Keyboard

 

 

Anyone who wishes to type in a foreign language will need to master foreign keyboards. In Windows, there are several convenient solutions to what was a difficult problem in the days before computers. Two solutions are offered below:

1) how to type accents using the American keyboard, an method which works with Windows 2000 and Windows XP,
2) how to install a foreign keyboard on an older Windows __computer (Windows 95, 98, and ME).

 

 

1) How to type accents in Windows 2000 and XP

Without any changes to your keyboard settings you can type accents in Windows by using the following keystrokes:

CTRL + , then c : ç

CTRL + ` (accent under tilde) then a,e,i,o,u : à,è,ì,ò,ù

CTRL + ' (apostrophe) then a,e,i,o,u : á,é,í,ó,ú

CTRL + SHIFT + 6 then a,e,i,o, u : â,ê,î,ô,û

CTRL + SHIFT + : (colon) then a,e,i,o,u: ä,ë,ï,ö,ü

Thanks to Joseph Morris for the above instructions!

2) Another solution (for Windows 95, 98, and ME) :
-----the French Canadian keyboard

You may add additional keyboard layouts to any Windows computer. In order to easily type in accent marks ( é è à ê ç ï ù ë), it is a simple matter to install a keyboard that will allow you to type in accents conveniently. Some people prefer the US International layout, but good typists will find the French Canadian keyboard particularly easy to learn. All the letters are in the same location as on a US keyboard, (which is not the case for some very common letter keys on the French keyboard), although some of the common symbols have been relocated to allow easy access to accent keys, which are assigned to the bracket, apostrophe and slash keys on the right side of the keyboard. (The brackets, apostrophe and slash are still accessible through different keystrokes). The Canadian keyboard layout is illustrated at the bottom of this page.

To install an alternate keyboard, open the Control panel, locate the "keyboard" icon, double-click it. The "Keyboard Properties" window will then open.

The "Keyboard Properties" window gives you the option of adding additional keyboard layouts. In the example below, the French Canadian keyboard has been added and can be toggled with the other installed keyboard, which in this case is the standard English (United States) keyboard.

On some computers, pressing Ctrl + Alt (on left of spacebar) and the letter key yields the same result, to type the right-hand symbol. These symbols include the commonly used @and [ ] .

The é / É key types in the letter with its accent aigu.
The other accent keys are "dead keys." This means that you first press the `or ¸ or ^ (...nothing happens on screen...) and then press the letter key. The chosen letter and diacritical mark then appear on screen: è ç ê

THE FRENCH CANADIAN KEYBOARD
le clavier français canadien

TOP ROW
UPPER CASE | ! " / $ % ? & * ( ) _ + (BACKSPACE)
LOWER CASE # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 - =

TAB ROW
UPPER CASE Q W E R T Y U I O P ^ ¨ >
LOWER CASE q w e r t y u i o p ^ ¸ <

CAPS LOCK ROW
UPPER CASE A S D F G H J K L : ` (ENTER)
LOWER CASE a s d f g h j k l ; `

SHIFT ROW
UPPER CASE Z X C V B N M ' " É
LOWER CASE z x c v b n m , . é

You can get the @ symbol by pressing right ALT key and
the key with the 2 and the @ on it.

You can get the ~ (tilde) by pressing the right ALT key and
the key to the right of the letter L.