences. There's also reference information
on particles, adverbs and inflection. Demo version
has only 60 (1000 when registered) verbs and 3 tutorial
verb sets (of 70); registered version has around
1200 example sentences.
JWP
- V1.31 (freeware), Stephen Chung 1996.
Excellent Japanese word processor for Windows. Entry
in romaji, hiragana, katakana and kanji, comprehensive
dictionary (using Jim Breen's superb EDICT) and
other quality WP functions. Three screen & printer
font sizes. [10 parts]. There is now an automatic
installation set for JWP which fits on three floppy
disks, making it much easier to get started. Several
extra fonts and a font creation program are also
available. All these can also be downloaded from
the Monash
Nihongo archive.
JWPce
- V1.31 (freeware), Glenn Rosenthal 2000.
Japanese word processor - this is a totally re-written
version of JWP (above), initially intended for use
on hand-held Windows CE machines. However, it has
grown to have most of JWP's features and a few extra:
support for Unicode fonts, colouring kanji you don't
know, and identifying the most common kanji for
example, and it seems to work better on a network.
Kanji
for Fun! - V1.0c (shareware), ComCul International 1994.
Kanji 'concentration' game (match the kanji to their
English translations). Can also print out kanji
list. Demo version includes the 80 kanji of grade
1. Includes Kanji Writer! v1.0 for practice drawing
the kanji from the game. Both are based on a TrueType
font per grade. (Windows)
Kanji Gold - V1.0
(freeware), D. Hewgill 1998.
Windows flashcard program for all level 1 and 2
kanjis (around 6000 characters) showing meanings
in English, hiragana or katakana. Kanji lists for
study can be created or use provided lists. Uses
font file and kanji databases from JWP/Edict; a
version of the package is available without those
large files for users of JWP. Also available
from Monash
Nihongo archive
Microsoft Office 2003 Proofing Tools - allows users to proof documents in ~50 languages
NJStar Japanese
WP for Windows 95/NT - (shareware), Hongbo Data Systems 1999.
Very comprehensive Japanese word processor with
proper formatting features. Support for many entry
methods; reads and writes JIS and EUC; includes
extensive dictionary. The more expensive registered
versions have extra fonts. Also available
from Monash
Nihongo archive.
Teach Yourself Courses - over 1 million people buy these courses each year!
winCALL
- V1.0 (freeware), X. Jie Yang 1997.
Windows authoring program for developing Japanese
courseware, which doesn't require a Japanese system.