How do you switch between languages on the computer?

Question

I want to be able to switch languages fast on the computer. I talk to Japanese people, and would like to type in Japanese and then switch back over to English fast. How can I do this!?

Answer 1

On XP:

Click on Start button and then Control Panels.  Select Regional and Languages Control Panel. Click the Languages tab and click install for Asian languages, Click OK.  Click the Advanced tab and then click then select Japanese.  Click Apply.  Insert the Windows XP install disk and it will install the Japanese fonts.  Reboot.  Go back to the Regional Languages Control Panel and click on the Languages tab. Click Details and then click Add to add Japanese language as an input language.  Click on the Advanced tab and select on the box to add support for text applications.  Keep clicking OKs until you are out of the control panels.  Reboot.   When you login, You should see on the start bar a "EN" for english language input.  Click on it and select JP for Japanese, EN for English.

Open any application and change to JP and you should see kanji characters on your screen.

Answer 2

In Windows, you should be able to right-click the taskbar, choose to show the language bar, and then where it says "EN" you can click that and choose another language to type in. If you don't have Japanese installed as a language:

You should be able to install languages by the following method:

Open Control Panel

Click (in the category view) "Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options"

Click "Regional and Language Options"

Click the Languages tab, then the Details button, then "Install files for East Asian Languages", and click Apply.

After installing that and being back in the regional and languages options window, go to the Advanced tab, and in the 'Code page conversion tables' section, check the box that says "10001 (MAC - Japanese)".

In the same window, also select "Japanese" to use for non-unicode programs if you also want to run to be able to run Japanese software or use Japanese in filenames or have more Japanese text support and stuff like that, however choosing this can have some unwanted effects.

Now restart your computer.

Get back into the same "Regional and Language Options" window, click the Languages tab, Details button, and then 'Text services and input languages'.

Click Add and add Japanese as a language. You can also click "Key Settings" to use a key combo to switch between languages.

Now you can use the language bar to change the language of the program you are working in.

In Mac, now, it is much simpler. You would open System Preferences, click the International button, go into the Input Menu tab, and check the box in the list next to "Kotoeri". Also check the "Show input menu in menu bar" button. This will show a flag next to the time at the upper-right of the screen. Click the flag and you get a drop-down menu to choose the language.

Answer 3

Depends on your OS.

On Windows, go to the Regional settings in the Control Panel and add a Japanese keyboard layout. A little language toolbar will appear in your taskbar.

On Mac OS X, open System Preferences, go to International, the keyboard tab (or something similar) and check the checkbox next to Hiragana.

On Linux, I don't know what desktop environment or distro you would be using so that would be more difficult.

If you need more help, google add japanese keyboard layout. Good luck!