How to Use Lang-8

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Click here to watch the video while you begin to use Lang-8.

[TEXT OF VIEDO]

In this video I'll show you how to use Lang-8.

First, click on "Learn for Free!" Type your e-mail address here and click on "send." I recommend that you use an e-mail address that you can use on a personal computer. I think you should avoid using a mobile phone e-mail address unless you have a smart phone that lets you view ordinary web pages. Soon after you send your e-mail address, Lang-8 will send an e-mail to you. Open the e-mail and click on the address. If you cannot click on the address, copy it and then paste it into your internet browser. If you cannot read the Japanese in the e-mail from Lang-8, don't worry. Just copy the address you see and paste it into your browser.

Now you can type in your profile. If you want to, you can change the interface language here. The "nickname" is the name that people will see on the internet. It can be part of your real name or any name you choose. Please type your nickname in English letters, not Japanese. Choose the year you were born, your native language, your home country, your gender, and the language your are studying. If you are watching this video in Japan, choose Japan here and change the time zone to Tokyo. You can choose any combination of letters and numbers you like to make your password. Make a note of your password and be sure not to loose it. You can adjust your privacy settings here and then finish the registration process by clicking this button.

Now that you have a Lang-8 account, you can write something in English about yourself. Click on "write" and type a message. Please don't copy the expressions you see on the screen. Write your own unique message. In this class, it is very important that your message be open to all internet users.

After you have written your first message, send me the address of your Lang-8 page in an e-mail. First, click on your nickname. Then, copy the address in your browser. In a new e-mail, type my e-mail address in the "To" line, your own name (not the letters you see on this screen) in the subject line, and paste the address in the body of the e-mail. Then, click on "send."

Lang-8 is a site where people can help each other learn. If you want other people to help you, you should make friends by helping other people. To do this, click on "Lang-8"and then click on "Entries awaiting your corrections." I'll look at this one to see if I can help him. This "の" should not be here. "所在ない" seems a little strange here. I'll change that to 退屈をしていました。 Now, I'll type a personal message to him and then click this button. I see that I forgot to type the kanji for 退屈 so I'll click "correct"and fix my mistake.

If you correct the entries of people you meet on Lang-8, I'm sure that some of them will help you. After someone corrects something you have written be sure to thank the person and look at what they have written to see if you can help them.