What Every Online Student Taking a World Language Needs to Know: Typing Accent Marks and Other Special Characters

Online students taking a world language course will need to submit written work with the correct accent marks or they may lose credit on that assignment. Students typing in another language may need to include special accent marks, characters, or punctuation depending on the language they are learning. 

Here are a few resources available to students to help!

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Key-by-Key Translator

One method is to use what is called a key-by-key translator, where you either hold down a letter for more options or use a combination of characters to create a custom character, depending on the language and the operating system. This does vary by operating system and language, so make sure you choose the one that applies to your language and your computer. 

Below are tricks for typing special characters in French, German, and Spanish.

French:

• Chromebook: A special character + select letters (The ‘ key + a = á)
• Mac: Press and hold select letters for more options (Hold o = ó)
• PCs: ALT+__ (ALT + 0224 = à)

German:

• Chromebook: A special character + select letters (The “ key + u = ü)
• Macs: Option + __ (Option + s = ß)
• PCs: ALT + __ (ALT + 0223 = ß)

Spanish:

• Chromebook: A special character + select letters (The ‘ key + a = á)
• Mac: Press and hold select letters for more options (Hold e = é)
• Mac: ALT+__+__ (ALT + n + n = ñ)
• PCs: CTRL+__+__ (CTRL + ~ + n = ñ)
• PCs: ALT + __ (ALT + 0225 = á)

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Software: Toggle to a different keyboard

You can change the input from your standard American keyboard to output characters of another language by switching to the keyboard for that language. This way, a student can work on English as normal, toggle the keyboard for Spanish, and then change back to the standard keyboard for a history course.

Here are the ways to toggle to different keyboard languages in the three most commonly used computers.

• Chromebook
• Mac
• Windows

Toggling to another language’s keyboard can be very convenient in the long run and is a proven method of being able to type any accent mark, unique letter, or special character in any given language (even Chinese), but keep in mind that things will be shifted around on your keyboard and that several keys will have different functions. 

It is recommended that you print an image of that language’s keyboard layout and post it in your workspace for easy reference while you become accustomed to the new layout. Another option is to save the image on your computer where it is easily accessible while familiarizing yourself with the new keyboard.

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Use a Website to Type Accent Marks and Other Characters

Alternatively, it is possible to utilize this website to type any accent marks, characters, or punctuation that your new language requires. Simply choose the language and get started. You can then copy and paste your text wherever needed. However, bear in mind that in the long run, it is quicker to learn how to type accent marks and special characters on your own keyboard.

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Remember That Your Teacher Wants to Help You

If you experience technical issues, please reach out to your teacher. They want you to be able to master the material, but you will need to work within the technical parameters as well. This means using accents and special characters as needed. 

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Since 2003, Enlightium faculty and staff have served partner schools, online, and homeschool K-12 students. With parental support, excellent instruction, and a personalized approach to learning, Enlightium equips students with the academic, spiritual, physical, social, and emotional skills they need to succeed in life. For any other questions about Enlightium, please call (509) 319-2288 or visit EnlightiumAcademy.com.