LiveMocha Overview
What is LiveMocha?
LiveMocha is a language-learning tool that combines fun self-study lessons, motivational tools and community to help you learn the language of your choice. Unlike CDs and books that contain stale academic content, LiveMocha brings to you useful everyday language from actual native speakers.
Curriculum based lesson plans:
Curriculum includes everyday language updated by native language speakers, useful grammar structures, and easy to follow classes all based on a proven successful model created by professional language instructors.
Motivational tools:
LiveMocha has a goal setting and friendly leader board competition system to help you stay engaged and active in your foreign language-learning goal. Through competitions, point sharing and community involvement LiveMocha gives you the tools to stay motivated and on track.
Community:
Native language speakers and students form a community of language learners. At LiveMocha we encourage you to learn with and teach other members of your community. Submit a writing sample or an audio sample of a lesson and have a native speaker correct your work. Do the same for someone else when you get the chance and together you can build a strong language community.
How is LiveMocha different from the CD’s and Books I buy?
While LiveMocha offers Reading, Writing and Listening exercises, LiveMocha also gives you the opportunity to work with native language speakers and other students learning the same language as you. Practicing with other students and native language speakers gives you the opportunity to learn real conversational language instead of the stuffy language you learn in CD’s and books.
How is LiveMocha different from a classroom?
LiveMocha offers several advantages over a classroom. At LiveMocha you work with a community of native language speakers so you are exposed to more than one view of the language. There is no more rushing to class, trying to find a parking spot and going home to practice by yourself till the class resumes again. Practice as often as you want. There are always people online. Finally, classes are expensive; LiveMocha is not.
How is LiveMocha different from other online Language Exchanges?
LiveMocha offers activities for every level of language-learner. Unlike other language exchanges LiveMocha gives you a professionally developed and tested language-learning curriculum. With our “Learn” section you can study by yourself or use our “Practice” section to work with other community members.
Is LiveMocha free?
Yes! Currently while LiveMocha is in Beta every feature and function you currently see on the site is free. In the future, LiveMocha will be a paid site with some content remaining free.
Getting Started and Registering
How do I get started with LiveMocha?
If you have an invite code type in the invite code in the “Invite Code” box. If you do not have an invite code request one by clicking on the “Here” link. An invite code will be sent to you. Once your receive your invite code proceed to the welcome page and enter the invite code. This will take you to the profile page. Fill in the information you want people to know about you. From here you can start your LiveMocha experience.
How do I activate my account? I didn’t receive my activation email.
First check your junk mail to make sure that the e-mail was not filtered. If that is not the problem contact support at Support@livemocha.com and we will send you a new activation e-mail.
Getting Around
How do I navigate around LiveMocha?
Learn: Language learning curriculum and community interactive exercises allow you to develop foreign language skills with all the nuances of a native speaker.
Practice: Real time text, audio or video conversations as well as submitted written and speaking exercises allow you to improve every aspect of your language skills.
Share: Help create a community through real-time conversation and by giving and receiving feedback on recorded and written submissions.
Homepage
What does everything on my homepage mean?
Your LiveMocha home page allows you to track your progress, communicate with friends, plan your lessons and navigate through your language-learning experience.
Profile: Your profile is a way for people in the community to get to know you a little bit better. Under the “Welcome” banner you will find your profile information. You can change this information at any time by clicking the “Edit Profile” button under your picture.
Learning: Under the “Welcome” banner you will also see a scroll down button that says “Learning”. When you change this button it will show you people in the community that are learning that language. To change the language you are learning see “How do I change the language I’m learning”.
Resume Course: To the right of your profile you will see the language you are currently learning. The bar underneath the course tells you how much of this course you have accomplished. You can click on the “Resume Course” button to jump directly back to where you last ended your session.
Tasks: Underneath “Tasks” you will see exercises you have to complete for the week and the activities that you have not finished yet. These are guides to help keep you on track and motivate you.
Your Status: In the top right corner you can set your status. If you want to practice with a partner or just want to focus on your lessons, setting your status will alert friends and community members alike.
Friends Online: Images of your friends that are currently online will appear in your “Friends” section. Seeing which of your friends is currently online will allow you to contact and practice with your friends.
Your Friends: Your friends are community members that you have decided to be friends with. You can chat with them, practice lessons or write message to them.
