The FirstVoices development team has been working hard on the new release, which sees the launch of new features, as well as solutions to bugs and glitches on the site. In addition, we’ve also published new information on our blog. All of these updates have been prompted by the hard-working Language Teams and community members, whose valuable feedback, ideas and suggestions have been crucial in making FirstVoices a better platform.
If you have questions about any of the updates listed below, or have ideas for ways to improve FirstVoices, please contact us at: support@fpcc.ca
New features
Physical distancing response banner and blog posts
In response to the ongoing physical distancing restrictions, the development team wants to communicate more with the communities we work with. To do this, we've added a small banner on our home page with a link to our development blog. Alongside these development update posts, we've been posting articles about working while physical distancing, activities to do at home with FirstVoices, links to Virtual Open House sessions, and more. More information about these posts can be found in the New Documentation section at the bottom of this page.
Unicode display on FirstVoices
In the alphabet section of each archive, we now display the specific Unicode strings attached to each letter in an archive's alphabet. If you want to learn more about Unicode, click here.
When developing tools for a language, like a keyboard or an app, it is important that the same exact Unicode characters for that language are used across the different platforms. If different Unicode characters are used in different places, features like search and alphabetization will not function as well as they should. Displaying these Unicode characters on FirstVoices will allow for additional clarity and transparency about which specific characters are used in each alphabet.
To find the Unicode character display, go to a FirstVoices language site and click on the Alphabet tab:
Then click on a character, and select "View Words and Phrases that start with" that character.
On this screen, you'll see the "Unicode String Literal". That string (in the example below, \u0113) is what the computer reads when it displays the character ē.
The 'Explore Languages' page now groups sites by language
- Users now have the ability to toggle back and forth between displaying archives in alphabetical order, or grouping them by their language.
All 34 languages in B.C. are listed in the Explore Languages page, with archives listed under them.
If a language doesn’t have any associated archives, it is still listed but it has the message: “No language archives available at this time.”
Archives from outside of B.C. are listed at the end of the list, under “Other FirstVoices Archives”
- This view also works well and is responsive on desktop, mobile and iPads.
Bug fixes
The filter menu has been removed from the top navigation bar to improve search
The top navigation bar on FirstVoices previously had issues when trying to filter searches. The defunct filter menu has been removed, and this update now allows the top navigation bar to search more accurately across the FirstVoices website as a whole.
Do you use search FirstVoices using the top navigation bar? Let us know how well this search area works for you, and how we could improve it by emailing support@fpcc.ca.
New documentation
Looking for support, or to learn something new? Here is the new documentation that has been added to our Blog & Knowledge Base:
- Working on a FirstVoices project while physical distancing
- Two upcoming FirstVoices virtual open house sessions
- Family-friendly activities for at-home learning
- Consult Your Community
Contact us
Send us your questions, concerns, ideas, bugs and feedback at support@fpcc.ca!
As everyone is doing their part to flatten the curve of COVID-19 and stay healthy, the FirstVoices team wants to support language teams who are continuing to work from home on their FirstVoices projects.
Key information
The health and safety of community members is of the utmost importance to us. To ensure your continued safety, we want to let you know that:
- You are NOT expected to meet all of your deliverables set out in your project plan.
- You have the ability to rewrite work plans and budgets and work with Kyra to make amendments.
- Underspent funds will NOT affect your ability to get funding next year.
- You can reallocate budget funds previously allocated to other things towards purchasing additional equipment.
- Above all else, we want you to take whatever precautions necessary to stay safe and keep those around you safe as well.
File sharing during physical distancing
It is likely that you will need to share files using online platforms, since you will no longer be able to have in-person contact with your team members. The most important thing to note is that not all online file sharing services are equal, and it is important to consider both the cost and the data security levels of different services.
- We recommend using your work email to send zipped folders with files back and forth. This is the safest and cheapest way to share files.
- If you are sending files that are too large for email, and you have a licensed Microsoft Office Suite account, you can use Microsoft OneDrive. Click here for a guide on how to set up and use Microsoft OneDrive.
- If these options don't work for you, there are other file sharing services available, both free and subscription-based. However, please take note that many of these services will use servers located in the United States. This means that your data will not be protected under the same Canadian data sovereignty and privacy laws. Click here for more information on Canadian vs American data privacy laws.
Sharing equipment is not recommended
We do not recommend sharing equipment with others outside your home. Not sharing equipment is the best way to protect you and those around you. If your team needs additional pieces of equipment to ensure you are not sharing equipment, you can reallocate budget funds to purchase what is necessary. Please follow up with us if you have questions or concerns.
Creative ways to continue working
While work involving multiple people in a shared space must be paused during this time, there are still ways to work together from a distance. The following are types of work that can still be done, and creative ways to continue working on your FirstVoices project.
- Work with audio that has already been recorded to edit, segment and prepare entries for upload.
- The FirstVoices development team is still available to process new batch uploads.
- Add audio, images, literal translations, cultural notes, acknowledgements and categories to any existing FirstVoices entries that don't already have this information.
