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- If a word list was created in Sõna for Windows, can I use it on my Mac?
- Will Sõna make me fluent in 30 days or less?
- What languages does Sõna support?
- Can I make my own word lists based on the textbook I'm using?
- What about taking sounds from the cassette that came with my book?
- Who created Sõna?
- How much does it cost?
- How can I purchase Sõna?
- What's with the tilde over the "o" in the name?
If a word list was created in Sõna for Windows, can I use it on my Mac?
Yes (and vice-versa). You can open it, quiz yourself, expand it, edit it. . . and even send it back to the other platform.
Will Sõna make me fluent in 30 days or less?
Language learning takes work in a number of areas including listening comprehension, grammar, speaking skills, and many others. No single tool will do all those things for you.
Sõna is designed to do one thing well: help you learn vocabulary. Its example and sample sound features let your increasing vocabulary remain grounded in the proper cultural and pedagogical context.
What languages does Sõna support?
Sõna supports all languages which can be written with the Arial/Helvetica fonts; for practical purposes, this means most European languages and probably quite a few others.
Support for Central European fonts (Arial CE/Helvetica CE) and Cyrillic (ER 1289) fonts is currently in beta.
A current limitation is that Sõna assumes that your native language is one which can be written in Arial/Helvetica. This means it's not possible to create lists for Bulgarian learners of Czech, for example. We hope to fix this in a future version.
This is due to a limitation in Authorware, the software used to create Sõna, which requires that the font of text objects be set in advance. If any Authorware gurus can suggest an efficient work-around for this, I'd be grateful!
Can I make word lists based on the textbook I'm using?
From a pedagogical point of view, this is an excellent idea. You might also want to include samples of usage taken from your text.
From a legal standpoint, we strongly urge you to consider whether taking examples from the book or cassette would fall within "fair use" guidelines, or whether your use of such material could violate copyright. For one good source of information, see http://horizon.unc.edu/ts/commentary/1998-04.asp.
We do hope to provide word lists keyed to major language textbooks, in order to provide the tightest possible integration with other study materials. If you would like to see word lists for Sõna keyed to a book you're using, please let us know. We will be happy to contact the publisher to see about an arrangement that helps you learn and respects their copyright.
Please note that the above does not constitute legal advice. The creators of Sõna cannot be held responsible for violations of copyright.
What about digitizing sounds from the accompanying cassette?
To do this you'll need to digitize the sound and edit it into individual sound files using a sound editor like SoundForge or GoldWave for Windows; sound editors for the Macintosh include Peak or Peak LE, and SoundEdit 16.
If you do include sounds, please consider copyright issues as discussed above.
Sõna was designed and programmed by Curt Ford, a doctoral candidate in Slavic linguistics who got tired of Bulgarian vocabulary cards cluttering up his desk.
Sõna is shareware, and costs $15 – a little less than most serious competing programs. We also have a discount price of just $10 for full-time students. Site licenses are available for $150.
The most convenient way is by credit card online, using Kagi's secure server. If you prefer, you can use a small application called "Register," which is included with the Sõna download, and fax or mail in your order. Payments are handled by Kagi.
What's with the tilde over the "o" in the name?
"Sõna" is Estonian for "word." We're not sure how the "õ" is pronounced. If any native speaker would like to send us a small .wav or .aif sound file of how it sounds, we'd be happy to post it.