This feature can be used to 'type' special characters. The idea is to mark a character for becoming a special character, for example typing ~a when you mean à. After you have written your text you replace marked characters (the ~a) with special characters (the à). Of course you have to either type in the Alt number code or paste the character, but the point is that you only have to do it once for the whole text and not for every single à that you want to type.
Unix and the Compose key
If you are using Ubuntu Linux with Gnome you select the Compose key from System: Preferences: Keyboard then Layouts: Layout Options: Compose key position. You can select one of Right Alt key, Left Win-key, Right Win-key, Menu key, Right Ctrl key or Caps Lock key (for a USA keyboard layout). The Keyboard preferences dialog has an area you can use to test the settings. See below for how to use the Compose key. Ubuntu with a different window manager, such as KDE should have a similar keyboard preferences utility.
If you are using Unix or a derivative operating system (such as Linux) with XFree86, you can define a compose key by opening a terminal window and typing:
To use the Windows menu key (between the right Windows key and right Ctrl key: xmodmap -e "keysym Menu = Multi_key"
To use the right Windows key:
xmodmap -e "keysym R_Meta = Multi_key"
To use the right Alt key:
xmodmap -e "keysym Alt_Gr = Multi_key"
To use the Compose key, press and release the Compose key, then type two characters. Combinations useful for typing in French follow:
à Compose + a + `
â Compose + a + ^
ä Compose + a + "
ç Compose + c + ,
è Compose + e + `
é Compose + e + '
ê Compose + e + ^
ë Compose + e + "
É Compose + E + '
î Compose + i + ^
ï Compose + i + "
ô Compose + o + ^
ö Compose + o + "
ù Compose + u + `
û Compose + u + ^
ü Compose + u + "
Web Resources
Link collections
Wikipedia French language external links - Dozens of valuable links.
Translators
Google Translator (http://www.google.com/language_tools)
Babelfish Translation (http://babelfish.altavista.digital.com/babelfish/tr?) : A translation website Google Toolbar (http://toolbar.google.com/) - automatic translate on mouseover of a word (English to French only)
Learning French
Online French Help (http://www.onlinefrenchhelp.com/)
About.com French Language (http://french.about.com/)
Target Language (http://www.targetlanguage.co.uk/)
Anne Fox (http://www.homestead.com/Anne_Fox/LearningFrench.html)
BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/index.shtml)
The Mixxer (http://www.language-exchanges.org) Find a native French speaker for a language exchange via Skype (http://www.skype.com)
Jump-Gate (http://www.jump-gate.com/languages/french/)
University of Adelaide (http://www.library.adelaide.edu.au/guide/hum/french/learning.html) , Australia
French Language Learning Software (http://www.claritaslux.com)
Free Online French Tutorial (http://www.ielanguages.com/french.html)
BBC Bitesize grammar
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/bitesize/standard/other/sos/french/grammar/index.shtml) Free resources for language learners (http://loquela-education.net) - Practice speaking french online with ausio forums.
TravelWiki Phrasebook (http://wikitravel.org/en/French_phrasebook)
Orbis Latinus French (http://www.orbilat.com/Languages/French/index.html) MIT French I Assignments
(http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Foreign-Languages-and-Literatures/21F-301Fall-2004/Assignments/index.htm MIT French II Assignments