- Go through the content on your archive and make a list of future words or phrases you feel could be added when recording. Consult the FirstVoices Swadesh list, Everyday Phrases list and Story and Conversation Topics list for ideas.
We are here to help. Please email us at hello@firstvoices.com to discuss ways to adjust your project during COVID-19, or to share your progress. We would love to hear from you!
Connection right now is more important than ever, and the FirstVoices development team wants to connect with you! Drop in to our virtual "open house" sessions to say hello to some members of the FirstVoices team, ask any questions you may have, and chat about the theme for that open house. These one hour long video sessions are open to FirstVoices language teams and users alike.
Open House #1: Working and learning during physical distancing
Thursday, April 30: 11 AM - 12 PM
Click here to join the call (video is not required)
Topics of discussion:
- How has your work been changed or impacted during physical distancing? How can we help make your work easier?
- How has your language learning been changed or impacted during physical distancing? What can we do to support your learning journey during this time?
- What tips and tricks for working and learning would you like to share with us / other language teams and learners that you've been using during this time?
- General Q&A period and technical support
Open House #2: FirstVoices in five years
Thursday, May 14: 1:30 - 2:30 PM
Click here to join the call (video is not required)
Topics of discussion:
- Where do you see FirstVoices in five years? How do you see your community using FirstVoices now, versus in the future?
- What additions or features would you like to see added to FirstVoices?
- How could FirstVoices adapt to best help you and your language community?
- General Q&A period and technical support
We plan on hosting more of these open houses in the coming months. If you have an idea for an open house theme, please email hello@firstvoices.com and let us know!
The FirstVoices team wants to support language learners with fun and creative ways to practice your languages at home, so we have come up with a list of eight family-friendly games and activities for at-home learning using your community's FirstVoices website. If you enjoy any of the activities below, or you have ideas for other innovative ways to use FirstVoices, please feel free to share your thoughts with hello@firstvoices.com. Connection and community is important, now more than ever, and we would love to hear from you.
Language Labelling
Instructions:
- Find the Human Things/Activities on your FirstVoices website and using the words available either print flashcards or write words that relate to items around your house onto sheets of paper/sticky notes
- Stick the pieces of paper to the objects so that they act as labels
- As you walk around your house throughout the day, practice saying the words out loud
- Challenge yourself, family members and roommates to remember what words are, without looking at the labels
Scavenger Hunt
Instructions:
- Print out the Scavenger Hunt guide or write the questions on a piece of paper
- Explore your community's FirstVoices website or a FirstVoices website for a related language to find the answers
Click to download the Scavenger Hunt questions to print.
Charades
Instructions:
- Pick a category on your FirstVoices website. For example: Animals
- Write down words in that category on pieces of paper and put the pieces of paper in a hat
- Take turns picking pieces of paper from the hat and acting out the words, with the other person guessing what word is being acted out
Shadow Puppets
Instructions:
- Find the Animals category on your FirstVoices website, and print or write out the words for different animals
- Then, in a dark room, shine a flashlight or a lamp against a bare wall
- Make shadow puppets with your hands of the different animals you have the words for
- If you have two or more people playing, take turns guessing which animal the person is making with their shadow puppet
Here is an instructional video on how to make shadow puppets to get you started. But feel free to get creative!
Superstar Chef
Instructions:
- Find the Food category on your FirstVoices website and using the words available, make a pretend grocery list.
- You can use the following list as a guide:
- Find a vegetable or fruit
- Find a type of meat or fish
- Find something salty
- Find something sweet
- Find something to drink
- Find a herb, spice, condiment or garnish
- Now that you have all of your ingredients, make a menu for your make-believe dinner. It can be as silly, delicious or gross as you want!
Click to download the Superstar Chef menu to print.
Go Fish
Instructions:
- Print out the Go Fish help sheets or draw them on a sheet of paper
- Fill out the white boxes under each card with that card's number in your language
- For Ace, you can write your word for "one", or pick a fun word instead
- For Jack, Queen and King, you can pick fun words instead
- Play Go Fish, using the help sheets as a reminder of how to say each number in your language
- Bonus points if you rename the game in your own language (You can pick the name of a fish in your language!)
Click here for instructions on how to play Go Fish
Click to download the Go Fish help sheets to print.
I Spy...
Instructions:
- Find the Colours category on your FirstVoices website
- Using the words available, take turns finding things around you that are different colours saying "I spy with my little eye, something that is _____", inserting the colour in your language at the end
- Take turns guessing what the other person has spied
Family Connections
Instructions:
- Find the Human Relations category on your FirstVoices website and using the words available, make a family tree or a family collage
- You can draw pictures of your family members or print photos, and arrange them however you want to show how different people are related
- Underneath each picture, find the word in your language that relates to that person (brother, mother, grandmother, etc.) and write it underneath
Other ways to use FirstVoices at home
- The FirstVoices games are available for every language, and include word searches, parachute, word scrambles and more!
- If your FirstVoices website has songs and stories available, you can sing and read along.
- If your language has a FirstVoices app available, you can create customizable flashcard packs on it. Click here for more information.
- Check out the FPCC Language for Life guide for more ideas on how to nourish language in the home.