People Speaking: Community members appearing in the “People Speaking” section are members of the community who speak the language you are learning fluently.
People Learning: Community members appearing in the “People Learning” section are members of the community who are currently trying to learn the same language as you.
Leader Board: The leader board lists the five members with the highest point totals currently taking the same lesson as you.
What is the Recent Activity section?
The “Recent Activity” section is a way for you to keep track of the many things you do at LiveMocha. You will be alerted to friend requests or friend request confirmations, the courses you signed up for, friends lesson and exercise completion and updates to the LiveMocha web site. In the “Recent Activity” section you will also be updated about your friend’s activities such as their new friends and their course completion. There are four different tabs in the “Recent Activity” Section that you should be aware of.
Mine: This section shows information pertaining to your activities on LiveMocha such as new friends, finished classes, and friend requests.
Friends: This section shows the activities of your friends, who have joined your network and any friend request that were accepted or denied.
All: This section aggregates all the sections of the “Recent Activity” section.
What is the Leader Board?
The Leader Board is a way for you to stay motivated and compare yourself to other members of your learning community. With points you can compare yourself to your friends, have competitions on who can attain a higher level of proficiency or set goals for yourself.
Messages
How do I send a message to someone?
There are 2 ways to send a message.
Step 1: Once you have determined to whom you want to send a message to, mouse over their picture.
Step 2a: Click on the “Send Message” button and a message box will pop up where you can type in your message. Once finished press send.
Step 2b: Click on the picture. This will take you to their profile page. Once there click on the “Send Message” button. A message box will pop up and you can type in your message and press send.
How do I know if I have a new message?
You will be alerted to a new message in two ways.
1) On your home page under “Recent Activity” an alert will appear telling you that you have a new message.
2) On the home page as well there is a link above your profile picture that says “Messages”. It will tell you whether or not you have a message and how many you have.
How do I read a message?
To read a message you can either click on the alert title in the “Recent Activity” section of you homepage or you can click on “Messages” above your profile picture and click on the title under the “Subject” header.
How do I delete a message?
To delete a message, click on the “Messages” link above your profile picture on your home page. Find the message you would like to delete. Under the “Actions” header you will see a “Reply/Delete” link. Click “Delete” and the “OK” and the message will be deleted.
Account
How do I change my password?
On your home page underneath your profile picture click on the “Edit Profile” link. Once on the edit profile page click on the title “Account” Once there enter a new password, confirm the password and click “Submit”.
Help! I forgot my password. How do I reset it?
If you forgot your password on the login screen you will see a “Forgot your Password” link. Click on the link and submit your e-mail. Return to your e-mail and follow the instructions sent to you.
How do I cancel my account?
To cancel your account click the “Feedback” link in the top right corner of any screen. Select “Other” from the dropdown menu and type that you would like to cancel your account.
Are my account details safe?
Yes. LiveMocha’s number one goal is to have a safe and responsible community. To this effect we incorporate many safeguards into our security system to ensure your security. For more information on your account details, please review the privacy policy.
Profile
Why do I want to create a profile?
Creating a profile gives you the opportunity to create a network of friends and tutors in your chosen language by giving other people a chance to know a little bit about you. It also lets people identify when you are online so that you can study, chat or work with one another.
How do I create a profile?
For your profile you can do as much or as little as you want. Upload a picture and give a brief description about why you’re here. Tell people about your school, your work or your interests. Press the “Submit” button when you’re done.
How do I update my profile?
On your home page underneath your profile picture click on the “Edit Profile” link. This will take you to a page where you can edit your profile. When finished click “Submit”.
How do I hide my real name?
On your home page underneath your profile picture click on the “Edit Profile” link. In the box to the right of the title, “Full Name” change your name to the name you want other community members to see and click “Submit” at the bottom of the page.
How do I change my profile picture?
On your home page underneath your profile picture click on the “Edit Profile” link. To the right of the title “Upload Picture” click on the browse button and find the picture you want to upload in your database. Click on the picture and press save.
I'm trying to upload an image, and I am getting an error message... what is wrong?
Make sure the image you are attempting to upload is in one of the formats LiveMocha accepts (.gif, .jpg).
Make sure the filename is simple and short, with no spaces or funny characters. "Image.jpg" is a good filename
Make sure the file is less than 4MB. We do not allow images over 4MB.
Search
How do I find other members?
