Mac Computers – Virtual Keyboard Instructions
In order to type in certain languages, you may need to add a new virtual keyboard. This guide will explain how to add virtual keyboards on Mac OS and choose the correct settings for each language.
Language Keyboard Instructions
1 .Open “System Settings” (under the Apple icon).
2. Click Keyboard (on the left). Then click the “Edit” button (under “Text Input”).
3. Turn on “Show Input in menu bar”. This will add a language switcher button (
) in the top-right of your screen.
4. Click the + icon in the bottom-left corner.
5. Choose the language and keyboard layout option. Then click the “Add” button.
6. Click the input icon (in the top-right corner) to change your keyboard.
Try typing. You should find that you are now writing in your selected language.
View Virtual Keyboard Layout
Click the input icon and choose “Show Keyboard Viewer”.
A virtual keyboard will show the layout for your selected language.
Easy Ways to Type Accented Characters
Mac OS also allows easily typed accented letters and diacritical marks by using a sustained keypress on a single key. For example, if you press and hold on “a” a pop-up will appear after holding that key for a few moments which displays which accents are available for that particular letter or character.
- Press and hold on the letter you wish to accent, continue holding the letter until a menu with character accents are displayed.
- Choose the character accent with the mouse, or press the number corresponding below the accent in the menu.
If this accent sub-menu feature isn’t available to you, it’s likely because you either have a fairly old version of system software, or perhaps you disabled the accent menu to favor key repeat instead.
Language Specific Instructions
Following the previous instructions, Step 5 will vary for each language.
The following section shows which keyboard layout should be used for each language.
阿姆哈拉语
Choose Amharic > Ge’ez
The 阿姆哈拉语 keyboard will look like this:
Arabic
Choose Arabic > Arabic
The Arabic keyboard will look like this:
亚美尼亚
Choose 亚美尼亚 > Armenian – HM QWERTY
The 亚美尼亚 keyboard will look like this:
孟加拉
Choose Manipuri (Bangala) > Manipuri (Bengali) – Standard
The 孟加拉 keyboard will look like this:
Chinese Simplified
Choose Chinese, Simplified > Pinyin Simplified
Note: There is no keyboard layout for the Chinese, Simplified – Pinyin Simplified keyboard layout because phrases are spelled out with letters from the English Alphabet.
How to Type in Chinese Simplified:
- Typing in Chinese Simplified begins with typing the pronunciation of the word (Pinyin) and then hitting the space bar to bring up a list of Chinese Simplified characters to choose from.
Important: If test takers use Pinyin* in the response (not Chinese characters), they will top out at the 初级高级 level. To score at the Intermediate level or higher, test takers MUST show the ability to use characters.
*Pinyin is the Romanization of the Chinese characters based on their pronunciation. In Mandarin Chinese, the phrase “Pin Yin” literally translates into “spell sound”. In other words, spelling out Chinese phrases with letters from the English alphabet.
Chinese Traditional
Choose Chinese Traditional > Pinyin – Traditional
Note: There is no keyboard layout for the Chinese, Traditional – Pinyin Traditional keyboard layout because phrases are spelled out with letters from the English Alphabet.
Important: If test takers use Romaji* (not changing that to Hiragana, Katakana, or Kanji), they will top out at the 初级高级 level. To score at the Intermediate level or higher, test takers MUST show the ability to use characters.
* Romaji is the Romanization of the Japanese characters based on their pronunciation. In Japanese, the phrase “Romaji” literally translates into “roman letters”. In other words, spelling out Japanese phrases with letters from the English alphabet.
希腊
Choose 希腊 > 希腊
The 希腊 keyboard will look like this:
希伯来语
Choose 希伯来语 > 希伯来语
The 希伯来语 keyboard will look like this:
印地语
Choose 印地语 > Devanagari – QWERTY
The 印地语 > Devanagari – QWERTY keyboard will look like this:
日本人
Choose 日本人 > Japanese – Romaji
Note: There is no keyboard layout for the Japanese keyboard because phrases are spelled out with letters from the English Alphabet.
Important: If test takers use Romaji* (not changing that to Hiragana, Katakana, or Kanji), they will top out at the 初级高级 level. To score at the Intermediate level or higher, test takers MUST show the ability to use characters.
* Romaji is the Romanization of the Japanese characters based on their pronunciation. In Japanese, the phrase “Romaji” literally translates into “roman letters”. In other words, spelling out Japanese phrases with letters from the English alphabet.
Type in Japanese:
- Typing in Japanese begins with typing the pronunciation of the word with letters from the English alphabet, and then hitting space bar to bring up a list of Japanese characters to choose from.
- Note: You may need to hit the SHIFT button.
卡纳达语
Choose 卡纳达语 > Kannada – Standard
The 卡纳达语 keyboard will look like this:
高棉
Choose 高棉 > 高棉
The 高棉 keyboard will look like this:
韩国
Choose 韩国 > 2-Set Korean
The 韩国 keyboard will look like this:
马拉地语
Choose 马拉地语 > Marathi – Standard
The 马拉地语 keyboard will look like this:
尼泊尔语
Choose 尼泊尔语 > Nepali – Standard (India)
The 尼泊尔语 keyboard will look like this:
普什图语
Choose 普什图语 > Afghan Pashto
The 普什图语 keyboard will look like this:
波斯语-法尔西语
Choose Persian > Persian – Standard
The Persian keyboard will look like this:
旁遮普
Choose 旁遮普 > Gurmukhi – Standard
The 旁遮普 keyboard will look like this:
俄罗斯
Choose 俄罗斯 > 俄罗斯
The 俄罗斯 keyboard will look like this:
泰米尔
Choose 泰米尔 > Tamil 99
The 泰米尔 keyboard will look like this:
泰卢固语
Choose 泰卢固语 > Telugu – Standard
The 泰卢固语 keyboard will look like this:
泰国
Choose Thai > Thai
The 泰国 keyboard will look like this:
乌克兰语
Choose 乌克兰语 > Ukrainian – Legacy
The 乌克兰语 keyboard will look like this:
乌都
Choose 乌都 > 乌都
The 乌都 keyboard will look like this:
越南语
Choose 越南语 > 越南语
The 越南语 keyboard will look like this:
