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ICT Skills 1

Do you know how to change the language settings of your keyboard? (13/31)

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[DE: Eingabegebleiste]
Language bar | Settings

Find out

The languages settings refer to the language you choose to use when operating a computer. In Windows XP, the Language Bar can be used to change the way in which your computer interprets input from your keyboard. This is done either by changing the keyboard layout, or by invoking an IME (Input Method Editor).

Language bar

The appearance of the Language Bar depends on which options are currently selected and whether it has been minimised. 

A minimised Language Bar will appear on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen, near the clock. It will have an icon representing the language currently in use (e.g. FR for French). Click once on this icon to Show the Language Bar or switch between different languages.

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Restoring the language bar

If for any reason you cannot see the Language Bar, you can easily restore it. To do this, you need to open the Text Services and Input Languages dialog box: 

  1. Select Settings from the Start menu and choose Control Panel.
  2. Double click on the Regional and Language Options icon. 
  3. Select the Languages tab and click once on the Details button under Text Services and Input Languages.
  4. Press the Language Bar button under Preferences. This will open the Language Bar Settings dialog box.
  5. Tick the Show the Language bar on the desktop box, by clicking over it. 
  6. Click OK in each of the dialog boxes to confirm your settings. 
  7. If the box already has a tick, but you can’t see the Language Bar, click on the box to remove it.
  8. Click OK to confirm your settings in each dialog box.
  9. Repeat the whole process: This time tick the Show the Language bar on the desktop box.

Keyboard layouts

There is sometimes more than one Keyboard layout/IME available for a single language. This caters for cultural and linguistic differences between countries which share a common language. In fact, more than 100 keyboard layouts and IMEs are produced by Microsoft. The best way to learn how to input your own language is to experiment with the combinations that you are likely to need. Use the help button on the Language Bar to access help relevant to the current language selection.

At one end of the Language Bar (the left if you are working in a left to right environment) there is a handle with which you can drag the bar around the screen. To do this, hover over the handle until the mouse pointer turns into a cross with arrows at each point; then hold down the left mouse button while moving your mouse to the required location. 

Next to this handle there is an icon displaying the code for the current language (e.g. FR ). Click on this icon to see a menu from which you can choose another language. At the other end of the toolbar, you will see two very small buttons. The top button will minimise the bar. The lower of the two buttons opens a menu with a range of other options. Selecting Settings will open the Text Service and Input Languages dialog box. From here you can Add and Remove languages for your use. By pressing the Properties button, you can change preferences for the selected IME.

Why is this information important for translators and translation teachers?
Depending on the language used, keyboards are different: the alphabets vary, the distribution of the letters is different, there are special characters and letters available directly on the keyboard, etc. Since translators and translation teachers work with several languages, they need to be able to know how to easily and quickly switch the keyboard languages.

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