Overview
The purpose of this article is to provide a walkthrough for installing additional languages and how to switch between them for typing and editing on documents and websites.
Before you begin...
While modern computer can generally display and translate languages other than the default they were setup with, installing additional languages makes it much easier to create and edit documents. It is also possible to seamlessly switch between multiple languages in the same document.
A lot can be done with additionally installed languages, though most people just want to be able to type in a different language.
Installing for Windows 10
Installing new languages is a pretty simple process, but can be confusing to navigate if you haven't used it before.
- To start Open the Windows start menu and select settings (gear icon). From the group of options select Time & Language.
- Select Language from list on the left and click the grey + square to find a language to install.
- In the window that pops up search for the language you want to install and click next. The proceeding window will ask about additional features to add, but if you are only interested in typing, just checkmark the Language Pack option.
- The settings window will show an installation progress bar for your selected language. When it is finished you should see the language preferences menu on taskbar in the lower right of your monitor.
Clicking on it will show all the languages you have installed. Select the language you want to use. If it has a secondary alphabet/characters and symbol for them will appear to the left of the language icon. Click on it to switch between them.
Installing for Mac OSX
The installation process for Mac computers is very similar to the Windows method.
- On the Mac OS menu bar, click on the apple icon and select System Preferences. Locate the blue flag icon for Language and Region and open it.
- From the window that comes up click on the + symbol under the list of installed languages and search for the language you would like to add.
- Another window will pop up asking if you want to use the new language as your computer's primary language. This option will change the default language for the entire computer so if you only want to add the new language for typing, be sure to select your current language as the primary.
- Once this is done you will see a flag icon in the upper right portion of the system menu bar. Click on it to open the language center and select the one you want to use.
Your keyboard will automatically adjust to the corresponding layout for the active language. You can also select Show Keyboard Viewer to see the character layout for your selected language.
Result
You should now be able to freely switch between your installed languages for all typing on your Windows or Mac computer.