Written by the Kurzweil Blog Team

The new Language of Literature Word List is a great addition for students tasked with writing assignments related to literature, such as a literature report. This new feature in Kurzweil 3000 provides a floating list of words (tailored specifically for poetry, prose and drama) to facilitate the writing process. When a student clicks on a word in the list, both its definition and “like words” are provided—all of which can be read using text-to-speech. Students can then drag words right into the document, demonstrating application of these new vocabulary words in their writing.

The Language of Literature list includes vocabulary related to key literary terms in seven main categories, with examples of words found in each.

• Key Literary Terms – character and dialogue
• Elements of Style – dialect and irony
• Fiction – point of view and theme
• Figures of Speech – allusion and metaphor
• Form – diary and fable
• Poetry – couplet and rhyme
• Syntax – balanced sentence and loose sentence

Due to the nature of the words in the list – they would be a strong fit for postsecondary. One could also see how 11th and 12th grade English students could benefit using the tool as well.

Accessing New Word Lists How can you access the new word list? First, make sure you have the latest version of Kurzweil 3000. To do this, open the software from your desktop, hover over “Online” in the main navigation bar and select “Updates.” Click on the latest version listed in the dialogue box and click “OK.” Note: If the box is blank, you’re working from the latest version of Kurzweil 3000. Next, go to “Tools” in the main navigation within Kurzweil 3000 and select “Setup Word Lists.” Click on the “Restore” button to refresh your selection of word lists. Click to check off “Language of Literature” in the word list selection box, then click both the “Apply” and “OK” buttons.

Using Word Lists Now you can start using the new word list in a document. To do this, open a new draft or outline. Then go to “Tools” in the main navigation bar and select “Floating Word List.” Here are two easy ways to use floating word lists to help with writing: 1. Double-click the word in the list to hear it and see information including definition and related words. 2. Use the word in your writing by simply drag it from the floating word list box into your document.

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