In the top right hand corner of every page there is a “Search” link. Press the link and it will take you to a page where you can find a member based on native language, learning language or name.
Chatting
How do I chat with someone?
There are 2 ways to chat with someone:
Step 1: Find someone on your Friends or speaking and learning list that you want to have a written or oral chat with. When you do, mouse over their profile picture.
Step 2a: Click on the “Send Chat Invite” button, this will send the other person a chat invitation. It will also pop-up a chat window. If the person accepts your invitation you can start chatting with them.
Step 2b: Click on the profile picture. This will take you to their profile page. Once there click on the “Chat with User” button, this will send the other person a chat invitation. It will also pop-up a chat window. If the person accepts your invitation you can start chatting with them. Note: If you have a pop-up blocker enabled, you may see a bar on the top of your browser.
How do I use the chat tool?
To have a written chat click in the blue box and start typing your conversation. On the right-hand side of the chat tool you will also see several major feature that include the “Virtual Keyboard”, “Phrase Translator” and “Conversation Scenario”.
What is a virtual keyboard and how do I use it?
The “virtual keyboard” is a tool to use during written chats in foreign languages. It allows you to put the correct letter that does not appear on your native language keyboard. To use the Virtual Keyboard click on the symbol you want to use. The symbol will appear in the small box underneath the list. Highlight the symbol, use the right click button to copy the information. Click the area you want to put the symbol and press paste.
What is a phrase translator and how do I use it?
The “Phrase Translator” is designed to help you translate phrases or words that you don’t understand or know how to say. It can translate from your native language to a foreign language or from a foreign language to your native language. To use the Phrase Translator type in the phrase translator box the word or sentence you want. Change the drop down to the language you want to translate to. A translation in that language will appear.
What is the conversation scenario and how do I use it?
The “Conversation Dialog” box is a tool to help you in your practice chats with others. The “Conversational Dialog” creates a situation where the conversation is designed to give you practice with different foreign language scenarios. To use the Conversation Scenario, in the scroll down bar, choose the language you would like to practice. Click on the bar underneath the language bar and choose the conversation you would like to practice. The conversation will automatically appear. You may change the conversation at any time you like.
What if someone wants to chat with me?
If someone wants to chat with you, they will send you a chat request. The chat request box will appear in the upper left hand corner of your screen. You then have the choice to accept or deny the chat request. To accept the chat click on the “Accept” button, to deny the chat press the “Deny” button.
How do I type foreign characters on my computer? Do I need to buy a special keyboard?
You are typically not required to buy a special keyboard. Configuring Windows or MacOS to use an international keyboard layout will allow you to type the characters used in many western European languages. About.com has instructions available, here: http://french.about.com/library/bl_faq_accents.htm
LiveMocha’s chat window provides a Virtual Keyboard to make the generation of special characters easier. See “What is a virtual keyboard and how do I use it?” for details.
Why can’t I chat with my friend?
If you want to chat with your friend but are not able to, it may be that they are not online or are currently studying and prefer not to have a conversation. You may want to send them a message to see if they are interested in chatting.
Friends
What are friends?
Friends are members of your language community that you can chat with, tutor, receive tutoring from or practice your language skills with.
How do I find new friends?
Every time you return to your home page LiveMocha will show you pictures of members of the LiveMocha language community. You can contact any one of these members or you can search for friends based on their native language or the language they are learning.
Why do I want friends?
Making friends will give you partners to study with, it will help motivate you to continue pursuing your goal and it will give you the opportunity to be tutored by a native language speaker.
What if I don’t want to be friends with someone?
Not a problem, if someone you don’t want to be friends with sends you a friend request, simply decline their request.
How do I add friends?
There are two ways to add a friend:
Step 1: Find someone you would like to be friends with and mouse over their picture.
Step 2a: Click on the Add Friend button and your done. If they accept your friend request, you will see their profile picture in your friend section and you will receive a note under “Recent Activity” on your home page.
Step 2b: Click on the profile picture. This will take you to their profile page. Once there click on the “Add as Friend” button. If they accept your friend request, you will see their picture in your friend section and you will receive a note under “Recent Activity” on your home page.
How do I remove friends?
LiveMocha is constantly updating its platform. While this feature is not available yet, it will be soon. If there are other features you would like to see incorporated into LiveMocha please leave us a comment in the feedback section.
