Since I am walking down memory lane...I remember programming a computer by setting 4 switches in octal to load the instructions. As funny as that would be today, it shows how a simple input device can be used to produce complex results.
My first computer, a Timex-Sinclair ZX-81, had BASIC commands tied to each key which made typing easier on that membrane keyboard. Perhaps it could employ a similar input device where the user could configure a keyboard with shortcuts for a given language.