A Step-by-Step Guide
to Using the Program |
The upper part of the screen of Gerry's Vocabulary Teacher is used to select words and sentences, or to add, delete, or edit words and sentences. The lower part of the screen shows the sentences that have been selected for an exercise, and gives the user options to create an exercise as a RTF (rich text format) paper document or an interactive web-based exercise using JMatch or JCloze. Screenshot
A. To make a gap-fill exercise.
1. Click the cursor in the WORDS column on the left side of the screen and type the word you wish to select - it will appear automatically, using a feature called type ahead. Using type ahead is much easier than using the scrollbar on the right to try to find the word. After you have chosen the sentence you want for the word you have selected, always remember to first click the cursor back into the WORDS column, and then, again, type the next word you want. Note: Don't use the button marked "+ New Word" to locate a word. This button is used to add a new word to the database which is not already included in the program. (See step D below).
2. Begin typing the word you want
3. When the word appears, choose the sentence in context which you wish to use by clicking on it.
4. Click on the “Use” button 
below the sentences window, to put the sentence into the output screen.
- Again,
click in the WORDS column on the left side of the screen and type in the word you want.
- Continue the same procedure until you have all the sentences you need.
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5. To choose the options you want, check off the boxes as follows:
- Include Q#s for question numbers,
- Gap Words to make a fill-in-the-blanks exercise, or Bracket Words to make the answer key, and
- Jumble Order to mix up the order of the sentences.
You are now ready to produce your vocabulary exercise - follow the instruction in B below for an exercise in the form of a paper document or C below for an interactive web-based exercise.
The following screenshot shows the principle features of the program.
B. To produce a hard copy (paper document) gap-fill exercise.
1. Click on the button which reads RTF (rich text format). 
2. Give a name to the exercise and click on Save.
3. Click on Yes to open the file.
4. Give the exercise a title (Ex. Vocabulary Review Exercise #2)
5. Print your exercise.
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C. To produce an interactive online JMatch or JCloze gap-fill exercise.
In order to do this, you must have the Hot Potatoes suite installed on your computer.
Hot Potatoes is not freeware, but it is free of charge for those
working for publicly-funded non-profit-making educational institutions which make their pages available on the web. Other users must pay for a
licence.
1. Click on the button which reads JMatch or JCloze. 
2. Give a name to the exercise and click on Save.
3. Click on Yes to open the file.
4. Give a title to the exercise and click on the save icon.
5. To open the exercise, go to file / create web page / make your selection.
D. To add a new word to the program.
1. Click on the New Word button below the WORDS column. 
2. Type the new word into the box and click OK.
E. To add a new sentence to the program. 
1. In the Words column, click on the word that you want to add a sentence for.
2. Click on the New Sentence button.
3. Type the new sentence into the box, using square [brackets] for the target word and click OK.
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F. To mark used sentences with an asterisk * so you know which ones you’ve already used with your class.
1. Click on Sentences in the menu bar at the top of the program.
2. Choose the option Mark used sentences.
G. To remove the asterisk * from all sentences in order to start afresh with a new class.
1. Click on Sentences in the menu bar at the top of the program.
2. Choose the option Remove all stars. (see illustration above)
H.
To create an exercise where words are chosen at random.
1. Click on Output in the menu bar at the top of the program.
2. Choose the number of sentences desired in the random exercise.
3. Click on the other options (as indicated) as desired, and click OK.
4. Proceed as in section B or C above.
I. To open a different database file.
In order to access different database files, including the American, British or Canadian English files, and the 10 Academic Word List sublist files, click on the file option at the top of the program interface and select Open a database.
Next, click on db in order to see the different files available.
Finally, select the database file you wish to use. Simply repeat the above process to work variously with the different files.
If you cannot find these files, you have probably been taken to the wrong folder.
Go to Program Files on your C: drive, and find the folder entitled GerryVoc.
J. Other buttons.
The buttons marked delete, edit, clear are for deleting sentences or words, editing sentences, and clearing the output box of all sentences.
K. To find discussion questions, proverbs, quotations, find someone who... questions, etc.
All the discussion questions, proverbs, etc. are located within the entry for the given keyword. They are usually among the last sentences listed in the keyword collection of sentences. Just move down through the list of sentences by using the scroll button to find them.
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