Computers and the French Language
Type accents on any PC, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone, or iPad
You don't need software or any special equipment to type accents - just follow these directions.
Email addresses and websites
Scroll to the end of this lesson on symbols to learn how to pronounce @ - _ and other essentials for email addresses and websites.
Online Translators - Machine Translation
While machine translation is an interesting concept and considerably cheaper and faster than professional translators, the results are less exciting. This article put the top four online translators to the test - see how they hold up against one another and against a real person.
Texting - Les Textos français
Learning French is one thing, but French on the internet - in chatrooms and forums - or via text messaging or email can seem like a completely different language. Fortunately, help is at hand. Here are some common French abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols to help you communicate via text.
Courriel - c'est officiel
The Académie française surprised the francophone world with its choice for the official French translation of email. Deciding that the terms commonly used in France were too close to English, the Académie chose the Québécois word courriel.
un mot-dièse
What is un mot-dièse? How is it pronounced and used?
Set your computer to use French (PC)
If you use Windows, you can immerse yourself a bit more in French by telling your computer to display menus and dialog boxes in French.
Set your computer to use French (Mac)
You can type French accents and immerse yourself in French at the same time on a Mac OSX by setting your system language to French so that your OS as well as most Apple software use French.
French Search Engines
If you do a lot of internet searches related to French-speaking countries or their products, consider using a French-language search engine such as Google France, as it may yield more relevant results than your default search engine.
French learning software
If you're looking for an interesting way to get more French practice and improve your skills, check out my recommendations for French learning software.
French Toolbar
Install the free French toolbar in your internet browser for easy access to some of the most useful pages on Learn French at About.com, plus other French features.
French Webquest
A webquest is an interesting project for French classes or for independent studiers looking to spice up their self-instruction. This project is perfect as a long-term activity for intermediate and advanced students, though it can also be adapted for beginners.
French Accents on the Internet
Guide to the HTML codes for typing French accented letters and special characters for webpages.
French-Speaking Country Internet Codes
Every country in the world has an official two-letter country code for use on the internet. These codes are used in website addresses and emails, and can therefore tell you where a website is located. In addition, they can be used to perform country-specific searches. Here are the country codes for French-speaking countries.
Python
Si vous voulez développer en Python, regardez cette page.
Code couleur
"Dans le langage de l'imprimerie, les couleurs se traduisent par des codes. Les premières formules se destinaient aux presses traditionnelles puis aux presses numériques. Il a donc fallu munir les couleurs de codes pour l'informatique. Apprenez maintenant la conversion html."
Free French Apps
If you're looking for free French apps, you're in luck: there is a wide variety, from dictionaries to learning programs - here are some useful-sounding mobile applications related to French.