I have a very difficult time reading. I was always an avid reader as a child and teen, but somehow in the last four years my attention span has shrunk, my mind wanders like a nomad, and I can't force myself to just do it. In fact, just thinking about having to read something fills me with a sense of panic and anxiety.
I thought that text-to-speech (TTS) software would be a great learning device for me. I was very excited at the prospect, and when Ira revealed all the different programs and technologies available on Firefox alone, I felt very positive that this could change the way I read and receive information.
First, we tried the Vozme program in class, which converts a string of text into an audio mp3. I can think of numerous applications for this; my first idea was to create an MP3 of an assigned class reading, load it onto my iPod, and then listen to it in my car while driving. A student who has similar issues with reading could also use this technique. A CD player is an inexpensive substitute for an iPod.
The Vozme program produced a relatively smooth reading of the text. It was easy to follow, though annunciation was awkward in some spots. Overall, I could see myself making regular use of this program.
Other programs though, such as FoxVox and Text to Voice used voices that were too mechanical and very difficult to understand. FoxVox came equipped with a UK male voice, and the accent made the words almost incomprehensible. Though, I was sampling text from J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan (which I acquired through Project Gutenberg online), which is very dense and uses more archaic English. But even selecting just a simple sentence for the voice to read proved difficult to both my boyfriend and me. I had to research and spend a lot of time downloading and uploading a new, American English voice. I found that a female voice worked best for me, and that made the text much easier to decipher, but still too difficult for any serious use.
I also found out later that Vozme only can convert so much text. I'd have to create several MP3s for a few readings, which isn't difficult but can be time consuming, and frustrating figuring out when to cut off the text for the next recording. I did manage to fit 12.5 minutes of text from a reading assignment into a single MP3, which I did indeed transfer to my iPod and listen to on my drive back to Lansing from Detroit. I had to rewind the file to capture the exact words several times. I even let it repeat several times in a row after it finished to make sure I caught most of the text. Once again, Vozme was the clear winner of all the TTS technologies I tried. Though I only had time to convert some of the text, I absorbed that much very well!
All things considered, I found the TTS programs to be useful, but disappointing in many ways. I'm not sure what I was expecting... a miracle cure for my reading blues, I suppose. But I am extremely glad that these programs do exist, and I am positive that they will continue to improve with time. I will continue working with them to train my ears to decipher mechanical, robotic female voices with ease!
