In this Help and Information tutorial you will be given a list of ALT codes to use accents in French for Windows and a list of OPTION codes to use accents in French for MAC.

HOW DO I ACCENT THAT?

You will discover that your keyboard is probably not set up for accents like mine is. When you are asked to type something out, or use some of the Moodle Quizzes, you will be required to put the appropriate accents on your words. You are probably wondering how you will be able to do this.

Bilingual Keyboards

Many new computers come equipped with a bilingual keyboard. If you happen to have this type of keyboard, you can change the keyboard settings to allow you to access the accents. However, not all accents are clearly marked. It takes time and patience to memorize where they are.

To make the French accents accessible from your bilingual keyboard, follow the steps listed below (Windows 8):

1. Open your Control Panel.
   
   

2. Click the View by Category drop-down list and select “Large Icons.”
   
   

3. Select Language.
   

4. Select Add a language.
   

5. Scroll down and select French (français).
   

6. Select French (Canada) as there are some variances in spelling and grammar rules between Canada and other countries.
   

7. You will see that you have both English and Français under your language preferences.
   

8. On your task bar, at the bottom right hand side, you should see an ENG icon appear. Click on this and switch to FRA – French (Canada).
   

9. Your task bar should now have FRA where the ENG icon was. You are now ready to use the accents on your keyboard. To switch back, click on the FRA icon and select ENG.
   

Websites

There are many websites in existence that will allow you to type French accents without a French keyboard. One of my favourites is: http://french.typeit.org/. This website allows you to type and edit your text, with accents, in the box provided.

Then, when you are done, all you have to do is copy it to your document or into Moodle.

If you do not want to use a website, or you want to work on a document without accessing the internet, you can use either ALT codes for your PC or OPTION Codes for your MAC.

ALT Codes for Windows

If your computer is not equipped with a bilingual keyboard, you may want to use ALT codes to insert individual accents into your text. The ALT codes are used to enter the characters as text in programs such as Word or Adobe Photoshop. To enter an ALT code from your keyboard, make sure Num Lock is on, use the numeric keypad, and keep the ALT key pressed as you type the numbers. You will find a table on page 6 that will give you the ALT codes required for Core French.

OPTION Codes for MAC

If you have a MAC computer, you will see that the ALT button is actually an OPTION button. There are codes required for MAC computers which will work similarly to the ALT Codes for Windows. There are two steps required. The first step is to hold down the OPTION key. The second step is, while still holding the OPTION key, select the required letter and then release so that the desired accent is created. You will find a table on page 6 that will give you the ALT codes required for Core French.

FRENCH ACCENT CODE TABLE