Background: Augmented reality can provide a 3D virtual experience, widely used in modern education. However, the impact of these applications on the underdeveloped tribal community has yet to be investigated. To our knowledge, no markerless augmented reality application has been developed especially for learning the language of the Bodo tribe.…

In this study, we present the analyses stemming from a survey administered to 2149 foreign language learners at Michigan State University. We had three goals. First, we aimed to compile a profile of language learners' technological acumen, access to and ownership of technology, and the current uses of technology across a wide range of languages…

Acquisition of orthographic knowledge and phonemic sensitivity are processes that are central to early reading development in several languages. The language-specific characteristics of the alphasyllabaries ( Bright, 1996), however, challenge the constructs of orthographic knowledge and phonemic sensitivity as discussed in the context of…

This paper presents a summary of the decisions made by the members of the Marianas Orthography Committee and contains recommendations and general rules for official and formal adoption into the writing system of the Chamorro language throughout the Mariana Islands. The committee presents the general rules with the hope that they will be followed…

Numbers 1 and 2 of the first volume of the newsletter contains an editor's page and the following articles: "Diacritics on Wordstar: South Asian Language Transliteration without Customized Software" by Tony Stewart; "The Universal Typewriter" by David K. Wyatt and Douglas S. Wyatt; "Multi-Lingual Word-Processing Systems:…

The English-to-Haitian Creole (HC) dictionary defines about 10,000 English words in common usage, and was intended to help improve communication between HC native speakers and the English-speaking community. An introduction, in both English and HC, details the origins and sources for the dictionary. Two additional preliminary sections provide…

The dictionary is designed for learners of St. Lawrence Island (Alaska) Yupik, an Eskimo dialect. An introductory section gives an overview of the Yupik alphabet and phonology. Alphabetical word listings in St. Lawrence Island Yupik follow, with definitions in both Yupik and English. A sample sentence in Yupik using the entry word is followed by…

The dictionary of the Central Koyukon Athabaskan dialect contains the most commonly used words in the language, and is designed for use in bilingual education programs in the elementary grades. A pronunciation guide distinguishes between and compares the three Koyukon dialects, and offers details of the orthography and phonology of all three. The…

Difficulties in transcription from the Hebrew to the Roman alphabet are discussed. The resolution of some of the problems in Judeo-Spanish texts using the "aljamiado" writing system are reviewed, including the use of some Hebrew consonants as vowels, representation of Judeo-Spanish sounds non-existent in Hebrew, and phonetic variations…

Volume 1, numbers 3 and 4, of the newsletter on the use of non-Western languages with computers contains the following articles: "Reversing the Screen under MS/PC-DOS" (Dan Brink); "Comments on Diacritics Using Wordstar, etc. and CP/M Software for Non-Western Languages" (Michael Broschat); "Carving Tibetan in Silicon: A…

This booklet describes the Urdu writing system, and is part of a series of teaching materials for teaching Urdu. A general introduction outlining the main characteristics of the system is followed by a presentation of the alphabet. Letters symbolizing the same sound are then discussed, followed by the vowels. Non-connectors, or letters not having…

Reviews the history and development of the Pinyin grapheme system for the transcription of Chinese, and contrasts Pinyin graphemes with those of several other systems for Chinese. It is argued that Pinyin should be accepted as the standard system for Chinese transcription. (JL)

Facts on the grammar of Kazakh, spoken in Kazakhstan, are presented. They are intended as a guide, not an instructional text. Information is presented in the form of notes and word lists on the following topics: orthography (the Cyrillic alphabet, spelling reform, stylistic and dialectal alternations, common misspellings, and homographs);…

A curriculum model for teaching Arabic that closely follows the "Natural Approach" is outlined. The method stresses skill development through language use in a variety of realistic situations from the outset of the course. It differs from traditional approaches to Arabic instruction in its emphasis on the communication of meaningful…

The dictionary for the Northern-Central variety of Thai is designed as a reference for use by Peace Corps volunteers assigned to northern Thailand. An introductory section gives an overview of the dictionary's content and design and of the use of the Central Thai alphabet (the old Northern alphabet is rarely used). Most of the words included are…