13/05: Text to Go
The conveniences provided by the web abound! Especially for learners!
Never one to waste time, the busy online learner, with the help of the Web, can now make use of "text to speech technology" or TTS.
They can transfer Information from the web to an iPod / MP3 Player, and listen to it, wherever they go. With their loaded player, inveterate learners can use their commute time more productively and continue to learn while out for a run or in the gym. Knowledge workers, students, doctors, and lawyers consider TTS!
Several sites offer this service:
Text2Go from Tumbywood Software, near Melbourne, Australia, is designed to integrate Internet Explorer and iTunes. It comes with free tutorials and purchasable voices of higher quality than the original, in many different Asian and European languages.
Another web-based text to speech service is Read the Words. With 15 different speakers to choose from - male or female, with American, British or Indian accents, or a speaker in Spanish or French, it can also be used to help with translation or learning a language. A bit of a "heads up", though, I found the avatar's voice a bit unnerving: abruptly and seemingly from nowhere, her voice was a startling greeting upon my arrival on the site!
Vozme is a simple online 'text to speech' program. It can be installed as a iGoogle gadget, a Facebook widget, or as a service on a website. Type in any English, Italian or Spanish text and it plays as an audio stream. It can convert Web Pages, Office documents and PDF files into MP3 files.
Will TTS be helpful for the online learner? For some, it is an easy way to maximize use of time. Also, TTS tools may facilitate or expand language proficiency. For others, specifically online learners with visual disabilities, using TTS technology may well be essential.
Never one to waste time, the busy online learner, with the help of the Web, can now make use of "text to speech technology" or TTS.
They can transfer Information from the web to an iPod / MP3 Player, and listen to it, wherever they go. With their loaded player, inveterate learners can use their commute time more productively and continue to learn while out for a run or in the gym. Knowledge workers, students, doctors, and lawyers consider TTS!
Several sites offer this service:
Text2Go from Tumbywood Software, near Melbourne, Australia, is designed to integrate Internet Explorer and iTunes. It comes with free tutorials and purchasable voices of higher quality than the original, in many different Asian and European languages.
Another web-based text to speech service is Read the Words. With 15 different speakers to choose from - male or female, with American, British or Indian accents, or a speaker in Spanish or French, it can also be used to help with translation or learning a language. A bit of a "heads up", though, I found the avatar's voice a bit unnerving: abruptly and seemingly from nowhere, her voice was a startling greeting upon my arrival on the site!
Vozme is a simple online 'text to speech' program. It can be installed as a iGoogle gadget, a Facebook widget, or as a service on a website. Type in any English, Italian or Spanish text and it plays as an audio stream. It can convert Web Pages, Office documents and PDF files into MP3 files.
Will TTS be helpful for the online learner? For some, it is an easy way to maximize use of time. Also, TTS tools may facilitate or expand language proficiency. For others, specifically online learners with visual disabilities, using TTS technology may well be essential.
