Advantages of icon fonts in e learning for language education/training

抄録

In earlier stages of language learning and training, pictures are used to facilitate understanding, especially of word meanings. Pictures in e-learning exercises so far are mostly image files embedded by the developers into a text document or a web page. The icon-fonts proposed by Gros are promising alternatives in that end-users can enter orthographic inputs and get icon images on a text document, and thus can offer a basis for full-fledged language learning including writing and reading. The icon-fonts have been implemented on two distinct methods: on the Open-Type technology and via the AutoCorrect function of Word and OpenOffice Writer. Their advantages and disadvantages are discussed, and exercises for language learning and training are constructed with both methods.