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Vocabulary Drill menu

Drill Forward

The Forward command begins a new vocabulary drill using Chinese or Japanese characters in the timed question stage(3- 42). See Beginning the Drill(6- 2.)

Drill Reverse

The Reverse command begins a new vocabulary drill using English (or another language) notes glosses(D- - 4) in the timed question stage(3- 42). See Beginning the Drill(6- 2.)

Select Word Stage

Use arrow keys: Next Word Previous Rescore Wrong Direction Quit
  1. Use arrow keys prompts to remind that the arrow keys and Enter are quicker and better to use than the mouse.
  2. Next Word moves to the next random word or phrase in the cycle.
  3. Previous prompts you to retrieve, review, and rescore a recent previous word.
  4. Rescore opens the Enter a New Score dialog. This is handy if you want to set an artificially high or low time score to the word. High scores yield additional practice time on the word or phrase, while lowered scores result in it rarely or never being asked.
  5. Wrong attaches the dunce score to the word and opens the Enter a New Score dialog. Optionally, rescore the word. Select OK to continue. This is handy when you erroneously score a trial as correct then realize it was wrong.
  6. Direction alternates between Forward and Reverse flashcard drills.
  7. For an overview, see Beginning the Drill(6- 2).

Question Stage

The question stage displays the Question Stage menu, the unknown question word or phrase in the FlashCard(6- 2) window, and the stopwatch counts elapsed time in hundredths of seconds. You have no time to lose!

Try to verbalize the word. Saying it aloud makes your guess more definitive. Also try to visualize or verbalize its meaning, then press any key to stop the stopwatch. Select the Added Stage(3- 42) command for an optional second question stage, or proceed to the Scoring Stage(3- 42).

Press any key for answers. Press Z to add Extra Question Stage.

If you don't know the word at all, just give up by pressing any key and score the trial as Wrong. However, if you recognize the word somewhat, it is best to concentrate until you run out of time. See the discussions beginning with the Word at All (Chinese) (2C- 23), (Japanese)(2J- 16). For an overview, see Beginning the Drill(6- 2).

Added Stage

The added stage displays the question and its pronunciation without running the stopwatch. Visualize the meaning, then continue to the Scoring Stage(3- 42).

Scoring Stage

The scoring stage reveals all of the answers, the previous score, the stopwatch time, and the Scoring Stage menu:

Score your answer: Correct - Press `c' or Space Wrong - any other key.

Grade your response. If you were wrong or gave up, grade yourself Wrong. It is quickest to use the keyboard, pressing c, z, or Space for Correct, and any other key for Wrong. If you run out of time, Smart Characters automatically sets your score to dunce.

After you press a key, Smart Characters shows your grading (right or wrong), and calculates your new score. For a right answer, the new time score is an average of the stopwatch time and the old score. A wrong answer yields a new time score of dunce. Smart Characters then returns to the Select Word(3- 41) stage for another cycle. For an overview, see Beginning the Drill(6- 2).


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Last Modified: March 23, 1996

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