This page presents information and links to free or inexpensive programs that many students will want to download for use in GER 202 and in advanced courses at Northern Kentucky University. They are required for web-based courses.
You will need Microsoft's free browser Internet Explorer, Version 4.0 or higher in order to use the Harper-Collins Online German-English Dictionary. Version 5.5 is preferable. It can be downloaded from Microsoft's website at
After downloading Internet Explorer and starting it, you can make free links to the Harper-Collins Online German-English Dictionary from
http://www.wordreference.com/english/InstallIEnew.htm
First, expand your Links area on the toolbar by moving your cursor over the left edge of the Links area until a two-way arrow appears and dragging the border to the left to make more room. Then right-click on the words to German and auf Englisch and drag them to the links area. Do not be concerned by the warning message.
In order to type foreign language characters for many of the programs we use, you will need the share-ware program Swapkeys, available at
It does not matter which format you choose. The free version of the program tells you that it will disappear after 30 days, but you will probably be able to use it for longer than that. You are encouraged to purchase this program for $12.00. You will also need a keyboard file to use with Swapkeys that is available from
www.nku.edu/~leech/ftp/ger2000.swk
This file will allow you to type German characters in almost any program. You may also alter the keyboard combinations yourself if necessary.
You can also download the free spellchecker used in the language lab if your computer came equiped with Microsoft Word for Office 95 or Office 97
http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/germany/downloaddetails/de/spdeu9x.htm
The free spellchecker cannot be installed with Office 2000, however.
Finally, you may wish to teach Internet Explorer to speak German. Click on Tools, then Internet Options, then Language, the Add, and select German. Click on Languages again, and then Change, and select German. Internet Explorer should take you automatically to an update page that will allow you the download a German-language file. You can then change back and forth between the two.