Language input interface on a device

A portable device comprising:

• a touch-sensitive display;
• memory;
• one or more processors;
• and
• instructions stored in the memory and configured to, upon execution, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
• providing a user interface element for presentation on a touch-sensitive display of a device, the user interface element being associated with a plurality of characters, wherein each of the plurality of characters is associated with a respective gesture with respect to the user interface element;
• receiving a flick gesture in a first direction with respect to the user interface element, the flick gesture including an initial contact with the user interface element on the touch-sensitive display;
• in response to the initial contact, providing for presentation a plurality of visual aids, each visual aid including one of the plurality of characters displayed outside of the user interface element, wherein providing for presentation the visual aids comprises causing the visual aids to be displayed in a radiating pattern such that each visual aid indicates a direction associated with the character included in the visual aid, wherein the flick gesture further includes a liftoff without contacting any of the plurality of visual aids on the touch-sensitive display;
• and
• inputting, based on the received flick gesture in the first direction, a character displayed in a visual aid, the displayed character associated with the first direction.

A computer program product, encoded on a tangible program carrier, operable to cause a portable device to perform operations comprising:

• providing a user interface element for presentation on a touch-sensitive display of a device, the user interface element being associated with a plurality of characters, wherein each of the plurality of characters is associated with a respective gesture with respect to the user interface element;
• receiving a flick gesture in a first direction with respect to the user interface element, the flick gesture including an initial contact with the user interface element on the touch-sensitive display;
• in response to the initial contact, providing for presentation a plurality of visual aids, each visual aid including one of the plurality of characters displayed outside of the user interface element, wherein providing for presentation the visual aids comprises causing the visual aids to be displayed in a radiating pattern such that each visual aid indicates a direction associated with the character included in the visual aid, wherein the flick gesture further includes a liftoff without contacting any of the plurality of visual aids on the touch-sensitive display;
• and
• inputting, based on the received flick gesture in the first direction, a character displayed in a visual aid, the displayed character associated with the first direction.