This is a Java program to aid in the memorization of Spanish vocabulary and verb conjugations. The program allows the user to create and edit lists of Spanish words along with their English translations. The user can then learn these words by having the program quiz them with a flashcard-like interface, where the user is shown the word in one language, and the user must type in the translation in the other language. The program can automatically conjugate regular verbs, and generate lists of random phrases such as "I go", "she goes", "they go" to test the user's verb conjugation skills.
see the Screenshots for a description of how the program works.
You can download the program (and source code) from here. The downloadable file is a ".tar.gz" file. If you are a Windows user, you can use Winzip to open this file.
A recent version of the Java Runtime Environment is required to run this software. This is available for download here, if you don't already have it.
If you are using Windows, you should be able to run the program by simply double-clicking on the spanishvocab.jar icon in the spanishvocab directory.
If you are using Linux or some other form of UNIX, then you can run it by changing into the spanishvocab directory and typing:
java -jar spanishvocab.jar
When you start the program, a list of lists of vocabulary words comes up. Select a list and then hit either "quiz english" or "quiz spanish" buttons at the bottom. This will start up the flashcards.
If you are incorrect, the flashcard will show you the correct answer in red. To punish you (and help you learn), the flashcard will go back into the pile -- twice! The word will show up again after 3 other words, so that if you keep getting the same word wrong, it will keep showing up. The word is also added again at the back of the queue, so that all the words you get wrong will have to be corrected later, testing your long term retention of the words. It can take a while to get through a set of words this way, but when you are done you have learned them well. The "words left" number on the right of the flashcard keeps track of how many more flashcards you have to answer before you are finished.
Shortcut: Rather than pressing the 'next' button with the mouse after each flashcard, you can simply press the space bar to continue on to the next word.
Pressing the "shuffle" button on the flashcard randomizes the order in which the words will come up.
To type a letter with an accent into the flashcard, hold down alt and press the letter you want (a,e,i,o,u, or n).
The Spanish Vocabulary Quizzer has support for sound files. If the sound files are present, the Quizzer will play sound sound clips so you can hear the pronunciation of the Spanish word as you see it on the flashcard.
A large collection of pronunciation .wav files is available from here. Because these files are so large (11 megabytes in total) I included them as a separate package. To get these wav files, download and uncompress the "spanishvocabWavs" file into the same directory that you opened the main program file into.
The sound files were generously provided by Laura K. Lawless, the Spanish Language Correspondent on spanish.allinfo-about.com. (This is an excellent web page to visit if you are learning Spanish!)
To create a new vocabulary list, press the 'create vocabulary' button on the main window. Then type in the name of your new list. After the list is created, select it, and press the 'edit vocabulary' button. Then in the 'edit vocabulary list' window, press the 'add words' button. When you are done adding words, press the 'save & exit' button.
I'm planning on adding more support for irregular verbs and different verb tenses/forms later. Currently, you can only edit the present-tense forms of verbs. Currently, the future and simple-past of all verbs are assumed to be regular. I'll have to extend the "edit words" dialog to add more support for irregular verbs.
If you have any comments, problems, questions, or suggestions, I would appreciate hearing from you. You can send email to:
03/12/2003
Mike Cline
This project is hosted by