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France Plans a New Keyboard to Shift Control to Typists France Plans a New Keyboard to Shift Control to Typists
(2 days later)
PARIS — Bad spelling? Incorrect grammar? It’s all in the keyboard.PARIS — Bad spelling? Incorrect grammar? It’s all in the keyboard.
French is a difficult language to write, but writing correctly is “nearly impossible” with existing French keyboards, and the government has decided to do something about it.French is a difficult language to write, but writing correctly is “nearly impossible” with existing French keyboards, and the government has decided to do something about it.
The Culture Ministry has called for the creation of a standardized keyboard that would make it easier to use accents, ligatures and special characters that make the French language unique but also frustratingly difficult to type.The Culture Ministry has called for the creation of a standardized keyboard that would make it easier to use accents, ligatures and special characters that make the French language unique but also frustratingly difficult to type.
Auto-correcting smartphones can do the job. But the Culture Ministry wrote in a statement on Jan. 15 that “it is nearly impossible to correctly write in French with a keyboard” sold in France.Auto-correcting smartphones can do the job. But the Culture Ministry wrote in a statement on Jan. 15 that “it is nearly impossible to correctly write in French with a keyboard” sold in France.
A recent report by the branch of the ministry that deals with language policy noted that the AZERTY keyboard layout, used only in France and parts of Belgium, had never been standardized. A recent report by the branch of the ministry that deals with language policy noted that the Azerty keyboard layout, used only in France and parts of Belgium, had never been standardized.
Most countries use the QWERTY keyboard layout, named for the first six letters of the keyboard’s upper row. Most countries use the Qwerty keyboard layout, named for the first six letters of the keyboard’s upper row.
“Depending on what operating system you are using and on the manufacturer of the keyboard, some keys are not available in the same place, or are not available at all,” the report said, using the “at” sign, or @, and the euro currency sign, or €, as examples. “It is often impossible or very difficult to type certain characters that are very common in the French language with our ‘French’ keyboards.”“Depending on what operating system you are using and on the manufacturer of the keyboard, some keys are not available in the same place, or are not available at all,” the report said, using the “at” sign, or @, and the euro currency sign, or €, as examples. “It is often impossible or very difficult to type certain characters that are very common in the French language with our ‘French’ keyboards.”
The AZERTY keyboard does have dedicated keys for commonly used accented letters like é or è. But typing other characters like the cedilla (ç), or ligatures (like in cœur, French for heart, or Lætitia, the name) can require complex keyboard shortcuts that are hard to master. Accentuating capital letters (État) can be so complicated that some have even been led to believe — incorrectly — that it is not necessary, the report lamented. The Azerty keyboard does have dedicated keys for commonly used accented letters like é or è. But typing other characters like the cedilla (ç), or ligatures (like in cœur, French for heart, or Lætitia, the name) can require complex keyboard shortcuts that are hard to master. Accenting capital letters (État) can be so complicated that some have even been led to believe — incorrectly — that it is not necessary, the report lamented.
The ministry has asked France’s national standardization body, known as AFNOR, to come up with a norm for French keyboards. The norm would not be mandatory, but would give manufacturers, software developers and others a common reference point, and could be used as a condition in government procurement. The ministry has asked France’s national standardization body, known as Afnor, to come up with a norm for French keyboards. The norm would not be mandatory, but would give manufacturers, software developers and others a common reference point, and could be used as a condition in government procurement.
Philippe Magnabosco, who heads the keyboard project at AFNOR, said that French spelling and grammar were not too complicated for computer keyboards, and there was no reason France could not do better than some of its European neighbors or French-speaking partners, like Canada or Belgium, which have developed keyboard norms that are better suited to typing in French. Philippe Magnabosco, who heads the keyboard project at Afnor, said that French spelling and grammar were not too complicated for computer keyboards, and there was no reason France could not do better than some of its European neighbors or French-speaking partners, like Canada or Belgium, which have developed keyboard norms that are better suited to typing in French.
“There are languages that are much more complex to write, but that have keyboards that perfectly suit their needs,” he said. “Look at the Czechs or the Poles, who have accents in every direction, and who have perfectly suitable keyboards.”“There are languages that are much more complex to write, but that have keyboards that perfectly suit their needs,” he said. “Look at the Czechs or the Poles, who have accents in every direction, and who have perfectly suitable keyboards.”
Culture Minister Fleur Pellerin said in an interview with the iTélé news channel on Wednesday that there were no plans to completely overhaul the AZERTY keyboard. Instead, Mr. Magnabosco said, the goal is to rearrange and tweak existing symbols without physically adding more rows or keys. Culture Minister Fleur Pellerin said in an interview with the iTélé news channel on Wednesday that there were no plans to completely overhaul the Azerty keyboard. Instead, Mr. Magnabosco said, the goal is to rearrange and tweak existing symbols without physically adding more rows or keys.
“Why should the micron sign or the pound sterling sign figure so prominently today?” he said. “We need to give them a spot that matches more closely their frequency of use, and use the space that’s freed for signs that we use daily.”“Why should the micron sign or the pound sterling sign figure so prominently today?” he said. “We need to give them a spot that matches more closely their frequency of use, and use the space that’s freed for signs that we use daily.”
The goal is also to make it easier for French keyboard users to write in other European languages and regional languages specific to France, like Breton or Occitan.The goal is also to make it easier for French keyboard users to write in other European languages and regional languages specific to France, like Breton or Occitan.
AFNOR will consult with other institutions and companies before putting forward a proposed project in the summer this year. After an open survey on the project, the norm is expected to be made official in early 2017. Afnor will consult with other institutions and companies before putting forward a proposed project in the summer this year. After an open survey on the project, the norm is expected to be made official in early 2017.
Despite technological advances, alternative ways of typing and reading text — like voice dictation and recognition software — are still imperfect, said Rachel Panckhurst, an associate professor in computational linguistics at the University of Montpellier 3, in southern France.Despite technological advances, alternative ways of typing and reading text — like voice dictation and recognition software — are still imperfect, said Rachel Panckhurst, an associate professor in computational linguistics at the University of Montpellier 3, in southern France.
So keyboards are still the norm, and standardizing them to make writing and spelling in French easier is important, she said, even if France sticks to the AZERTY layout. So keyboards are still the norm, and standardizing them to make writing and spelling in French easier is important, she said, even if France sticks to the Azerty layout.
“I don’t think it is a good idea to change everything, because people have been used to these keyboards for so many decades,” Ms. Panckhurst said. “Doing a radical change might mean that it just ends up in the rubbish bin.”“I don’t think it is a good idea to change everything, because people have been used to these keyboards for so many decades,” Ms. Panckhurst said. “Doing a radical change might mean that it just ends up in the rubbish bin.”