To be perfectly honest, this is not how I envisioned starting off this blog after the introduction, but it did just occur to me that this is something that people need to know:
Technology has come a surprisingly long way in the time that I have been on this Earth. Smart phones have proved to be amazing and they are a crucial device for those interested in quick and efficient language learning. BUT, we're not going to talk about that today. I will say that if you are learning a new language, go ahead and install the keyboard (NOTE: I use the term keyboard for smart phones and input method editor for computers) for whatever language it is that you are learning on your phone. It is extremely helpful. Now, a note of caution: make sure you install the correct one. (e.g. if you are learning Brazilian Portuguese, make sure you're not installing the the keyboard for European Portuguese, etc.) Also, anecdotally: if you are using a windows computer, as a Tibetan learner, you might as well just stick to your smartphone for typing.* I would strongly avoid typing in Tibetan on a windows computer at all costs, unless you have keyboard decals. This is an example of a difficulty that you may face if you are learning an obscure language. And, while I say that, all keyboard layouts will require some degree of memorization on your part, and possibly even keyboard decals, such as with Russian and Tibetan.
In the stead of further discussion about smartphones and relevant tangents, I'm going to teach you how to procure the best input method editor (IME) currently available for Mandarin Chinese. All Chinese people know of it. The one that I am going to suggest is certainly not the only one, and it may not always be the best one, but for now, the best IME is Sogou's pinyin input method editor.**
Whether you are a learner of simplified or traditional Mandarin, I HIGHLY recommend Sogou's IME.
To download it, follow the appropriate link:
PC (red button that says 立即下载)
http://pinyin.sogou.com/
MAC (blue button that says 立即下载)
http://pinyin.sogou.com/mac/?r=pinyin
The relevant button, as of 09/13/2016 is RED for PC and BLUE for MAC, it says 立即下载lìjí xiàzài(also read as: xiàzǎi)
Importantly, if you want to know how you would have gotten to that page on your own, you could have searched 搜狗拼音 or 搜狗拼音输入法 (for reference, that's sōugǒu pīnyīn or sōugǒu pīnyīn shūrù fǎ -literally Sogou pinyin input method***)I believe and know this to be important, because, as a language learner, you have to recognize the fact that the phrases that you use to search the internet in English may not have a comparable phrase in whatever language you are learning. It is also possible that the phrase that you are looking for is not easily obtained by yourself as a non-native speaker. This is particularly true of highly analytical languages, such as Mandarin, that have highly specified usages for their compounds. (read: words)
Why is this valuable?
If
you are typing Mandarin on a computer or smart phone, while there are
other options available, you are most likely going to be using a pinyin
IME. That means that you are writing out the pronunciation and then
choosing the correct characters by hitting the corresponding number in
the list that comes up, or by hitting the space bar if the IME gives you the
right choice as the first option. More frequent combinations are displayed in order of frequency. Please, please learn to use the space bar well. I don't typically even look at the combinations being displayed, I type and then hit 'enter.' I glance back at what was typed as I continue typing to make certain that the IME gave me the correct choices - did it use the correct 他/她/它 tā/tā/tā， etc. This
makes typing in Mandarin a relative breeze. DO NOT sit there choosing the correct character combination with every compound, that will take forever. If you're a language learner, your time is valuable， even if it is fun and insightful to peruse all the different character combinations available for 'tā,' etc., you can't and won't be doing that with every single compound.
This input method allows you to use both simplified and traditional characters. To switch back and forth between the two, hit Ctrl+Shift+f or hit the 简 or 繁 button to switch to the other in the toolbar or on the palette. (if you have the palette enabled) To switch back and forth between English and Chinese, just tap 'Shift.' As you type, it will give suggestions for what characters you are wanting to use and it will also recognize names of things, places, etc. It seems to have the best recognition ability available. If you are typing the name of something unusual, such as the name of a video game, then it may offer the desired suggestion in the second slot, which should have a little cloud icon next to it. The suggestion with the cloud next to it may take a second or two to load the suggestion if whatever you are typing is, say, particularly obscure.
Is this common in language learning?
Input method editors are certainly common, but the ones provided by PCs and macs are usually sufficient for most languages. This is subject to change, but more obscure languages may require a language pack download from microsoft. The most common languages should be included with windows.
Two examples of where the IME provided is not the best choice is with Chinese and Tibetan. I am also not a great fan of the stock IME that windows has for Japanese, though I have never taken the time to find a better solution, as the vast majority of my time spent typing in Japanese has been on my mac or via smart phone. They are working on these things all the time though, so this is very much subject to change.
Do remember that there are other IMEs out there and, if you hear of one better or one with an interesting feature, let me know. I am always to other options and eager to learn about new things.
* Aside: The last I checked, android also falls short for Tibetan. It doesn't have a readily
available option for learners of the language. Apple has been a godsend for
Tibetans and Tibetan learners alike. You install the input
method/keyboard for your mac/iPhone and you're good to go. The keyboard
layouts are logical for non-native speakers as well.
** For
those of you that don't know, pinyin is the method currently used by
the majority of Mandarin learners foreign or domestic. (read: native)
The pinyin system was invented in mainland China and it has displaced the
Wade-Giles system as the most used system for transliterating Mandarin
characters using the Latin alphabet.
*** For the curious: '輸入/输入' shūrù means 'to input' or 'to import.' e.g. '輸入一百字/输入一百字' shūrù yībǎi zì means 'to input one hundred characters' or '輸入糧食/输入粮食' shūrù liángshi means 'to import grain.' Its antonym being 輸出/输出 shūchū, 'to export'. It doesn't have to be used purely with physical substances, such as grain or crops.
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