WitchDesk
Did you know the program "Ways2" or "WitchDesk" from Hannes Keller? It is an old program for Dos, Windows 3, Windows 95 that also works under Windows 98.
The program catches the keyboard entries and converts the word to another and looks for exchanged characters. If you write "cahracters" the program improves the correct writing and changes automatically into "characters". It is completely free and customizable. You can generate your own wordlist. You can define for example the Basic English Words: aback, surprise abandon, let go abandoned, given up abandoning, giving up abate, make less abating, making less abbreviate , make shorter abbreviated, make shorter abbreviating, making shorter abbreviation, short form etc. You convert your private word list into "dictionary" (fast, even for thousands of words!) Or add it to an existing dictionary and after that you can enter "aback" and find "surprise" on your screen! There is a problem in Windows NT and 2000 (I don't know about XP. Sorry!) For this reason the developer, Hannes Kellers, doesn't support this really useful program anymore. But it is easy to get the German version on www.ebay.de because more that a million copies were shipped with each new PC's of Vobis in the years 1992 -- 1996! I can send you Witchdesk for Windows 95 in German. It works properly in Windows 95. WitchDesk.zip (386K) A good way to find books about Basic English: on http://www1.digibib.net/ if necessary change the language into "english" [right side on the top] enter in the system as "guest" (there are 2 login's. one is for the guests. you only have to press "login"). enter author "ogden" [left side] title "basic english" click on "Verbundkatalogue" [right side] and on "Internationale Bibliothekskataloge" press "search" [left side, under "title"] ! I am sure that there is the same possibility in your country!
The program "Ways2" or "Witch Desk" sounds interesting in that they accept spaces required by Basic expressions to replace standard English words. Wonder if any other in-line spell checkers can also use this approach for Basic English translation? Can any of your readers provide wordlists?
manor1
They accept spaces required by Basic expressions
to replace standard English words.
Yes I confirm : this program (ways1 is for dos, ways2 for win 16 bit and witch desk wizard for win 95 or win 98 ) accepts spaces :D in the answers (but not in the entries :!: . You have to enter with the combination as new word with underline, and to enter it each time including the underline char! :x ).
but it can more : it includes a full and very nice programming language, and a full recorder :wink: . so you can enter a question using a really easy to open a window on the screen if the entry correspond to two or more answers:
button(good
bene
buon
va bene)
%1
key("bene ")
goto(%Ende)
%2
key("buon ")
goto(%Ende)
%3
key("va bene")
%Ende
Correction:
'Len Lye films'
'I am a French student, in the last year of my master's in English literature. I am working on a New Zealand artist called Len Lye, who spent quite a few years in New York, just after the war. I know he participated in the works done on Basic English by making films that were used for teaching it. I think it was called March of Time and the actual movie was entitled Basic English.
I am looking for more information on this film, and on Basic English of course, how it was conceived and when, what sort of use it had and what sort of impact it had on its audience.
Thank you for your help.
Best Regards
Helene
March of Time Len Lye worked as a full-time director and contributed to many episodes of the March of Time series. 1945, Basic English : Six 10-minute segments B&W Made in association with I.A. Richards
Who teaches me Basic English?
I am writing this E-mail from Japan. I have been a Basic lover for a
long time. With me in Japan there is a great number of persons who have a great desire to become better at writing English. For this purpose
my selection was Basic English that would be able to give me all I am in
need of.
I have more than ten books for learning how to do the writing in Basic English, but it is not possible for me to have someone under whose direction I would be able to do right writings in Basic English.
So I gave up once the idea of keeping learning Basic English. But in the end I came across this site.
The statement I made was in Basic English ( Am I right?)
Hoping to have a right person for this purpose, I put an end to my mail.
P.S.
Now between my friends there has been an argument about the use of "better half" . Is it among Basic English right wording?
To improve my oral English
I'm a Chinese girl,and now studying in Qingdao University of Shandong Province.
I'd like to improve my oral English . Help me if you like !
Thank you!
VOA Special English is probably the best was to learn to hear and speak English. They started with short wave radio, but their website is always available and has many programs. http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/ To listen online requires Real Audio software, which is a free, large download. These are discussed on webpage: http://ogden.basic-english.org/voaspecial.html The Merriam-Webster Online site will pronounce individual words. http://www.m-w.com/ Enter a word next to Dictionary. A definition page will be displayed. Click on the sound symbol for a pronunciation. Click on" hear it again", if you desire. BBC website has many suggestions: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/ The audio also requires Real Audio software. BBC uses full English words and normal speed. VOA Special English uses fewer words, is like Basic English, and talks slowly. Our forum is intended for Learning and Practice. http://www.basic-english.org/forum/ Logon and communicate with others learning Basic English.
"Better" is not in the Basic English 850 word list, but something is said by Ogden as part of the discussion of “good” with the idea of a higher quality as good-better-best. This thought is common in regular English and will be taught quickly after the 850 words because "more good" and "most good" are clear, but not common.
In "Basic English", Chapter 2, [ogden.basic-english.org/be2.html] Ogden says: 2. The ADJECTIVE (QUALIFIER) is a word which expands the description given by a noun. Rule for Comparatives. Comparatives and Superlative are formed by putting more and most respectively in front of the adjectives. (1) Exceptions: good, better, best and bad, worse, worst (1) The learner must be prepared to find that the comparative and superlative of certain adjectives are more generally formed by the addition of the suffixes -er and -est respectively. "Half" is one of the 50 words in the Time and Numbers [intlword.html] addition to Basic. "Better half" is not a word, but a saying with the sense -- of two things nearly equal, one part is a higher level or more than equal. Colloquially, it is a kind sense for married woman / wife.
I need help
I am beginner in English study
but I need learn more words every day
I have some problems .I can not arrange two nouns exactly
for example, store bob , family Ali
Possessive Your examples are possessive (of ownership) which is done in two ways. 1. store of Bob ; family of Ali. 2. Bob's store ; Ali's family. Ogden says in the “System of Basic English.” http://ogden.basic-english.org/be3.html “An alternative method of forming the a possessive is to use the suffix 's instead of the possessive preposition [e219c609e4] of. This makes a more concise style.” and on page /wordthere.html 's -- possessive as "apostrophe s". Usage: Bob's box as alternate to box of Bob
Basic English Books
Hi,
I find myself intrigued by the Basic English system. Could you please tell me how I could go about ordering some of the books mentioned on your web site? Thank you.
Pierre Ostrowski
Taiwan
Basic English Books.
See our web page http://ogden.basic-english.org/bksource.html
for Japanese, Hong Kong, US and internet sources.
If an email to the Hokuseido Press, their website is
Redundant words
"Substance" and "material" are redundant and can be replaced with the more general and simple word "Stuff".
"While" is redundant with "as"
"Grip" can be better replaced by "hold".
Ogden would probably say
Ogden addressed many issues besides redundancy while coming up with Basic English. Among them are:
a. Usage throughout a range of daily life, business, science, technology and philosophy.
b. Regularity in grammar, spelling and meaning.
c. Ease or difficulty in replacement by other Basic words.
d. International understanding -- from common roots
e. Utilization of allowed affixes.
f. Progression in learning.
g. Elasticity -- multiple usages.
"Stuff" is used colloquially where the Basic words "thing, something, anything," and other Basic words for more specific usages of "stuff" are adequate. The concept is so common as to be covered by many words such that "stuff" exceeds the principle of elasticity into uselessness.
Ogden's meaning for "substance" is "tangible matter". His definition of "material" is "composed of matter". If one were to attempt redundancy reduction, then "matter" might be a better choice than "stuff". However, "substance" provides the learner with expansion into "important, solid, value" and usages in science. "Material" extends into "comfort, necessary, fact," and "that from which things are made" with uses in business and technology.
"While" and "as" are both Basic words. "While" refers to time. "As" is a comparative. They overlap in meaning only while comparing time.
"Grip" replaced by "hold" - I am inclined to agree that "tight hold" does everything that "grip" does and extends to the cargo hold of a ship, "holder, holding" and many idioms and compound words. While "grip" can only add a chest disease, a small suitcase, and something interesting.
Jim'Ogden on Grip vs. Hold.' 'Ogden chose "grip" as a noun, as in "a tool grip" and he opposed "hold" because he saw it as a verb, "to hold". In his first dictionary, "grip" is defined as a substantive (noun) as "firm grasp", whereas he defines "hold" with several verbs: grip, power, keep, have, take. In full English, "grip" can also be a verb, as in "to grip", just as "have a firm hold" is a noun. The suffix -ing is shown for both words. The -er forms would seem to be available for both words, but are not specifically stated in his The Basic Dictionary, for translators. The -ed form would not be accepted because of the verb content. Therefore the two words can be considered as relatively equal in many regards.
However, my Webster's agrees with Ogden's decision by giving eight noun meanings of "grip" before giving four verb forms. Webster then gives 18 verb meanings for "hold" before giving eight meanings as a noun.
'Dear Sir:
It has been years since I have been a teacher of BASIC. But your letter was most beautiful.
