Students' instructions for use

Preliminary remarks
Your computer must accept pop-ups and the Javascript engine must be on.
nbsp;   - In Internet Explorer, click "Tools" and "Manage add-ons", then click "Enable pop-ups".
    - In Mozilla Firefox, click "Tools", then "Options".
    - Firefox may ask you to instal un plugin for sound files.

You must open an account before you can use Actilablang.

You need an agenda code, and possibly a group code. Ask you teacher.
If several classes share the same agenda, you must give the agenda code plus the group code.
The email must be the one you normally use. It will be used to make contact with you, to send advice or information, either personal or collective.

Opening several accounts:
You may create several entries, one for each of the subjects you are taught (translation into a foreign language, into English, précis-writing, written/oral comprehension, etc. All you need to do is click on the "+" icon in the home page, register with the same email, the same password and a different agenda code.

You may also work on different languages, or different subjects, then you will need to click on the "+" icon in the home page, and select either another language or another subject,so that you can have one distinct vocabulary list for each language. In this case, you will have to select the language or subject when you log on.

Connection 

In case of dysfunction
Make sure your computer allows pop-ups. You must also ensure Javascript and Shockwave are enabled:
    - If Shockwave is not installed the browser will automatically ask you to download it.
    - If you use Mozilla Firefox, open the "tools" menu, then click on "Options" to allow popups and/or enable Javascript. With some versions of Firefox, you will need to allow the use of style sheets (Eee-PC Asus 64,among others).
    - Firefox may ask you to allow the installation of plugins for sound files.

Workspace and tool-boxes

Once you have opened an account, just log on to your work agenda. You will need to enter your password and and your email.

A snapshot at the work agenda

This example shows assignments, a list of topics for oral presentations, plus 4 documents and 1 exercise.
 - The icon of document 1, 2, 3 and 5 indicates that they are written documents. The icon will change with the nature of the document.
 - Document 4 is an oral recording associated with a gap-fill exercise.
If the teacher who prepared the agenda has decided so, their email will appear under your name and you will be allowed to send them a message.

The screen is divided into two windows

                The "tool-box" window is on the left; that is where you can enter vocabulary or memos.
        The main window on the right displays the assignments, documents, exercises and your notepad.

1. The main window
Click on "My work agenda" to display your work programme. It will open the sequence you had been working on when you last got connected. There is a drop-down menu to move from one sequence to the next or back.
There are plenty of tools available in the left section of the screen. Just click on the appropriate icon to display them in the section on the rght. Click once more to hide it, or click on another icon to replace it.

Click on the drop-down whiteboard (top of the screen) to show or hide the notepad.

The tools are displayed in the right section of the screen so that you can jot down vocabulary as you read a dictionary or a document.

Refrain from using the back-page button of the browser. It has not effect on php files and may disconnect the computer from the server.

2. The "tool-box" window on the right of the screen

Tools in the top and bottom box allow you to:
- review your vocabulary and possibly enrich or correct it,
- create/update your electronic language portfolio and upload work (essays, recordings, etc.) that you wish to show (see below),
- create exercises
- make contact with a classmate or the whole class by email (or even another class).
- share your notes or documents with a workmate,
- use a phonetics virtual keyboard,
- reserve a topic or role in a role-play,
- suggest a document for the class to work on,
- have a look at your work history,
- see assessments by you teachers, if they have chosen to make them accessible,
- access your language portfolio (see below),
- access another agenda if you have opened several.

The vocabulary builder:
You are invited to build a vocabulary list by picking up words and phrases in a reasoned way.
If you are working on a foreign language, you are supposed to note down the translation, illustrate the meaning of the vocabulary with a short sentence or a remark.
You can also give synonyms and antonyms, whenever possible.
That can be done a posteriori. Just click on the "vocabulary" button. The list of vocabulary which has been built will be displayed in alphabetic order. It can also be listed in reverse chronological order to make revisions easier.
Click on the word to open the editor and modify (or delete) it.

Tools in the bottom box allow you access to:
- multilingual dictionaries (Babylon, Wordrefrence, Reverso and Linguee).
- specialist lexicons and glossaries.
- online grammars (mostly English grammar for French students) and exercices and grammar lessons in different languages as well as plenty of exercises. More can be added by teachers);
- reference documents (selected by your teachers and/or uploaded by students: you can enrich the list by suggesting some; they will be added after your teacher);
- Bing search engine;
- Google docs;
- Wikipedia;
- a private forum for the group;
- a virtual keyboard (writing down notes or vocabulary when one does not have the right keyboard may be tricky, if one wishes to write in Arabic, for example. Just click on the "virtual keyboard" icon.  First choose the language, then copy and paste the text. You can chose to write from right to left if necessary);
- text-to-speech modules (2 modules: Ausiopal and Acapela);
- a voice-recorder (you may save the recordings - click on the disk icon - and change the listening speed. A timer is included so you know how long your recording is (max 5 mn); any new recording will delete the previous one;
- a video-mail module (recordings are limited to 3 mn);
- a sound-file module;
- a video chatroom (your own where you may invite partners, or the one the teacher has selected for you to work with a specific group).

3. The notepad
This window can be used to write a summary of a document, the plan for an oral presentation, to answer questions on one of the documents, which may be either included in the assignments, or at the bottom of a downloaded document, etc. It can also be simply used to take notes on the research made online.

The notes can be saved and modified at any time or revised and enriched during further sessions. Click on "save" in the notes window before closing the session. A label will recall the necessary process on closing the session. Notes can also be deleted, copied and pasted into a Word or Notepad file.
The notes can be exchanged and/or enriched through collaboration by clicking on and ticking the name of a partner in the list. That allows the user to have access to the partner's notes which can then be corrected, copied and pasted, enriched either by writing directly in the window or copying and pasting text. Any change must be saved.
Depending on the language used to take the notes, it is possible to write from left to right or right to left by clicking on the appropriate arrow. That can be made independently of the vocabulary.  The virtual keyboard may be used either for vocabulary or the notes.
The teacher (or tutor) may read and possibly correct both the notes  and the vocabulary recorded and see when and how long the students have been working on the agenda.

4. The language portfolio

Three sections

The Passport

You are expected to assess your competences (6  levels for each of the 5 competences). Assessment is based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) and a reference grid is provided (click on "estimated levels").

Special profesional skill descriptors are also available to exemplify the cometence levels mentioned.

Further documentation is available from the Council of Europe website,
and further help is provided through a detailed reference chart where you may check your progress (click on "How to check my level").

The biography

Please fill in and update the biography on a regular basis.

The dossier

The dossier allows you to upload formated documents or recordings which will thus be made accessible to teachers - or visitors if you give them the right URL (click on label-icon to get it).
Simply click on "upload file". Files may be online or stored on your computer.