Changes to Vocab Authoring

The Vocab Authoring tool in the CL-150 and Transparent Language Online is being retired. Read below for more information.

Why is this change being made?

What will happen to lessons created with the Vocab Authoring tool?

What should you do to transition?

Why is this change being made?

The newest version of the Lesson Authoring tool (LessonGin) has all the features of the Vocab Authoring tool and more, eliminating the need for a separate tool for vocab lesson creation. Having a single authoring portal will provide a more convenient, streamlined experience for users.

What will happen to lessons created with the Vocab Authoring tool?

Published lessons created with the Vocab Authoring will remain available to learners exactly as before. You do not need to republish or reassign these lessons to use them in the learning program. However, if you want to view, edit, clone, and otherwise work with these lessons in the Lesson Authoring tool (LessonGin), you will need to import them into that program.

Draft lessons in the Vocab Authoring tool will no longer be accessible after the Vocab Authoring tool is retired. To avoid losing access to these lessons, you must publish them before that occurs. Draft lessons cannot be imported into the Lesson Authoring tool (LessonGin).

What should you do to transition to the Lesson Authoring tool (LessonGin)?

1. Publish any existing draft lessons you have in the Vocab Authoring tool before that program is retired.
2. Import your published lessons from the Vocab Authoring tool into the Lesson Authoring tool (LessonGin) using the "Import from Legacy Authoring Portal" feature in that program.
3. Begin creating new lessons in the Lesson Authoring tool (LessonGin) instead of in the Vocab Authoring tool.

Details on each of these steps can be found below.

To complete and publish draft lessons from the Vocab Authoring Tool: 

1. Open the draft lesson in the Vocab Authoring tool.
2. Make sure that each vocab item in the lesson has learning language and known language information. Lessons cannot be published with incomplete items.
3. Click PUBLISH on the Vocab Editing screen.
4. If the lesson is not yet ready for use (for example, if you are publishing it only so that you can import it into the Lesson Authoring tool (LessonGin) and complete it there), be sure to mark the Private option during publication. Private lessons will only be visible to you, not to other learners.
5. Follow the instructions further down to import the now published lesson into the Lesson Authoring tool (LessonGin) if needed.

 To import published lessons from the Vocab Authoring tool into the Lesson Authoring tool (LessonGin):

1. Click IMPORT at the top of the All Lessons screen in the Lesson Authoring tool (LessonGin).
2. Click IMPORT FROM LEGACY AUTHORING PORTAL.
3. If you have lessons for more than one language pair, mark the checkbox beside the language pair(s) in which you have lessons that you want to import, then click NEXT.
4. A list of your published lessons in the selected languages from the Vocab Authoring tool will appear. Mark the checkboxes for the lesson or lessons you want to import, then click NEXT.
5. Make any necessary edits to the name, learning language, known language, learner level, and domain for each imported lesson, then click IMPORT. The imported lessons will become available in the Lesson Authoring tool (LessonGin).

To create new vocab lessons in the Lesson Authoring tool (LessonGin): 

1. Click NEW LESSON at the top of the All Lessons screen in the Lesson Authoring tool (LessonGin).
2. When asked to select a template for the lesson, choose Vocab. Lessons with the vocab template have the same set up and activities as the vocab lessons created with the Vocab Authoring tool. Alternatively, you can experiment with other templates if you want to create other types of lessons.
3. Fill in the lesson name, learning language, known language, learner level, and domain for the lesson.
4. When the Vocab Editing screen appears, enter the content for the lesson just as you would have in the Vocab Authoring tool.