How do I invite friends to LiveMocha?
Go to your home page. On the bottom of the page you will see a box that asks if you have any friend not on LiveMocha. Type their e-mail address into the space provided and click “Invite”. Your friend will receive an e-mail invitation to join LiveMocha.
Learn
What courses are available?
Currently LiveMocha offers the world’s six most popular languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Hindi and Mandarin Chinese. These language courses are offered to all levels of learners, from beginner to intermediate.
What if you don’t know what language you want to learn?
That’s okay, when you sign up for LiveMocha, you’re signing up for the platform. What this means is that you can learn all the languages available. In fact if you want, you can learn French one day and Hindi the next and reserve your weekends to learn German. If there is a language you want to learn that we don’t support, please go to the feedback section and tell us, the more we hear from you the better we can make LiveMocha.
How do I know which course is best for me?
LiveMocha offers beginner courses (100-level) and intermediate courses (200-level):
101: For students starting with the basics with little or no exposure to the language.
102: For students who can start putting sentences together. Students should be able to introduce themselves and recognize gender.
201: For students who are comfortable enough to ask a few questions and follow simple conversations.
202: For students who can have simple back and forth dialogs and follow more complicated conversations.
How do I change the language I am learning?
To change the language you are learning click on the “Courses” tab at the top of the page. Then click “Enroll in a New Course”. To choose the language you want to learn click on the “Learn” button and use the drop down to choose your language and enroll in the course.
What do all the course icons mean?
Learn: Before starting on any lesson it is good to go through the preview section and get an understanding of what words you will learn
Reading: The reading portion of your lesson plan will help your reading comprehension. It will help you start identifying vocabulary through picture and word recognition.
Listening: The listening portion of your lesson plan will help you start to identify vocabulary words with their sound
Magnet: The writing section of your lesson will test your proficiency with vocabulary and word order skills.
Dialog: Practicing dialog with a partner will help your vocabulary, pronunciation and language retention.
Speaking practice: Speaking practice will improve your pronunciation and language proficiency.
Writing practice: Writing practice increases your grammar and use of vocabulary.
Note: Not all lessons have all exercises
What is Learn?
Preview the vocabulary and grammar for a lesson before beginning an exercise. The learn will familiarize you with the upcoming vocabulary you will see in the upcoming lesson.
How does Learn work?
The learn section will show you several thumbnails with pictures in them. The images and phrases are carefully chosen so that you can logically build your understanding of the language. Select each of the thumbnails to hear and read the corresponding audio and text. Click on the translate button to see the translation of the word. When you’re done click on the “Next” button.
What is Reading?
The reading portion of your lesson plan will help you start to identify vocabulary words with their meanings. In this section you will read a word or phrase and identify that word or phrase with its picture.
How does Reading work?
After you read a phrase, click on the thumbnail you associate with the word. If the thumbnail glows green you have identified the meaning correctly, if the thumbnail glows red you have misidentified the meaning and you can try again.
What is Listening?
The listening portion of your lesson plan will help you start to identify vocabulary words with their sound. In this section you will hear a word or phrase out loud and you will identify that word or phrase with its picture.
How does Listening work?
After you hear a phrase, click on the thumbnail you associate with the word. If the thumbnail glows green you have identified the meaning correctly, if the thumbnail glows red you have misidentified the meaning and you can try again.
What is Magnet?
The writing section of your lesson will combine your listening, writing and word order skills with your understanding of the vocabulary words you have learned. In this section you will be shown a picture and hear the audio in your native language. You will then construct the word or phrase with a series of words shown to you underneath the picture in the language you are learning
How does Magnet work?
You will hear the word or sentence in your native language. After hearing the word or sentence, drag the corresponding words into the box below and click the [√] to the right of the box. If the box glows green you have identified the meaning correctly, if the box glows red you have misidentified the meaning. You will be given a hint as to what is wrong and be allowed to try again
Practice
What is the Practice Section?
The practice section gives you the opportunity to practice your conversational skills by submitting a written or oral exercise or practice chatting with a friend or community member.
How do I practice Dialog?
Practicing dialog with a partner will help your vocabulary, pronunciation and language retention. To practice a dialog, select which of your friends you want to contact. Click on your friends name and ask him or her to practice. If you want to practice a written dialog you can just start typing, if you want to practice an audio dialog click on the “Show A/V” button and start chatting. Assign roles from the “Conversation Dialog” box to you and your conversation partner. Practice with your partner both dialog roles. When you are done with the conversation, go to the next conversation in the series.
