1. The equipment needed 

1. The Home file supplied with LX. If you want to keep another Home file on the same disk, begin all sessions by ing on this LX Home file.
2. The Record Template file supplied with LX. This will be needed in order to create the files that store the records of your work.
3. The LX.Help file.
4. Whatever problem or problems you are working on, such as LX Problem 1, LX Problem 2, etc.
5. For Problems 1 and 2, the additional .resource file, found on Diskette 3.
6. Finally, these programs make noise. So, if you will be working around other people, it's a good idea to bring headphones (1/8" mini plug, like most Walkmans have, will plug into most Macs. Headphones are provided in the Linguistics Lab and should be used at all times, as the walls are thin there.

2. There are a number of different ways you can get the LX Problems software  

3. Some information about using LX Problems  

	-Left and right arrows. The basic way of moving from page to page is by clicking on the arrows at lower left and lower right. It is only possible to move forward when the work on that page has been completed: if not, users will get a message asking them to complete that work. It is always possible to move back to a previous page, and review it. Usually, the page will be cleared of the work done, and the user can go through the steps of that page again.
	-The Stop button. It is always possible to terminate an LX session in the middle of a problem. The program will ask for confirmation, and then return to the first page, reminding the user of the last page done. The records of all pages completed will be saved in the record file. When the user returns to that problem, he or she will be reminded of the last page done, and can start on that page or on any earlier page.
	-Go To... This button allows the user to jump to any earlier page.A dialog box will appear asking for the page number. LX does not permit jumping to any page ahead of the last page completed.
	-Help. This button carries the user to LX.Help, which introduces or reviews the techniques for information control discussed in section 2, and the material of this section.
	-Volume. Macintoshes vary greatly in the volume of sound produced by the internal loudspeaker, and it may be desirable to raise or lower the volume level within the program, rather than using the control panel. Holding down the Volume button produces a pop-up menu with the seven levels of volume; dragging the mouse to the desired level produces an appropriate tone.
	-Phonetic and other data. The last button for Problems 1 and 2 allows the user to review all of the phonetic examples given so far. Key words are displayed in the special LX phonetic font, "LinguistGN" which is installed in the LX Home. Clicking on any word--either on the regular spelling or the phonetics, will play the sound of that key word. This display shows the full range of notation for the broad phonetics used for the initial transcription of English. In this first step, the simple symbols [i, e, o, u] are used for the long (tense) vowels of English. Diphthongs are introduced on a later page, with [ai, au, oi]. For the main line of instruction, this broad notation provides a satisfactory introduction to general phonetics, since the languages to be considered in later problems have such simple vowels. For students who would like to know more about English phonetics, a More button (see below) introduces them to the fact that the long vowels are diphthongs for most English dialects, and they can get practice in listening and transcribing vowels with attention both nuclei and glides. In later problems, the corresponding button is a Data button that allows the user to review all of the basic information provided up to that point on phonology and morphology of the language involved.
	-The Key Map. The special phonetic characters used in the LX Problems are simple upper case characters. The only exception to this rule is that the number 3 is used for the r-colored mid-central vowel, and @ is used for [¾], since these seem to be mnemonically useful. In Problem 1, the special characters are introduced step-by-step in a special Key Map window on the screen. In succeeding problems, a Key Map appears on the lower bar. Hitting this button carries the user to an over-all display of the keyboard mapping for "Linguist GN."
	4. Hypercard and the Hypertext concept and the MORE buttons   The fundamental concept which animates Hypercard is Hypertext: the notion that learners should be allowed to move horizontally or vertically through a store of information, at their own rate and by their own choice. In LX, students can review past pages by moving backward, but each page must be completed before moving ahead. LX problems provide horizontal movement through three kinds of devices: -The Phonetic Examples and Data buttons lead to a page on which all of the data provided so far is assembled. The display is cumulative, so that students can see only as far as they have completed. -The Right Arrow button, which allows students to return to review previous pages. -Whenever Problem 1 presents information on articulatory features, a button appears on the right margin:  This button carries the student to a page with drawings of the vocal tract for [i], [u] and [a], with information that adds substantially to the user's understanding of the terms high, front, low, back, etc. The information is not essential for further progress on Problem 1, and users can return to the main line of the problem at any point. -On a number of pages, a button with an icon of a door , a "More" button, indicates the possibility of going more deeply into the subject of that page. When clicked, the door opens and students move to a separate page to explore that subject, with the advice that it is not a part of the main body of information needed to solve the problems. At any point, the user can return to the original page. The amount of additional exploration is under the control of the student.