1. Production of Audio Files... by Dr. S. K. Chitra Lakshmi

Listening is an active skill that involves two or more people and hence it is an interactive activity. It implies that there are two individuals transmitting information from two ends, each of which has to find response from the other, verbal or non-verbal, to complete the transmission of information. It also implies that there are two personalities, two thought processes, two different users of a common language influenced by their unique personalities, language skills that are at same or different levels and most importantly, influenced by the underlying intentions in the transmission of the message. With so many parameters at work in the simple skill of listening, the importance of training learners of English in listening cannot be underestimated.

Good communicators are good listeners. The aim of English Language teachers should also be to train students to improve their listening skills– to help learners apply a number of skills, such as noting the tone of voice, the modulation, intonation, vocabulary used, the actual meaning that can be inferred from the words, etc. Sadly, this has not really been given importance since listening has been considered a passive skill. However, in recent times, students from the tertiary level engineering institutions have found that listening is the first skill that they practice when they train and start work. They listen to work related conversations, interact with co-workers of different ages ( unlike at school or college, where they all belonged to a similar age group ),understand and appreciate people of different intellectual capacities and ultimately, respond correctly in order to be appraised as efficient and effective. They have to therefore, hone their listening skills. The skills of listening and speaking are actively needed by our students and it is our responsibility to train them to reach a certain level of proficiency in these two skills.

One of the biggest problems in teaching listening has been the problem of creating, accessing and broadcasting audio files in classes. Audio files that are readily available pose copyright problems. Sometimes, they cannot be downloaded to the PC. One may have to pay to use them. At other times, they may not be suitable for the tasks that the teacher has in mind. One must, therefore, become an independent audio producer. The workshop attempts to introduce participants to the mechanics of production of audio files using free software to teach listening tasks. It targets beginners and novices in the use of computers in ELT and is therefore, not too technical.

At the end of the session, trainees will be able to experiment with production of audio files at a beginner’s level and based on their interest and technical knowledge, be able to produce studio quality audio files later on.

Hardware and Software Requisites

1. Hardware

• • Computer with Windows 2003 and/or other advanced Windows versions

  • Internet connection

  • Headphones with microphones and ear phones

  • Mobile phones with Voice recorder (to be brought by participants)

2. Software

The computer must have the following installed softwares: VLC, Yakitome/VozMe, Praat, WavePad Sound Editor and Total Video Converter.

• • VLC to ensure that audio files can be played in mp3 format.

  • Yakitome/VozMe to create text files and get them converted to speech files in native voices

  • Mobile phones with voice recorder to create audio files by recording voices manually

  • PRAAT to create audio files by recording voices manually

  • WavePad Sound Editor to edit audio files

Learners will be guided to use the above mentioned resources to create audio files in the mp3 format.

Handout for Trainers

First, let us see how to convert text to speech online using TTS software available for free. (This option is useful if one requires native speakers with American and British accents available. For variety, one may also experiment with Spanish and French accents).

• • Go to Yakitome webpage, by googling it.

  • In the website page, type your email id and create a password specially for this .

  • Once registered, an email is sent. Save it somewhere safely.

• • Use it to sign in into the Yakitome page.

  • Type or cut and paste the text that will be your transcript for the audio file.

  • Select the voice and the speed from the options in the left pane.

  • Click on ‘convert’.

  • You are queued, so be patient.

  • If the bandwidth speed is good, the conversion is fast.

  • It is stored in your Podcast section in the same website. If you’d like to, set privacy settings.

  • Click on the ‘download’ option to save it to your computer. Create a new folder giving it a suitable name.

  • Rename the audio file according to the question number in your question paper. (This saves one many hours in the post production period).

PC Based Audio Production:

This option may be exercised if one prefers manual recording with available voices, such as those of friends, colleagues or students. Let us now see how to produce audio files using the PC. There are three options.

• • PRAAT, a free software downloaded and installed in your PC

  • Windows Recorder

  • Mobile with Voice Recorder

PRAAT is highly useful in understanding the pitch and intonation patterns. It is also useful in production of audio files using non-native voices manually.

• • After downloading and installing PRAAT in your PC, open PRAAT by double clicking on it. (Only the simplest options are explained here).

  • Two windows appear, one for ‘image’, on the right, and the other for ‘sounds’, on the left’.

  • Close the right window.

  • Click on ‘New’ in the left window.

  • Choose ‘Record Stero sound’.

  • Another window opens.

  • Click on ’Record’.

  • If your PC has inbuilt speakers, it will record automatically. If not, use headphones with mic.

  • Give the title, maybe the question number.

  • Click on ‘save to list’.

  • Another window opens.

  • Click on ‘Play’. If the recording is acceptable to you, click on ‘Write’.

  • Options appear. Click on ’Save as Wav’ file.

  • Your recording gets saved as an audio file in your Document page.

From the PC Voice Recorder

• • Go to Select.

  • Go to Accessories.

  • Select Voice Recorder.

  • Record and save it as audio file, usually in the mp3 format

From the Mobile Voice Recorder

• • Go to Applications

  • Select Voice Recorder

  • Record and save

  • Transfer using USB or Bluetooth

  • It is saved in amr format

Editing Saved Files

Sometimes, it is found that editing needs to be done in the audio files. Use Wave Pad Sound Editor, which is a trial version offered by NCH or any other Sound Editor. Download and install. Open the Editor. Options to download the file to be converted is usually shown in the task pane. Open the file that needs editing. Observe the wave patterns. Wherever, empty spaces are found in between the speech patterns, select and delete. Listen, fine tune the editing and then, save the file.

Conversion of Audio Files Using Total Video Converter to Convert to MP3 or WAV Format

• • Open Total Video Converter – which is a trial version and has to be downloaded.

  • Click on ‘New Task’.

  • File name is asked.

  • Give the file name you have given to your audio file.

  • Click on ‘Open’.

  • Options appear.

  • Click on the option you want, here, it is mp3.

  • It is stored in the desired format in Documents.

  • From there, move it to your secure folder.

  • Copy the files in a CD and voila, your audio files are ready for use in your classes