Presenting Listening Practice, listening practice

Presenting Listening Practice Using Text2Speech;

How to present Listening Practice

       Presenting conventional reading text stays mainly in the teaching and learning processes. It is customary for teachers of English to read by themselves in front of the students or the teachers let one of the students to read the text. The aim of reading the text by the teachers or one of the students goes to give a model or sample how to pronounce and read every words and sentences correctly presented in the reading text.

      Today in the era of technology, there are many computer applications or software we can choose this option to aid the teaching and learning processes of English. We can get the applications of computer program for free download or paid download. 

      In this opportunity, I am about to discuss an application of mac computer or laptop called “Text2 Speech”. “Text2 Speech” is an application employed to present a text that can read for us. The text will read for us by just clicking the instruction button (“speech/stop” and “pause/continue”) in it. We can see (and read by heart) the text and listen to it when it reads for us. It means that we can present listening practice as well as reading practice in the teaching and learning processes. 

Method of Preparation

This is what you have to do with your mac computer

1. Go to “App Store” on your Mac computer 

2. Brows and find the application you need (in this case “Text2 Speech”) 

3. Download the application of “Text2 Speech” 

4. Prepare a text you would like to read or listen.

5. Type the text using a word in your computer.

6. Save and name your file (e.g. “Listening Practice”).

Technique of Presenting

1. Open “Text2 Speech” on your mac computer.

2. Load the text you have already prepared (e.g. “Listening Practice”, see 6 above).

3. Click “Speech/Stop ” button and you can stop by clicking “pause/continue” button.

4. You will listen to the text read to you.

Male/Female Voice

We can choose male or female voice in “Text2 Speech” by just selecting them.

There are five kinds of male voice. They are Albert, Alex, Bruce, Fred and Ralph voices. We can select from six kinds of female voice provided. They are Agnes, Junior, Kathy, Princess, Vicki, and Victoria voices.

Recording Listening Practice

In order to assist non-mac computer users, we can record listening practice using the following application. The recorded material can be saved in flash disk or CD, so it can be played using a non-mac computer.

1) Video in Photo Booth of mac computer

Go to and click “Photo Booth”. Select video mode. This application (Photo Booth) is already installed in a mac computer. 

2) “Extra Voice Recorder LITE”

3) “iScreen Recorder Lite”

4) “Screen Capture Lite”

5) 'audio text LITE - Textpad and Voice Recorder'.  The text can be also recorded using. 'Audio text LITE - Textpad and Voice Recorder' are an application we can access by using our mac computer or laptop. We can record practically utilizing this application on our mac computer or laptop. Beside it can be used to record, it can also be used to edit written text instantly, since it will appear suggested word we type wrongly.

BUT the drawback of “AudioText LITE - Textpad and Voice Recorder”:

It only records for 5 minute duration.

The remaining four applications need to be downloaded first before we use them. Click link.

To see the other text click here.