Sincerely,
Michael
Using Basic English in Education (ESL)
Hello! I am very interested in the Basic English idea. I teach English as a Second Language in Brazil and I would like very much to work in the development of materials to the teaching of English to students that are beginning to study English. I work at elementary public schools, my students are very beginners and most of the research in the area of English Teaching seems to be done to more advanced students, with more adequate classrooms, more materials, etc., and I would like to work in this basic field, of teaching English to beginners. I am also very interested in the use of computers, the web, etc., in this teaching, so I am posting this message in other parts of this forum, too, in order to search for some help concerning what to do.
I have been searching materials about Basic English for years, and I am very happy to find this site!
Thank you very much for the attention, and please give any kind of indication you think my be helping!
Tancredo
Basic English in ESL
'Hello! I am very interested in the Basic English idea. I teach English as a Second Language in Brazil and I would like very much to work in the development of materials to the teaching of English to students that are beginning to study English. I work at elementary public schools, my students are very beginners and most of the research in the area of English Teaching seems to be done to more advanced students, with more adequate classrooms, more materials, etc., and I would like to work in this basic field, of teaching English to beginners. I am also very interested in the use of computers, the web, etc., in this teaching, so I am posting this message in other parts of this forum, too, in order to search for some help concerning what to do.
I have been searching materials about Basic English for years, and I am very happy to find this site!
Thank you very much for the attention, and please give any kind of indication you think my be helping!
Tancredo
Internet words committee
Tancredo,
To contribute to the internet word committee, please review the discussion onhttp://www.basic-english.org/21/internet.html
and the wordlist on pagehttp://www.basic-institute.org/21/netlist.html
for recognizability in Portuguese. Where the English word for the concept is totally unknown to web users in Brazil, please suggest the local word(s) for that idea.
Hopefully, the English words are used internationally and you will have to report only the exceptions.
Thanks, Jim
'a professional website on voa specialenglish'
What about the website
The Institute has requested additional information about this nicely done website which seems to be an enhanced customization of the VOA website.
However, all we know about the source is that the domain "unsv.com" is registered to:Fan, Jun
Doing business as the Ultra Network Service Special English Workgroup. The server, .cnolnic.com, and webmaster, atona.com, are each oriental sites. Dear Jun Fan, You posted your Special English webpage address http://www.unsv.com/specialenglish on the Basic-English.org website Forum. Would you please send information about your website: its purpose, tell us who are the sponsors, and the intentions of your site.
Southeast University
Nanjing, Jiangsu 210001 CN
Peoples Republic of China (mainland)
What is the Ultra Network Service Special English Workgroup? Do you represent Southeast University or are you a student?
We are happy to list sites of benefit of Basic English users, but we would like more information.
re: about http://www.unsv.com/specialenglish'
I am very glad to receive your email;
'Dictionary software?'
Does anyone know of a dictionary software that is suitable for use with
the Basic English vocabularies? We need one that allows adding our Basic
definitions on a large scale or eliminating non-Basic words.
Additional desirable features will be :
* able to be used from within one or more popular word processing /
office suite software packages.
* use of multiple dictionaries at the same time where it is easy to set and
change combinations of vocabularies (Ogden's speciality wordlists)
'White Paper'
Attached are a number of lists of international words, physical science, life science, general interest, prose and verse, together with a number of special lists from each of the above subjects, showing an advancement from the lists given in the 3rd Step.
Jack Beauchamp
Jack has provided a white paper on international words for the 21st Century project. The suggestions are several pages with much detail for permanent reference. It has been put on a web page.http://www.basic-english.org/21/beauchampwhite.html
It gives us a great starting point for much consideration. -- moderator[
'Language? :)
anyway how about Basic Burmese or Farsi? I would be interested in translating Basic English
in Burmese! I used Ogden's Basic English to teach
my zero-level students in Yangon, Myanmar (or
Rangoon, Burma for most of you) together with
a TPR delivery. Works very very well!
I've also taught English in Kabul University. It
would be good if there is Basic Farsi as well!
Burmese, Farsi too
Consider yourself project manager. The Institute will be happy to display your work.
If you want help, layout your needs and plans and see if anyone is qualified to help. The Institute provides this Forum for such work We can set up Burmese and Farsi project discussion groups for shared working on details when you provide your proposal and we understand the direction you plan to go.
Your local and worldwide students can also participate in specific Learning discussion groups.
'Hi Boddy,
Welcome to the Basic English Institute. You have full member privileges.
The Forum is the primary means of communication with other
members who share a desire to move Basic English into the 21st Century.
You can participate in Projects, Teaching, and Learning. Logon to the
Topics you are most interested in and express your interests.
All best,
Jim
www.basic-english.org/forum/