How do I practice Writing?
In the practice writing section you will choose a question to answer based on a topic of your choice. You will be given a space where you can type out your answer to the best of your ability. When finished typing, press the “Submit” button and a native speaker in the community will review and correct your response.
How do I practice Speaking?
In the practice speaking section you will choose a question to answer based on a topic of your choice. Read the paragraph or question. When you are ready to begin speaking press the “Record” button and record your response or answer. When you are finished with your response click the “Record/stop” button. Press “Play” to check your work. Once you are happy with your answer, click “Submit” to have a native community member correct your work.
Tutor
How can I tutor someone?
The tutoring section is a way for you to give back to the LiveMocha language community. By tutoring someone trying to learn your native language you are helping others become more fluent. In return they will correct some of your submission and help you in your goals.
You can tutor someone in two ways, you can correct a written or oral submission, or you can have a written or oral dialog with a community member.
How do I correct a submission?
Click on the submission title to choose the submission you would like to correct If you choose to correct an oral submission, click the submission title, the submission question will appear. Press the “Play” button and you will be able to listen to the recording. If you choose to correct a written submission, the submission will be visible as soon as you click the submission title. After listening to or reading a submission, rate the response by choosing how many stars it should receive and leave a constructive comment. Press the submit button when you are done.
Trouble and Feedback
How do I leave a feedback?
In the top right hand corner of every page there is a “Feedback” link. Click the link and a message box and drop down bar will appear. In the drop down bar label the type of feedback and give an explanation in the message box.
What are the minimum system requirements for LiveMocha?
LiveMocha works best with these browsers:
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 +
Mozilla Firefox 1.5
Please note: LiveMocha will also work with many other browsers and, although we have tested the site using the various browsers, we may have missed some display problems associated with them. So if you see anything please tell us so we can improve the site.
If you need to update your browser, go to:
For
Mozilla Firefox: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/all.html
For
Microsoft Internet Explorer:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.mspx
LiveMocha also requires Adobe Flash Player. We recommend Adobe Flash Player 9.0+.
If you need to update your Adobe Flash Player installation, go to: http://www.macromedia.com/software/flash/about/
My browser is blocking your pop-ups. What are the pop-ups for and how do I allow them?
LiveMocha’s user chat feature will pop-up a new window. Some browsers will block these pop-ups and you will see a bar at the top of your browser:
Mozilla Firefox:
You will receive a bar at the top of your browser that says “Firefox prevented this site from opening 1 popup windows”.
Click the “Options” button and select “Allow pop-ups for www.LiveMocha.com”
Microsoft Internet Explorer
You will receive a bar at the top of your browser that says “Pop-up blocked. To see this pop-up or additional options click here…”.
Click the bar and select “Always Allow Pop-ups From This Site…”
Harassment
What is someone does not stop harassing me or is using inappropriate language?
The Live Mocha community is one that should be supportive and free of harassment. If someone is doing something you feel is inappropriate please click on the “Feedback” link in the top right hand corner of every page and report the abuse.
Tutors
I’m a tutor, teacher, or educator. What can I do here?
LiveMocha is a community based on those with knowledge helping those trying to gain it. If you are a tutor, teacher or educator you can help by correcting submissions, chatting with community members and making yourself available to questions. LiveMocha is a great opportunity for local and global visibility or a great tool to augment your curriculum. If you would like to get more involved in the LiveMocha community, go to the feedback tool and ask us what you can do to help.
Who are the LiveMocha Tutors and what do they do?
LiveMocha tutors are community members with native language skills as well as professional educators. LiveMocha tutors correct submissions, chat with community members and answer questions for people trying to learn a new language. To learn more Click Here.
Contact Us
How can I contact you?
In the top right hand corner of every page there is a “Feedback” link. Click the link and a message box and drop down bar will appear. In the drop down bar label the type of feedback and give an explanation in the message box.
I'm a journalist and I want to talk to someone at LiveMocha. Who can I contact?
Thank you for your LiveMocha media inquiry. We want to do our best to meet any pressing deadlines you may have. Please email press@liveMocha.com. Any non-media inquiries will not receive a response.
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Where can I get the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy?