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How to Use PowerPoint Speak to Read Text Aloud

Microsoft PowerPoint has a built-in text-to-speech feature called Speak, which lets you read text out loud. Here's how to use it.

With PowerPoint presentations, it's usually you, or an audio or video clip, doing all the talking. But what if you want to give your voice a much-needed break without interrupting the presentation?

Microsoft PowerPoint has a built-in but hidden Speak feature that allows it to read out the text of your presentation slides, similar to the Read Aloud feature in its cousins—Word and Outlook.

In this article, you'll learn how to set up and use the Speak feature in Microsoft PowerPoint to read out your slides and power up your presentations, plus how to manage it.

How to Enable Speak in Microsoft PowerPoint

The Speak feature has been available in PowerPoint since PowerPoint 2010, but not many are aware of this because it's neither on the Ribbon area nor on the Quick Access Toolbar by default.

With a little tweaking, however, you can enable Speak on the Ribbon and QAT, and get PowerPoint talking just like your Google Assistant . Here's how:

• Open the PowerPoint desktop application.
• Drag the scroll bar, scroll all the way down and click on Speak . The commands are arranged alphabetically, so you can jump to “S.”
• Speak will be enabled for all documents in PowerPoint by default.
• Return to your Quick Access Toolbar , and you should see the Speak button, but it may be inactive.

Related: How to Read Text Out Loud on Android: Methods You Can Use

How to Use Speak to Read Microsoft PowerPoint Documents Aloud

Once Speak is added to your Quick Access Toolbar or Ribbon, you can start listening to your PowerPoint presentations. Here's how:

• Launch the PowerPoint desktop application and open any existing document.
• Click on Speak and it will start speaking or reading out the selected text.

You'll notice that unlike the Read Aloud feature, Speak functions basically as a play/stop button on the Quick Access Toolbar. It can also be playing in the background while you do other tasks.

Related: Everything You Need to Know About TikTok's Text-to-Speech Feature

How to Manage Speak in Microsoft PowerPoint

If you want to manage how Speak works, you'll have to go through the Windows menu. Here's how:

• Press the Windows key on your PC and click on Control Panel .
• Click on the Voice selection dropdown to select a different voice. Your options will depend on your version of Windows.
• Voice Speed is set to Normal by default. You can adjust this by dragging the slider left or right between “Slow” and “Fast.”
• Click OK when done.

Related: How to Set Up and Manage the Read Aloud Feature in Microsoft Word

Power Up Your PowerPoint Presentations With Speak

Whether you're feeling tired and exhausted or you have a speech impairment, you can power up your PowerPoint presentations with Speak and let it do the talking on your behalf. It's also available in Word, Outlook, and OneNote.

Speak is clearly not as robust or as accessible as Read Aloud, perhaps due to the fact that PowerPoint already has several other built-in audio/visual tools. However, it is good enough to do the basic tasks of helping you make an audio presentation or read another's presentation aloud.

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One of the best ways to catch errors in your writing is to listen to it being read aloud. By using TTSReader for proofreading, you can catch errors that you might have missed while reading silently, allowing you to improve the quality and accuracy of your written content. Errors can be in sentence structure, punctuation, and grammar, but also in your essay's structure, order and content.

Listen to web pages

TTSReader can be used to read out loud webpages in two different ways. 1. Using the regular player - paste the URL and click play. The website's content will be imported into the player. (2) Using our Chrome extension to listen to pages without leaving the page . Listening to web pages with TTSReader can provide a more accessible, convenient, and efficient way of consuming online content.

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Upload any ebook file of epub format - and TTSReader will read it out loud for you, effectively turning it into an audiobook alternative. You can find thousands of epub books for free, available for download on Project Gutenberg's site, which is an open library for free ebooks.

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Generate audio files from text

TTSReader enables exporting the synthesized speech with a single click. This is available currently only on Windows and requires TTSReader’s premium . Adhering to the commercial terms some of the voices may be used commercially for publishing, such as narrating videos.

Accessibility, dyslexia, etc.

For individuals with visual impairments or reading difficulties, listening to textual content, lectures, articles & web pages can be an essential tool for accessing & comprehending information.

Language learning

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Kids love stories! And if you can read them stories - it's definitely the best! But, if you can't, let TTSReader read them stories for you. Set the right voice and speed, that is appropriate for their comprehension level. For kids who are at the age of learning to read - this can also be an effective tool to strengthen that skill, as it highlights every sentence being read.

Main Features

Ttsreader is a free text to speech reader that supports all modern browsers, including chrome, firefox and safari..

Includes multiple languages and accents. If on Chrome - you will get access to Google's voices as well. Super easy to use - no download, no login required. Here are some more features

Fun, Online, Free. Listen to great content

Drag, drop & play (or directly copy text & play). That’s it. No downloads. No logins. No passwords. No fuss. Simply fun to use and listen to great content. Great for listening in the background. Great for proof-reading. Great for kids and more. Learn more, including a YouTube we made, here .

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We facilitate high-quality natural-sounding voices from different sources. There are male & female voices, in different accents and different languages. Choose the voice you like, insert text, click play to generate the synthesized speech and enjoy listening.

Exit, Come Back & Play from Where You Stopped

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Vs. Recorded Podcasts

In many aspects, synthesized speech has advantages over recorded podcasts. Here are some: First of all - you have unlimited - free - content. That includes high-quality articles and books, that are not available on podcasts. Second - it’s free. Third - it uses almost no data - so it’s available offline too, and you save money. If you like listening on the go, as while driving or walking - get our free Android Text Reader App .

Read PDF Files, Texts & Websites

TTSReader extracts the text from pdf files, and reads it out loud. Also useful for simply copying text from pdf to anywhere. In addition, it highlights the text currently being read - so you can follow with your eyes. If you specifically want to listen to websites - such as blogs, news, wiki - you should get our free extension for Chrome

Export Speech to Audio Files

TTSReader enables exporting the synthesized speech to mp3 audio files. This is available currently only on Windows, and requires ttsreader’s premium .

Pricing & Plans

• Online text to speech player
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• Premium Chrome extension
• Better support from the development team

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A text reader essentially allows users to listen to text-based content rather than read it. This technology is especially beneficial for visually impaired individuals and those who prefer auditory learning or want to engage with content while multitasking.

ElevenLabs Text Reader distinguishes itself by utilizing cutting-edge AI, to generate spoken content that’s not only contextually aware but also rich in emotional nuances. It’s proficient in 29 languages and interprets the subtle emotional undertones of the text, creating a more engaging and immersive experience. Whether it’s for enhancing the accessibility of written content or giving a voice to diverse applications across industries, the ElevenLabs Text Reader has you covered.

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Use a screen reader to read or add speaker notes and comments in PowerPoint

This article is for people with visual or cognitive impairments who use a screen reader program such as Windows Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with Microsoft 365 products. This article is part of the Microsoft 365 screen reader support  content set where you can find more accessibility information on our apps. For general help, visit  Microsoft Support .

Use PowerPoint with your keyboard and a screen reader to add and read speaker notes in your PowerPoint presentation. We've tested it with Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. You'll learn how to use speaker notes to add reminders or talking points for the presenter, and use comments to give your colleagues feedback about their presentations.

New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program .

To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365 .

In this topic

Add speaker notes, read speaker notes, add a comment, read comments.

Add speaker notes in your presentation to tell a story to your audience beyond the slide content. You can use the speaker notes as private reminders of the slide content, too.

To display the Notes pane, in the Normal view, press Alt+W, P, N.

On the slide where you want to add notes, press F6 until you hear: "Slide notes."

Type your notes.

To exit the Notes pane, press F6.

You can hear whether a slide has notes and listen to the notes.

In the Normal view, press F6 until you hear: "Thumbnails."

Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the title or number of the slide and its position in the list of slides. If there are speaker notes on the slide, you hear: “Has notes.”

To display the Notes pane, press Alt+W, P, N.

Press F6 until you hear “Slide notes,” and then press the SR key+R to listen to the note.

You can add comments on slides if you're, for example, reviewing someone else's work.

If you want to comment on a specific piece of text or an object, select it first. To find out how to select in PowerPoint using keyboard shortcuts, refer to Use keyboard shortcuts to create PowerPoint presentations .

On a slide, in the Normal view, when you hear a piece of text or an object you want to comment on, press Alt+R, C. The Comments pane opens.

Type your comment and press Ctrl+Enter to save it.

To exit the Comments pane, press Esc.

To close the Comments pane, press Alt+R, P, P.

You can hear whether a slide has comments and listen to the comments.

In the Normal view, press F6 until you hear: "Thumbnails."

Press F6 and the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the title or number of the slide and its position in the list of slides. If there are comments on the slide, you hear: “Has comments.”

To open the Comments pane, press Alt+R, P, P. You hear: “Comments on slide.”

If the Comments pane is already open, press F6 or Shift+F6 until you hear: "Comments on slide."

Press the SR key+Right or Left arrow key to move through the comments. Your screen reader reads the comments as you land on them.

Use a screen reader to add and format text in PowerPoint

Use a screen reader to save your presentation in PowerPoint

Use a screen reader to show your presentation with PowerPoint

Use keyboard shortcuts to create PowerPoint presentations

Use keyboard shortcuts to deliver PowerPoint presentations

Basic tasks to create a presentation in PowerPoint with a screen reader

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate PowerPoint

Use PowerPoint with your keyboard and VoiceOver, the built-in macOS screen reader, to add and read speaker notes and comments in your presentation.

This topic assumes that you are using the built-in macOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, go to VoiceOver Getting Started Guide .

Add comments

Reply to a comment, resolve comments.

Add speaker notes in your presentation to tell a story to your audience beyond the slide content. You can use the speaker notes as private reminders of the slide content, too. You can add the speaker notes in the Normal view if you're adding only short notes, or in the Notes Page view if you're planning to write more notes per slide.

Add speaker notes in the Normal view

On the slide where you want to add speaker notes, press Shift+F6 until you hear: "Notes pane."

Type your speaker notes for the slide.

Add speaker notes in the Notes Page view

On the slide where you want to add speaker notes, in the Normal view, press Command+3. You hear: "Notes page, checked."

In the Notes Page view, press the Tab key until you hear: "Entering slides notes text box, Edit text." Then type your speaker notes.

To move to the notes on another slide, in the Notes Page view, press Option+Control+Shift+Up arrow key until you hear: "Out of notes page view, layout area." Press Esc once, and then press Option+Right or Left arrow key until you hear the slide you want.

To return to the Normal view, press Command+1.

You can listen to the notes on your headset and then deliver them verbally to your audience, or let VoiceOver read the notes out loud. You can listen to the speaker notes either in the Normal view or the Notes Page view when you're creating or editing your presentation. When you're delivering a slide show, you can use the Presenter View .

Read speaker notes in the Normal view

On the slide, press Shift+F6 until you hear: "Notes pane."

In the Notes Pane , press Control+Command+Right arrow key. You hear "Edit text, insertion at beginning of text," followed by the speaker notes text.

Read speaker notes on a Notes Page view

On a slide, press Command+3. You hear: "Notes page, checked."

In the Notes Page view, press the Tab key until you hear "Edit text," followed by the speaker notes text.

Read speaker notes in the Presenter View

To switch to the Presenter View , on a slide in the Normal view, press Option+Return. You hear: "Now in PowerPoint presenter view."

In the Presenter View , press Control+Option+Left or Right arrow key until you hear: "Notes pane, layout area."

To read the notes text, in the Notes pane, press Control+Option+Shift+Down arrow key. VoiceOver reads the speaker notes text. To stop reading, press Control once.

You can add comments on slides if you're, for example, working together with others on a presentation or you're reviewing someone else's work.

On the slide where you want to add comments, press F6 until you hear the name of the current tab on the ribbon.

Press Control+Option+Left or Right arrow key until you hear "Review tab," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.

On the Review tab, press the Tab key until you hear "New comment button," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar. The Comments pane opens, and the focus moves to the comment text field in the pane.

Type your comment.

To insert your comment, press Command+Return.

Reply to a comment 

Open the Comments pane and read the comments as instructed in  Read comments .

When on a comment you want to reply to, press Control+Option+Right arrow key until you hear "Reply, edit text," and then type your reply.

To insert your reply, press Command+Return.

When on a comment you want to resolve, press the Tab key until you hear "More thread actions button," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.

To resolve the comment, press the Down arrow key until you hear "Resolve thread," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.

You can use VoiceOver to listen to others' comments and to check who's commented on your presentation and when.

In the Normal view, press F6 until you hear the current tab on the ribbon.

Press Control+Option+Left or Right arrow key until you hear "Review tab," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.

On the Review tab, press the Tab key until you hear: "Show comments menu button."

To open the Comments pane, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear "Comments pane," and press Control+Option+Spacebar. If you hear "Check mark, Comments pane," the Comments pane is already open. In that case, press Esc and proceed to the next step.

On a slide, press F6 until you hear: "Comments, selected tab."

In the Comments pane, press the Tab key until you hear: "Entering comment thread." The focus is now on the first comment of the thread. To read the comment, press the Tab key. VoiceOver also announces the time when the comment was added and who wrote it.

To move to the next comment thread, press Option+Control+Shift+Up arrow key. You hear: "Out of comment thread." Then press the Down arrow key until you hear the next thread.

Use PowerPoint with VoiceOver, the built-in iOS screen reader, to add and read speaker notes and comments in your presentation.

This topic assumes that you are using the built-in iOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, visit Apple accessibility .

Resolve a comment

When you open a presentation in PowerPoint, it opens in the Normal view where VoiceOver can read the speaker notes.

To navigate to a slide that has speaker notes, swipe right until you hear the slide number and title, followed by "Has notes." Double-tap the screen to select the slide.

To open the Notes pane, swipe left until you hear "Notes button," and double-tap the screen.

The Notes  pane opens. To read the notes, swipe left until you hear "Slide notes, text box," followed by the speaker notes for the slide.

To close the Notes pane, swipe left until you hear "Close, button," and double-tap the screen.

You can use speaker notes as private reminders of what to say when presenting your slides to the audience.

On the slide where you want to add speaker notes, swipe right until you hear: "Notes, button." Then double-tap the screen. The Notes pane opens.

Note:  If you hear "Notes" instead of "Notes button," the Notes pane is already open.

To go to the notes text field, swipe right until you hear: "Slide notes, text box, text field."

Double-tap the screen, and then use the on-screen keyboard to type your notes.

To close the keyboard, swipe right until you hear "Hide keyboard," and then double-tap the screen.

Read comments 

When you open a presentation in PowerPoint, it opens in the Normal view where VoiceOver can read the comments.

To navigate to a slide that has comments, swipe right until you hear the slide number and title, followed by "Has comments." Double-tap the screen to select the slide.

To open the comment pane, swipe left until you hear "Comments button," and double-tap the screen.

The comment pane opens. To read the comment, swipe left or right until you hear "Threaded comment," followed by the name of the person who wrote the root comment and the contents of the comment.

To read the replies to the root comment, swipe right until you hear "Reply," followed by the name of the person who wrote the reply and the contents of the reply.

To navigate to the next comment, swipe left until you hear "Next comment," and double-tap the screen. To return to the previous comment, swipe left until you hear "Previous comment," and double-tap the screen.

To close the comment pane, swipe left until you hear "Close the comment pane, button," and double-tap the screen.

On the slide where you want to add a comment, tap near the top of the screen with four fingers, swipe right until you hear "Show ribbon," and then double-tap the screen. You hear the name of the currently selected tab.

Double-tap the screen, swipe right or left until you hear "Insert tab," and double-tap the screen.

Swipe right until you hear "Insert a comment," and double-tap the screen. You hear: "At mention or comment." The focus is on the comment text field.

Use the on-screen keyboard to type your comment.

To insert your comment, swipe right until you hear "Post comment, button," and then double-tap the screen. The comment pane opens. You hear: "Close the comment pane."

To close the comment pane, double-tap the screen.

Open the comment pane and read the comments as instructed in  Read comments .

When on a comment you want to reply to, swipe right until you hear "At mention or reply," and then double-tap the screen.

Use the on-screen keyboard to type your reply.

To insert your reply, swipe left until you hear "Post reply," and double-tap the screen.

When on a comment you want to resolve, swipe right until you hear "More thread actions," and then double-tap the screen.

To resolve the comment, swipe right until you hear "Resolve thread," and double-tap the screen.

Use a screen reader to work with slides in PowerPoint

Use PowerPoint for Android with TalkBack, the built-in Android screen reader, to add and read speaker notes or comments in a presentation. With speaker notes, you can add reminders or talking points for the presenter. With comments, you can give your colleagues feedback about their presentations.

This topic assumes that you are using the built-in Android screen reader, TalkBack. To learn more about using TalkBack, go to Android accessibility .

On the slide where you want to add speaker notes, swipe left or right until you hear: "Notes, switch." Then double-tap the screen. The Notes text field opens.

To go to the text field, swipe right until you hear "Slide notes," and then double-tap the screen.

Use the on-screen keyboard to type your notes.

To close the Notes  text field when you're done, swipe down-then-left.

When you're browsing the list of slides in the Reading  view, TalkBack tells you if the slide has notes. You hear the number and title of the slide, followed by "Has notes." To read the notes, you need to open the slide in the Editing view. When you're delivering a slide show, you can use the Presenter View to read your notes.

Read speaker notes in Editing view

In the Reading view, navigate to a slide that has speaker notes, and then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Edit button." Double-tap the screen. The slide opens in the Editing view.

Swipe left or right until you hear "Notes, switch," and then double-tap the screen.

The Notes text field opens. To read the notes, swipe right until you hear "Selected, Slide notes," followed by the speaker notes for the slide.

To close the Notes  text field, swipe left until you hear "Close, button," and then double-tap the screen.

Read speaker notes while delivering a slide show

In the Reading or Editing view, swipe left or right until you hear "Present button," and then double-tap the screen. The landscape mode activates. Rotate your device to landscape mode.

Swipe right until you hear the slide you want, and then double-tap the screen.

To read the speaker notes, rotate your device to portrait mode, swipe right until you hear "Selected, Slide notes," followed by the speaker notes for the slide.

You can add comments on slides if you're, for example, working with others on a presentation or you're reviewing someone else's work.

On the slide content area where you want to add comments, double-tap the screen. The context sensitive menu opens. You hear: "Cut button."

Swipe right until you hear "New comment, button," and then double-tap the screen. The  @mention or comment  text field opens, and the focus moves to the beginning of the text field.

Use the on-screen keyboard to type your comments. When you're done, swipe down-then-left to close the on-screen keyboard.

To insert your comment, swipe right until you hear "Post comment," and then double-tap the screen. The comment pane opens. You hear: "Close the comment pane." To close the comment pane, double-tap the screen.

When you're browsing the list of slides in the Reading  view, TalkBack tells you if the slide has comments. You hear the number and title of the slide, followed by "Has comments." To read the comments, you need to open the slide in the Editing view.

In the Reading view, navigate to a slide that has comments, and then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Edit button." Double-tap the screen. The slide opens in the Editing view.

Swipe left or right until you hear "Comments, switch," and then double-tap the screen.

The comment pane opens. To read the comments, swipe right until you hear "Comment thread," and double-tap the screen.

Swipe right until you hear "Threaded comment," followed by the name of the person who wrote the comment and the comment content.

To read the replies to the comment, swipe right until you hear "Reply," followed by the name of the person who wrote the reply and the reply content.

To navigate to the next comment thread, swipe right until TalkBack announces the number of the next slide, followed by "Threaded comment." To navigate to the previous comment thread, swipe left until you hear the number of the previous slide, followed by "Threaded comment."

To close the comment pane, swipe left until you hear "Close, button," and then double-tap the screen.

Navigate to and read the comments as instructed in Read comments .

When on a comment you want to reply to, swipe right until you hear "At mention or reply," and double-tap the screen.

Use the on-screen keyboard to type your reply. When done, swipe down-then-left to close the on-screen keyboard.

To insert your reply, swipe right until you hear "Post reply," and double-tap the screen.

When on a comment you want to resolve, swipe right until you hear "More thread actions button," and double-tap the screen.

To resolve the thread, swipe right until you hear "Resolve thread," and double-tap the screen.

Use a screen reader to insert and edit pictures and tables in PowerPoint

Use PowerPoint for the web with your keyboard and a screen reader to add and read speaker notes or comments in a presentation. We have tested it with Narrator in Microsoft Edge and JAWS and NVDA in Chrome, but it might work with other screen readers and web browsers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. You'll learn how to use speaker notes, to add reminders or talking points for the presenter, and use comments to give your colleagues feedback about their presentations.

If you use Narrator with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you have to turn off scan mode in order to edit documents, spreadsheets, or presentations with Microsoft 365 for the web. For more information, refer to Turn off virtual or browse mode in screen readers in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update .

When you use PowerPoint for the web, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge as your web browser. Because PowerPoint for the web runs in your web browser, the keyboard shortcuts are different from those in the desktop program. For example, you’ll use Ctrl+F6 instead of F6 for jumping in and out of the commands. Also, common shortcuts like F1 (Help) and Ctrl+O (Open) apply to the web browser – not PowerPoint for the web.

To display the Notes pane, in the Normal view, press Alt+Windows logo key, W, P, N.

On the slide where you want to add notes, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear: "Slide notes."

To exit the Notes pane, press Ctrl+F6.

In the Normal view, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear the number of a slide and its position in the list of slides.

Press the Up or Down arrow key to browse through the list of slides. If there are speaker notes on the slide, you hear: “Has notes.”

To display the Notes pane, press Alt+Windows logo key, W, P, N.

Press Ctrl+F6 until you hear “Slide notes,” and then press the SR key+R to listen to the note.

On a slide, in the Normal view, when you hear a piece of text or an object you want to comment on, press Alt+Windows logo key, R, C, 1. The Comments pane opens. You hear: "@mention or comment, edit."

Type your comment. You can press Enter to start a new line.

To save the comment, press the Tab key until you hear "Post," and then press Enter.

To exit the Comments pane, press Ctrl+F6.

To close the Comments pane, press Alt+Windows logo key, R, P, P.

Press the Up or Down arrow key to browse through the list of slides. If there are speaker notes on the slide, you hear: “Has comments.”

To open the Comments pane, press Alt+Windows logo key, R, P, P. You hear: “Comments pane.”

If the Comments pane is already open, press Ctrl+F6 or Ctrl+Shift+F6 until you hear: "Comments pane."

Press the Tab key until you hear: "Comment card." Use the Up and Down arrow keys to move between comment cards, and the Left and Right arrow keys to move through the comments within each card. Your screen reader reads the comments as you land on them.

Technical support for customers with disabilities

Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.

If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk .

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Listen to The Bible

Bible sound bites.

The Book is a one-minute radio program that features unusual stories and interesting facts about the Bible—one of the best-selling books of all time. It’s produced by Museum of the Bible and is heard on Bible Gateway and more than 800 radio outlets.

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The story of jesus.

The Story of Jesus is a compelling, easy-to-follow presentation that is rooted in the clear, accessible language of the NIV. Revealing and insightful, this is the Jesus story in a concise, single narrative.

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Music and Scripture that will bring Joy to your Heart and Peace to your Soul, arranged topically using the NIV.

Can I Trust the Bible? by R. C. Sproul

Dr. R. C. Sproul shows there are many solid reasons to trust the Bible and affirms a high view of Scripture—that it is inspired of God and therefore inerrant and infallible. Can I Trust the Bible? is part of the 10-volume Crucial Questions series , available in both audio and print.

Twenty-Three: The Scripture Set to Song

Listen to the encouraging words of Psalm 23 set to music. Copyright © 2003 by New Spring Music Publishing / Row J Seat 9 Music / Chips and Salsa Songs / Word Music Publishing / /Fifty States Music ASCAP. Performance ℗ 2005 Music for the Soul , Inc.

Witness the Bible

Walk through the Bible with your children in this action-packed, radio theatre-style dramatization from the 1599 Geneva Bible.

Genesis to Jesus

Joseph and judah, audio partners, special thanks to our audio partners.

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Bible Gateway Recommends

Audio Broadcasts and Podcasts: Oral Storytelling and Dramatization

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

Students begin this lesson by discussing what makes a good, vivid story and creating a working checklist of the criteria for a good story. They explore background information about the Mercury Theatre production of The War of the Worlds from October 30, 1938. They read the broadcast script from the show and compare its characteristics to those listed in the checklist they created. They then listen to audio of the production and compare it to the script version. Next, students create their own audio dramatization of a text they have read, following a process that takes them from preproduction activities, such as outlining, through postproduction activities, such as editing and publishing their work. During the process, they analyze how The War of the Worlds script conveys emotion and feeling. Finally, students share their broadcasts with the class and use a checklist to assess each other's work.

Featured Resources

War of the Worlds Travelogue : Students can use this online tool to explore background information about the 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds .

Plot Diagram Tool : This online tool allows students to graphically map the events in a story.

ReadWriteThink Notetaker : This online tool allows students to organize up to five levels of information in outline form, choosing bullets, Roman numerals, or letters.

From Theory to Practice

Lou Orfanlla explains, "Radio has the power to individualize its presentation within the mind of each and every listener. There is an intimacy and shared vision that it creates" (55). In an early example of the power of radio, Orson Welles "accidentally terrorized many Americans, young and old, with [his] updated Halloween-night version of H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds- proving the power of radio in a remarkable way" (Bianculli 39 in Orfanella). To explore these connections between listeners and those who compose audio media, this lesson asks students to make personal connections and to consider the connections that others make. Based on this understanding, students then compose their own audio stories, in order to investigate more fully how audio composers connect with their listeners.

Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
• 2. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.
• 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
• 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
• 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
• 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
• 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
• 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
• 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Materials and Technology

• Real Audio  
• Broadcast script  
• CD from bnpublishing.com (2005) or from Radio Spirits (2000)  
• Assorted texts or class textbooks  
• H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds (optional)
• War of the Worlds Worksheet  
• Audio Dramatization Rubric  
• Audio Dramatization Process  

Preparation

• Gather audio recording equipment-cassette tape recorders and blank cassette tapes, a computer with audio recording software and a microphone, or an MP3 player (e.g., an iPod) with a microphone. Playback equipment is also necessary, in order to share finished dramatizations as well as to listen to the Mercury Theatre version of The War of the Worlds .  
• Create a specific list of stories from students' textbooks that they may choose among.  
• Allow students to choose any short story from their class texts, whether you have read it as a class or not.  
• Ask students to choose any event from a novel they have recently read. You might use this option with books recently read in literature circles as a way for groups to share their reading with one another.  
• Have students reflect on the short stories and/or novels they have read over the term and choose a story or passage from the list. This option can provide a nice review of readings at the end of a term or year.  
• Use the activity as a book report alternative, with individual students dramatizing short passages from the books that they have read.  
• As an alternative, students can use picture books as the inspiration for their dramatizations. Picture books will result in well-focused stories, allowing students to avoid any struggle with narrowing to a suitable excerpt.  
• Make copies or overhead transparencies of the handouts: War of the Worlds Worksheet (if desired), Audio Dramatization Rubric , and Audio Dramatization Process .  
• Be sure to review any music download sites that you will share with students to ensure that they are appropriate for your particular classroom. Some include advertisements. Sites may also include language that is not appropriate for the classroom.  
• Review the resources listed in the  Websites section for basic information about the Mercury Theatre broadcast.  
• Test the War of the Worlds Travelogue , Plot Diagram Tool , and CD/DVD Cover Creator on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tools and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page.  

Student Objectives

Students will

• listen to (and read) an audio broadcast.  
• explore the historical and cultural context of an audio broadcast.  
• establish criteria for effective audio storytelling and dramatizations.  
• compose a dramatization of a scene from a recent reading.  

Session One

• What makes a story entertaining?  
• What makes characters in a story strong and interesting?  
• How does a conflict or problem influence whether a story is vivid and interesting?  
• What are the important qualities of the resolution to the conflict?  
• What makes a setting appropriate?  
• How is the underlying code of behavior best communicated in a story?  
• What are ways to connect to the history of a place or people that make work well in a story?
• To summarize the discussion, ask students to create a working checklist of the criteria for a good story, based on their responses so far. Record the information on chart paper or an overhead transparency.  
• Review the items and, with students, phrase the criteria in yes/no questions.  
• Explain that the class will explore the Mercury Theatre production of The War of the Worlds from October 30, 1938.  
• Students may already be familiar with the story and events of that production. Ask them to share any information they know about the famous broadcast.  
• Share additional general background information from the resources listed in the  Websites section.   
• Working individually or in small groups, have students explore the Web resources included in the War of the Worlds Travelogue . Alternatively, you can use the War of the Worlds Worksheet . If time is short or computer resources limited, students can work in groups, with each group exploring only one of the three sites listed.  
• After students have spent time researching the sites, gather the class and ask volunteers to share their findings. Draw connections to the class checklist for a good story.  
• For homework, ask students to read The War of the Worlds broadcast script .  
• If desired, type the class checklist for a good story before the next session, and make copies for each student.  

Session Two

• If you prepared copies of the class checklist for a good story, pass copies out to students. Otherwise, draw attention to the posted list from the previous session.  
• Ask students to share any immediate responses to the broadcast script , especially in light of the information they read on the Websites during the previous session.  
• Have students compare the characteristics of the story to the class checklist for a good story, taking notes on their observations on the board or on chart paper. Be sure to label the observations so that it's clear that they are for the script only.  
• Access one of the audio recordings of the Mercury Theatre production of The War of the Worlds ( Real Audio or MP3 ), and listen to all or part of the recording in class (depending upon the time available for the session).  
• As they listen, students can follow along in the broadcast script , noting any features of the recording that surprise or interest them.  
• For homework, ask students to return to the  broadcast script and, if desired the Real Audio or MP3 recording, and compare the characteristics of the two versions (script versus audio). Ask them in particular to consider how the audio recording compares to the class checklist for a good story.

Session Three

• Ask students to share their homework comparisons of the script and audio recording of Mercury Theatre production of The War of the Worlds. Encourage concrete connections to the class checklist for a good story.  
• After students have shared their immediate responses, have them review the class checklist for a good story and ask them to consider how the list would change if the checklist were focused on the qualities that make the audio recording of a story or an oral story vivid. Record their responses on the board or on chart paper, adjusting the class checklist as necessary.  
• Explain that students will complete audio dramatizations of short stories or short passages from longer works, much as the Mercury Theatre created a dramatization of H. G. Welles' The War of the Worlds.  
• Pass out the Audio Dramatization Rubric , and compare students' checklist with the requirements for the project.  
• Explain the option for choosing excerpts from short stories or novels that you have chosen (see the Preparation section).  
• Outline (and if desired, demonstrate) the technical equipment that students have available to them as they work on this project (e.g., cassette recorders, computer software).  
• If you choose to share the finished pieces through podcasts and students are unfamiliar with how podcasts work, review " Podcasting Power for the People " from NewsHour with Jim Lehrer to provide some basic background. Alternatively, you might ask students to read this piece for homework and discuss it briefly during a later session.  
• Answer any questions that students have about the project or the rubric.  
• If students will work in small groups, arrange the groups at this point.  
• Allow students the rest of the class session to choose their stories and begin planning their dramatizations. To encourage students to choose their story or passage in a timely manner, you may require that they choose by the end of the session or by the beginning of the next session.  
• Ask students to turn in a brief freewrite that explains what story they have chosen and why they chose it. Review the choices, and provide feedback and support. Be sure to confirm that students have chosen passages that are a reasonable length for the project. If necessary, help them expand or narrow their focus individually.

Session Four

Preproduction   Outline the story   Identify key scenes and characters   Compose script   Choose any sound effects   Practice the script   Production   Set up equipment (including anything needed for sound effects)   Record the segment in short segments   If working online, save often!   Postproduction   Edit the audio as necessary   If working online, add any additional music or sound effects   Review the completed recording   Publish or share the final piece  

• To begin the process of outlining the story, ask students to identify the key points of the story structure for the Mercury Theatre production of The War of the Worlds . If desired, use the Plot Diagram Tool to record the events and establish their place in the narrative structure.  
• Working from the diagram of the plot, begin work on an outline of the significant events in the Mercury Theatre production of War of the Worlds . If desired, use the ReadWriteThink Notetaker to compose and organize the outline. There is no need to outline the entire story. Simply record enough detail for students understand how to gather information for the stories that they have chosen.  
• Once students understand these two tasks, ask them to create a plot diagram and outline for the stories that they have chosen to dramatize. If desired, students can use the Plot Diagram Tool and the ReadWriteThink Notetaker to record their work.  
• Spot-check diagrams and outlines to ensure that students have identified the necessary information for a successful dramatization.  
• When they complete the diagrams and outlines, ask students to begin the work of composing their scripts by identifying the events and actions that are important to their dramatization. Allow this work to move smoothly, based on students' work, rather than waiting for everyone to finish each step.  
• As they review their diagrams and outlines, ask students to consider the characteristics of a good story and the rubric for the project. These two lists of criteria should shape the choices for their scripts.  
• If time remains, ask students to begin gathering notes from the original source, such as existing dialogue, that can be used in their dramatizations. If time is short, students can begin this process as a homework activity.

Session Five

• Review the work students have done so far and the rubric for the project. Answer any questions. Allow students to share excitement or challenges. Provide any problem-solving help as needed.  
• As a class, look closely at a short excerpt from the the Mercury Theatre production of The War of the Worlds.  
• What details in the script communicate the settings for the story?  
• How can you tell what emotions the characters feel?  
• How do you know what is happening in the story?
• As you review students' responses, stress that the only way to tell what is going on in a well-written play is by what is heard. Characters rarely explain their emotions; rather, they communicate them through such features as tone of voice, word choice, and pace of conversation.  
• Have students identify a sample passage from the War of the Worlds script that demonstrates how emotions are communicated.  
• Ask students to identify how techniques other than words communicate information in the War of the Worlds broadcast. Encourage them to choose specific features from the text to demonstrate such techniques as sound effects and background sounds.  
• Common Content: Catalog  
• Creative Commons  
• Dave's Imaginary Sound Space: Podsafe Music Resources  
• Freesound  
• Use with caution: GarageBand.com: Genres of Music ---This site is sponsored by the Budweiser Company and includes information that may not be appropriate for your classroom.
• Ask students to return to the process of composing their scripts, modeled on the techniques in the Mercury Theatre script. Remind them to keep in mind the discussion of how information is communicated to listeners in an audio broadcast.  
• As students work, circulate through the classroom, providing support and feedback. Encourage students to try out short excerpts from their script for you.  
• Allow as many additional sessions as necessary for students to complete their scripts and finalize their plans for their audio dramatization.  
• Ask students to come to the next session ready to begin production of their dramatizations.

Sessions Six to Nine

• Explain that students will record their dramatizations during the next four sessions.  
• Remind students of any technical details regarding the equipment that is available for their productions.  
• Encourage students to record in small segments and, if working online, save often. It's easier to rerecord a short segment if something goes wrong than it is to have to rerecord the entire production. Working in small pieces allows students to save their work often (so that they avoid losing any data is there is a technical problem).  
• Discuss any options for editing the recorded audio files (e.g., how to splice smaller segments together, how to add background music if working online).  
• Answer any questions and allow students to work freely on their dramatizations during these periods.  
• Provide support and feedback during the session. If students run into any challenges that cannot be easily resolved, explain that they can modify the script as necessary.  
• At the end of the last session, students should have a broadcast that is ready to share with the rest of the class. If students have created online files, ask that all are published on your network or given to you on a CD or floppy disk before the next session.

Session Ten

• Set up the technical equipment necessary for students to share their productions (e.g., computers, iPod and speakers, computers).  
• Give groups a few minutes to make any last minute preparations.  
• Ask individuals or groups to describe their production briefly as an introduction.  
• Play the related recording. Encourage audience response.  
• Rotate through the class until all broadcasts have been played.  
• Ask students to return to the class checklist and assess the work of other groups.Which stories were particularly vivid and compelling? Why were they vivid and memorable?  
• How did the process of creating an audio dramatization of a printed text influence your understanding of the original?  
• What was the most interesting thing about your dramatization of the text, and why?  
• Choose the dramatization of another group or student, and reflect on what made that story particularly vivid.  
• If you were to dramatize another passage, what would you do differently and why? Imagine that you have whatever technical equipment you need to complete your task.
• Students can compare passages from H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds to those from Mercury Theatre production of The War of the Worlds . As they compare the works, ask students to consider how the changes that Orson Welles and the other members of the Mercury Theatre group made lead to a good story. Have students use the class checklist for good stories as they compare the texts.  
• Have students publish their dramatizations on CDs and use the CD/DVD Cover Creator to create covers for their finished work.

Student Assessment / Reflections

• Focus on observation and anecdotal note taking as students work on their projects to provide ongoing assessment of their progress.  
• Use the Audio Dramatization Rubric to assess students’ recordings.
• Calendar Activities
• Strategy Guides
• Student Interactives

This Strategy Guide describes the processes involved in composing and producing audio files that are published online as podcasts.

The Plot Diagram is an organizational tool focusing on a pyramid or triangular shape, which is used to map the events in a story. This mapping of plot structure allows readers and writers to visualize the key features of stories.

The CD/DVD Cover Creator allows users to type and illustrate CD and DVD covers and related booklets for liner notes and other information. Students can use the tool to create covers for books, music, and films that they explored as well as to create covers for media they compose individually or as a class.

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• Kindergarten K

Why Read When You Can Listen?

Will audiobooks, podcasts, and text-to-speech software make reading obsolete.

Posted April 30, 2019

In the early days of television, some proponents confidently claimed that it would shortly replace textbooks for learning ( Vandermeer, 1948 ), while others apparently worried that television would eventually replace reading of any kind, turning children into “red-eyed, illiterate morons” ( Cerf, 1958 ).

We know that didn’t happen; people still read and television never became more than an adjunct instructional technology in schools.

But today a number of people are asking the same question: Is reading obsolete?

Not because of television, but because of podcasts, audiobooks, and especially greatly improved text-to-speech software that is available for most common word processing programs and web browsers and almost all e-books . Due to the Internet, most informational and academic text, as well as an increasing amount of recreational text, originally occurs or can be found in digital format. Since almost any digital text can now be listened to, rather than read, will reading eventually become unnecessary? Is there any reason to read, when one can just listen? Aren’t reading and listening just different ways to get the words into our brains so we can think about them? Or is reading a text really “better” (more effective, more useful) in some way than just listening to it?

It turns out the answer isn’t a simple “Yes” or “No.” It depends on who is reading, why they are reading, and what they are reading…

Listening and reading comprehension are similar in many ways.

In their well-known simple view of reading, Gough and Tumner (1986) assert that reading is just the combination of word identification and listening comprehension, and it has long been known that, in skilled adult readers at least, listening comprehension and reading comprehension are highly correlated . A classic 1977 study found that college students who listened to short stories were able to summarize them just as well as those who had read them, and a recent research study showed similar results: Adult readers’ comprehension and memory of a true-life narrative was essentially the same whether they had read the book or listened to it as an audiobook. It seems likely that, for most stories and lighter reading, listening probably “works” just as well as reading.

Listening to text, instead of reading it, has definite advantages sometimes.

The most obvious advantage is that you can listen to a recorded text while doing something else with your hands and eyes, especially routine tasks like driving, washing dishes, or working out. This is probably the main reason both audiobooks and podcasts are quickly growing in popularity; 18% of Americans say they listened to at least one audiobook in the past year (up from 14% in 2016) and, for the first time ever, over 50% of Americans report having ever listened to a podcast .

Spoken text has another advantage over written text that can actually enhance comprehension. Good readers read with prosody ; that is, they read with expression, and this expressiveness can sometimes help the listener understand text that uses unusual words or words in unusual ways. For example, the meaning of some lines in Shakespeare is much clearer when read aloud by a good actor than when simply seen on the page, while oral poetry readings can often convey both figurative and emotional meanings better than can those same poems in print.

Finally, of course, listening has great advantages for those with disabilities or disadvantages that make reading either impossible or extremely difficult. Audiobooks and reliable text-to-speech programs have greatly expanded the quantity and variety of texts accessible to people with vision impairments and have even been shown to help dyslexic and struggling readers improve their reading skills. Reading aloud to young readers , after all, is a time-honored and research-proven way of introducing them to texts and ideas more complex than they can yet access on their own.

But listening isn’t always as effective as reading.

Reading has several advantages over listening, especially for informational texts or studying. You cannot skim when listening, and skimming is increasingly important in today’s information-overload environment. Also, if you run into a puzzling passage, you cannot as easily look back or reread in an auditory text as in a written one. Likewise, widely-used study strategies like making notes, highlighting, and cross-referencing are all easily carried out in written text, but difficult to impossible with auditory text.

Contrary to what one might think, reading can also be more time efficient than listening. Most podcasters and audiobook performers speak at about 150-160 words per minute , the optimal speed for most listeners, while the average twelfth-grader reads silently at about 250 words per minute , and skilled readers can easily read 300-400 wpm, more than double the rate at which they could listen to a text. An impatience with the relatively slow rate of listening versus reading may be one reason research suggests that listeners are more easily distracted than readers , and why many of us prefer to listen to audiobooks or podcasts while also doing something else, rather than just sitting and listening.

But perhaps most importantly, a number of research studies have shown that reading is more effective than listening for learning from text. For example, the same research study mentioned above, which found that listeners were more distractible than readers, also found that readers remembered information from the experimental texts better than those who had listened to them. Similarly, a 2010 study found that psychology students who read a professional article scored consistently higher on a subsequent quiz than did their peers who listened to a podcast of it. Another study done with college students in 2018 showed that they recalled a textbook passage they had read better than one they had only listened to, and this effect was especially strong for English language learners. Nurses in another 2018 study learned medical vocabulary better from reading than from audio text instruction, while yet another recent study showed that even incidental (unintentional) vocabulary learning happens more effectively from reading versus listening.

For all these reasons, reading is clearly not obsolete but is still an essential part of modern life and learning. We should perhaps be especially cautious about switching from written articles and textbooks to their spoken counterparts in education. On the other hand, you are probably not missing much by following your favorite political podcast while cooking or listening to an audiobook as you drive (as long as you don't get too distracted...). We are lucky to be living in a time when so much text, both informational and recreational, is available in so many formats that we all can find and enjoy the ones best suited to our purposes, needs, and circumstances.

Paula J. Schwanenflugel, Ph.D. , and Nancy Flanagan Knapp, Ph.D ., are co-authors of The Psychology of Reading .

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from training.npr.org: https://training.npr.org/2017/01/10/radio-intros-5-examples-of-success/

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Radio intros: 5 examples of success

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Intros can make or break your story. They are  hard to write well. It’s also hard to lay down laws about intros. Their success depends on the voice that delivers them and the nature of the story they serve. But we’ll try, based on a few examples below. (You should also check out Radio intros: 7 tips to keep listeners from turning off the radio  and What NPR One can teach us about radio intros ).

Please note: The intro’s natural habitat is sound, not text. So listen to the beginning of these files, and then use the text of the intro as a secondary reference!

News of the day

Just because a story is the day’s top news doesn’t mean its intro can’t be creative or narrative-driven.

“Around the country, Chrysler dealers were waiting today for just one guy to walk onto the lot — the UPS man. UPS delivered special letters from Chrysler headquarters this morning, telling dealers whether or not they would survive. One quarter of them got bad news. Chrysler plans to shut those franchises as part of its restructuring and bankruptcy court. NPR’s Martin Kaste has details.”

Why it works:

• It begins with a visual image : “One guy” walking onto the car lot with “special letters.” Character, setting, action. A more typical (and less good) intro would have felt obligated to communicate the day’s headline first — that Chrysler dealerships are getting closure notices. Reporter Martin Kaste still conveys that, but in a scenic way.
• It is structured like a mini-narrative, including suspense . Dealers are waiting. One guy walks onto the lot. He’s holding a letter. It’s bad news. And so on … Now I want to know what happened!
• It doesn’t try to do too much : We don’t learn why Chrysler has gone bankrupt, why certain dealerships are targeted, or how much of a financial drag dealerships are on the company. Martin just gets us started, and the intro is an implicit promise that we’ll get to the bigger picture — through the eyes of dealers themselves.

Explainers and laying foundations

If I say to you, “Let’s talk about congressional redistricting!” your eyes may glaze over. So every time a reporter or host has to take on this topic — or other complicated, wonky subjects — they face the challenge of reminding us what the heck it is and why it matters. Nina Totenberg , along with editor Ron Elving , succeeded in this Morning Edition set-up for the day’s Supreme Court arguments.

“Take a look at a congressional district map and it sort of looks like a madman’s jigsaw puzzle. The reason is in part that district lines are drawn by state legislators who try to help their own parties. That’s why some states — California, Arizona and others — have tried setting up independent commissions to draw those maps. It was 15 years ago that Arizona voters created a redistricting commission. Its map was immediately challenged, and now the Republican-dominated legislature has taken a challenge to the commission’s very existence all the way to the Supreme Court. NPR Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg has the story.”

• It offers a visual analogy . The phrase “madman’s jigsaw puzzle” grabs the ear. It’s imaginative and visual. Not to mention the fact that it perfectly captures what many congressional districts look like ( check it out ; crazy, right?).
• It lays out the history you need to understand the story . We hear not only the what but the why , without getting into the weeds.
• It doesn’t presume we already understand . To politicos, it’s old hat that “district lines are drawn by state legislators who to help their own parties.” For the rest of us, it’s helpful to have a basic explainer. And we have to communicate to everyone , not just those in the know.

There’s the story … and then there’s the ‘big idea’

Our job is not only to communicate news and information, but also to explain to people why they should care. Sometimes, that means starting your intro with a big idea, rather than the story itself.

“Some childhood mysteries, we try to hold onto with all our might — but others, well, offered a peak behind the curtain, we snatch it. Case in point — last year the South Dakota Historical Society published the annotated autobiography of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Little House books. Her memoir, titled Pioneer Girl , sold like hot johnny cakes fried up in bacon drippings. The initial print run of 15,000 was snapped up in just a few weeks. Last week, another 15,000 copies were sent to hungry readers and now the Historical Society is waiting on a third run of 45,000 copies. Nancy Koupal joins me now. She’s director of the South Dakota Historical Society Press …”

• It begins with a universal theme. Listeners who don’t care about Laura Ingalls Wilder might have tuned out if her name led the story. Instead,  All Things Considered host Melissa Block and producer Matt Ozug began with the idea of childhood mysteries. They’re telling the audience this story is about more than one book or author.
• The writing is playful. OK, one woman’s humor is another’s bad joke … Still, whatever you think of the phrase “sold like hot johnny cakes fried up in bacon drippings,” it sure jumps out the radio.

Remember: You’re putting on a show

Intros aren’t just informative bits of “copy.” They are opening acts in a show, whether it’s Morning Edition or All Things Considered  or your local newsmagazine. That means your host doesn’t just “read intro copy.” Your host is effectively performing. And sometimes, you can have fun with that. Like this All Things Considered  intro, with Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro :

ARI SHAPIRO: “With all the financial turmoil this week, here’s a simple sentence that it might be useful to repeat. Audie?” AUDIE CORNISH: “The stock market is not the economy.” SHAPIRO: “Let’s try that together.” CORNISH/SHAPIRO: “The stock market is not the economy.” SHAPIRO: “NPR’s Sonari Glinton explains why.”

• It is surprising.  This intro’s format is so different from the usual intro, it makes you lean in and want to hear what comes next.
• The performance is good . Not all hosts are game for this sort of thing but Audie and Ari were — and they delivered.
• It’s simple. This intro has to set up a story by Sonari Glinton about a complicated economic idea. With this playful but straightforward approach, the intro makes the topic more inviting than it might be otherwise.
• It takes advantage of the program’s assets. For a show like All Things Considered , there are two hosts in the studio introducing stories. Why not let them actually sound like they’re in the studio together ?

Don’t give away the punch line!

When important news is happening, intros should indicate something about what happened and why it’s important. Anything else would be irresponsible journalism. But sometimes, intros should not reveal what happened. In fact, most radio features should point towards an event, a journey or a revelation … without giving it away. Here’s a whimsical example from Ofeibea Quist-Arcton :

“We’re ten days from Inauguration day here in Washington. Ghana already had a presidential inauguration last weekend. And it had a surprising resemblance to past inaugurations in the U.S. You really have to listen for yourself to NPR’s Ofeibea Quist-Arcton.”

• It  promises a surprise (and the piece delivers). In this case, it’s OK to “bury the lede” (the Ghanaian president plagiarized) because it’s not significant news for the majority of our listeners.
• It explicitly asks you to listen . After promising a surprise, it makes a direct appeal to the listener: If you listen closely, the surprise will be revealed.  Naturally, every intro intends to inspire listening but this is a good case when the explicit appeal is merited.
• It’s short! This a punchy intro that simply sets the table and makes you want the meal, without wasting any time.

Alison MacAdam was a Senior Editorial Specialist with the NPR Training team, where she focused on audio storytelling. Prior to that, she edited All Things Considered.

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• B2 listening

Sports interviews

Listen to the radio interview and do the exercises to practise and improve your listening skills.

Instructions

Do the preparation exercise before you listen. Then do the other exercises to check your understanding.

Preparation

Do this exercise before you listen.

Presenter: Now the 2020 Olympics might seem a long way away to you, but people are already talking about what new sports might be included. Today I'm going to talk to two people who are hoping their sport might be included. The first is Jonny Mills whose sport is wakeboarding. Jonny, can you tell us what wakeboarding is? Is it like surfboarding?

Jonny: Well, a bit. It started in California because people wanted to surf but didn't have waves ... It's also a bit like waterskiing in that the rider is towed behind a specially-built speed boat.

Presenter: How fast does the boat go?

Jonny: Usually at about 25 mph, or a bit less. The rider uses the wake the board produces in the water to launch into the air.

Presenter: And then you do a lot of complicated things in the air?

Jonny: That's right, spins of up to 1260 degrees, things like that.

Presenter: 1260 degrees, that's impossible isn't it?

Jonny: Oh no, but it's pretty crazy. You spin round three and a half times in the air.

Presenter: And then you have to land again without falling over.

Jonny: You'll have to come and watch some wakeboarding if you haven't seen any. Come to Wakestock in July if you can.

Presenter: That's in Wales, isn't it?

Jonny: Yep, Abersoch in North Wales. It's a really popular wakeboarding and music festival. It's right by the beach. It's not quite the same as California, but it's cool. It attracts a lot of great riders.

Presenter: Who does wakeboarding?

Jonny: They reckon about 3 million people all over the world. More guys do it, but there are increasing numbers of girls too. The people who compete are usually in their teens or twenties, but anyone can do it. There's a lot of crossover with other board sports like surfing and skateboarding. The tricks people pull are similar and the names for things are often the same.

Presenter: And looking at you, I'd say the fashion was similar too.

Jonny: Yeah, the clothes and the lifestyle are similar.

Presenter: Right, now I'd like to ask Jules Russell about her sport. She's a skater in a roller derby team. Tell us about that, Jules. Is it a popular sport?

Jules: Yes, it's becoming really popular in the UK. There are about 60 leagues in England and 1,200 throughout the world. In the US and Canada, of course, and places like Scandinavia and Australia, but lots of other countries too.

Presenter: The sport began in the States, didn't it?

Jules: Yes, in the 1930s, but it was more for entertainment than sport and it died out by the 1970s. Then there was a revival in Texas in 2001 and from then on it's just been growing and growing.

Presenter: So how do you play it?

Jules: Well, you have two teams of five people on roller skates, of course, and they go round an oval track in the same direction. Each team has a 'jammer' who scores points by passing members of the opposing team. They do whatever they can to stop her, within reason. The team with the most points at the end of the match wins.

Presenter: It sounds a bit rough!

Jules: Well, it's a contact sport, so there's bound to be a lot of pushing and falling over. It's all good fun, though; people don't often get hurt. If you try and trip someone up you get penalised. You do try and frighten the other team a bit though.

Presenter: That's right. You have frightening clothes and special names.

Jules: People used to have incredible costumes a couple of years ago. Now the sport is changing and becoming more professional. Lots of the teams train three or four times a week, and spend a lot of time in the gym you have to be really dedicated and fit. We still have nicknames, though. I'm 'The Julifier'.

Presenter: And is the sport all female?

Jules: There are a few men who do it, but it's mostly female and amateur at the moment. Things are changing fast though, so who knows what the future will bring. It would be fantastic to be an Olympic sport.

Presenter: What do you think about roller derby, Jonny?

Jonny: It's wild! Those ladies scare me to death! Good luck to them with the Olympics thing though. And good luck to us too.

Presenter: Good luck to you both.

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Which of these sports would you be most interested in trying?

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• Breaking News English Short (1 - 5 minute) audio tracks spoken at various speeds. Tracks separated into 7 levels (0 - 6). Tracks also have transcripts and related exercises. more info... less info... New stories uploaded every few days. Some stories adapted for various levels.
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• Learn American English Level 1 | Voice of America Each news story has an audio recording, a written version, and vocabulary help. Some stories also have videos. more info... less info... Also watch "News Words" to learn about specific words that relate to news stories.
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• News Report | BBC Learning English Short (30 seconds), weekly news stories from the BBC on current news stories. Each track has a short exercise and vocabulary help. more info... less info... Spoken in British accent. PDFs available of transcript and exercises.
• Lingohack | BBC Learning English Weekly news broadcast from the BBC that focus on learning new vocabulary featured in current stories.
• Learn American English Education| Voice of America Each news story includes an audio recording, a written version, and vocabulary help. Some stories also have videos. more info... less info... Watch "Everyday Grammar" for advanced help with grammar.
• Breaking News English | Level 6 Short (2 minutes or less) audio tracks spoken at various speeds. Tracks also have transcripts and related exercises. more info... less info... New stories uploaded every few days. Some stories adapted for various levels
• NPR's Morning Edition Morning news program from National Public Radio, focused on U.S. and world news.
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• Public Radio International (PRI) Radio news stories of varying lengths (5 - 15 minutes) focusing on global news. more info... less info... Transcripts included. Tracks are downloadable.
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Listening Practice Through Dictation with Transcripts

English Listening Exercises for B1 – Margaret Fuller

English Listening Exercises for B1

Listening Strategy

When you listen to a more formal text, pay attention to linking words and phrases. These tell you how the pieces of information are connected: a contrast, a result, an example, emphasis, etc.

1. Read the Listening Strategy. Then complete the table with the headings below.

contrast      emphasis      example      result

1 emphasis   2 contrast   3 result   4 example

2. Choose the correct linking word or phrase in the sentences.

1   She worked hard at school. Consequently, / Mind you, she did well in her exams.

2   The town has excellent leisure facilities. For instance, / However, there is a new sports centre.

3   The journey had been long and tiring. For example, / For that reason, they decided to get an early night.

4   The weather was extremely cold. Indeed, / However, it reached -12°C one night.

5   Ellie spent all afternoon at the beach. As a result, / Mind you, she got slightly sunburned.

6   The house is in a terrible condition – in fact, / though it would be impossible to live there.

1 Consequently,   2 For instance,   3 For that reason,

4 Indeed,   5 As a result,   6 in fact,

3. Match sentences 1-6 with endings a-h. Use the linking words to help you. There are two extra endings.

1   She stayed up all night doing her homework. As a result , she

2   He tried very hard to contact his parents. For instance , he

3   They climbed the mountain in one day, though it

4   She really disliked the film. In fact , she

5   He applied for about twenty jobs. However , he

6   He decided he wanted to be a journalist. Consequently , he

a   eventually managed to get in touch.

b   needed more time.

c   phoned and emailed them.

d   sent his CV to all the national newspapers.

e   left before the end.

f   overslept and was late for school.

g   was difficult and exhausting.

h   only got two or three interviews.

1 f   2 c   3 g   4 e   5 h   6 d

4. You are going to listen to a radio interview about Margaret Fuller. First, read the sentences and circle the correct endings.

1   Margaret was an excellent student. In fact ,

a   by the age of six, she was translating Latin poetry into English.

b   she always found Latin particularly difficult.

2   Boys often learned Latin, but girls learned different things: for instance ,

a   girls usually started school at a later age.

b   how to behave in public.

3   She taught herself several languages and read great literature from around the world. Indeed ,

a   novels from Germany, France and Italy.

b   Many people considered her the best-educated person on the East Coast.

4   At that time, there were certain jobs which people thought of as suitable for women: for example ,

a   being a teacher.

b   Margaret was not interested in these jobs.

5   Some of the reviews she wrote were very negative. As a result ,

a   she was not always popular with novelists and poets of her time.

b   she praised good writing when she came across it.

6   She definitely tried to make the world a better place. Mind you ,

a   she particularly wanted to help people who couldn’t help themselves.

b   during her lifetime, she was actually best known for being bad-tempered!

1 a   2 b   3 b   4 a   5 a   6 b

5. Now listen to the interview. Check your answers to exercise 4.

Students check answers.

See exercise 6.

6. Listen again. Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)?

1   Margaret Fuller was educated both at home and at school.

2   In those days, most girls were expected to read great works of literature.

3   She worked as a teacher before she became a journalist.

4   She didn’t become editor of the New York Tribune because she was a woman.

5   She reviewed novels and poetry for the New York Tribune .

6   As a journalist, she took an interest in groups of people whose lives were difficult.

1 T    2 F    3 T    4 F    5 T    6 T

Host   Last week, we heard about Nellie Bly, one of the first female journalists to become really famous. This week, we’re going to talk about Margaret Fuller. She was born before Nellie Bly, wasn’t she?

Guest    Yes, that’s right. Margaret Fuller was born near the start of the nineteenth century – in 1810.

H    In America?

G   Yes, in America. In Cambridge, which is a city on the East coast of the USA, near Boston. It’s the home of Harvard University, one of the most famous universities in the world.

H   And did Margaret have a good education?

G   Yes, she did. Up to the age of nine, her education was at home, with her father. Margaret was an excellent student. In fact, by the age of six, she was translating Latin poetry into English.

H   Was that unusual at the time?

G   Yes, it was – for a girl. Boys often learned Latin, but girls learned different things: for instance, how to behave in public. Boys were given great works of literature to read; girls were given romantic novels.

H    So did she receive all of her education at home?

G    No, she didn’t. By the age of ten, she was at school. And eventually, she qualified as a teacher. But even as an adult, her education continued. She taught herself several languages and read great literature from the around world. Indeed, many people considered her the best-educated person on the East Coast. And that’s male or female!

H    So, she had a hunger for education. What else was different about her? Why did she become so well known?

G   Well, she had very strong opinions about the role of women, and particularly about what jobs they could do. At that time, there were certain jobs which people thought of as suitable for women: for example, being a teacher. Margaret believed that a woman could do any job that a man could do.

H    And what job did she do?

G   Well, after teaching, she became a journalist. She worked for the New York Tribune and became its first female editor. She also wrote reviews for it, as she was well known for having strong opinions about literature. Some of the reviews she wrote were very negative. As a result, she was not always popular with novelists and poets of her time.

H    Did she only write about literature?

G    No, she was interested in many different topics. For example, she went into prisons and wrote about the conditions there. She wanted to make them better. She also wanted to change people’s attitudes to Native Americans and African Americans.

H   So, she fought a lot of good causes.

G   Yes, she did. She definitely tried to make the world a better place. Mind you, during her lifetime, she was actually best known for being bad-tempered!

H   Oh dear! Well, I suppose sometimes strong opinions can make you unpopular.

Extra exercises

example, if the stem is The conversation takes place …, you need to listen for the setting of the conversation, and specific ideas or feelings are not relevant.

1. Read the Strategy. Then read the extract from a recording and sentences 1-3. What is the topic of each question?

Welcome back, listeners. I hope you enjoyed the last sone. Now with us in the studio today we have a great musician and composer who I’ve looked up to my entire life. I am so thrilled to meet him at last, and I look forward to hearing about his latest album. So let’s welcome …

1   The conversation takes place in …           …………………………….

2   The speaker feels that her guest is …      …………………………….      

3   The guest is going to discuss …                 …………………………….

1 location / setting   2 opinion / feeling   3 subject

2. You will hear five extracts twice. Circle the correct answers (A-D).

1   What is the man doing at the moment?

A   interviewing someone for a job

B   offering someone a job

C   talking to a co-worker

D   preparing for an interview

2   The speaker is advertising something that

A   you must accept within a time limit.

B   will last for 24 months.

C   will give you free internet service for a short time.

D   is expensive but very good quality.

3   The girl admits that she

A   has arrived home late several times.

B   did not behave in the right way.

C   wanted to make her parents angry.

D   thinks her parents are right.

4   The conversation takes place

A   in a radio studio.

B   in a TV studio.

C   in a school classroom.

D   in a university classroom.

5   Which of the following statements is true?

A   You only need your password for the website.

B   You can only get help online.

C   You must change your personal information before you can speak to someone.

D   You can speak to someone without another phone call.

1 C   2 A   3 B   4 A   5 D

A    So what do you think of the candidates for the job?

B    I have to say, not many of them have had the right kind of experience. I liked the last one, though – she showed a lot of intelligence, and she had plenty of self-confidence, too.

A   She probably was the best of the lot today. Still, we have another group to interview tomorrow, so we might find someone who’s perfect for the post.

Are you unhappy with your slow internet connection? Do you want an internet service that you can always rely on, with a high-speed connection for your online games, and great security for your shopping and bill-paying? Then you should give TickNet a call today. We have all the features you’ve come to expect, at the lowest price available! And if you call within the next 24 hours, we will even pay off whatever you owe your current internet service. You’ll also receive your first month of TickNet internet absolutely free!

Girl   My parents are unbelievable! They told me I can’t go out in the evening for a whole month − just because I got home late on Saturday!

Boy    Well if you make a deal with your parents, you have to stick to it, right?

G   I suppose so. I mean, I know I shouldn’t have come home late – or at least I should have rung them and said when I’d get home. But still … I’ve never been late before, so it seems pretty extreme.

With us today we have a university professor who is as comfortable in front of a TV camera as in the classroom. She has written one of the most fascinating books I’ve come across this year. It talks about how the climate of a country influences its people and their personalities, and even the development of an entire culture. Professor Wilson, welcome to Talk Time on Radio 5. Now, your books suggests …

Welcome to customer support. If you need to speak to a representative, please stay on the line and we will handle your call in the order it was received. We are handling a large number of calls right now, so if you don’t want to wait, go online now to chat with a customer service agent. That’s on our website. Before speaking to a representative, please make sure that you have all your information ready, including your account number and password.

Related Posts

• Practice Listening English Exercises for B1 – World
• Practice Listening English Exercises for B1 – History
• Practice Listening English Exercises for B1 – Communities
• Practice Listening English Exercises for B1 – Success
• Practice Listening English Exercises for B1 – Emotion
• Practice Listening English Exercises for B1 – Solutions

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Readloudly?

Readloudly is a versatile online platform designed for reading and listening to a wide range of content, including PDFs, flipbooks, ebooks, and text-to-speech materials. Users can access the platform as guests or by logging in with their email, where they can enjoy a personalized experience tailored to their preferences.

How do I access my account on Readloudly?

Users can access their accounts on Readloudly either as guests or by logging in with their email, including Gmail login. Once logged in, users can access their personalized dashboard, where they can store books, manage preferences, and access exclusive features.

Can I share books with friends on Readloudly?

Yes, users can easily share books with friends via email by utilizing the built-in sharing feature on Readloudly. Simply enter the recipient's email address, and they will receive access to the shared book.

Can I customize my reading and listening experience on Readloudly?

Absolutely! Readloudly offers a plethora of customization options, including changing the language while listening, selecting from over 50 different voices, adjusting playback speed, enabling dark mode, zooming in and out while reading, and setting preferences for text highlight colors and dark mode.

How can I interact with PDFs on Readloudly?

With Readloudly, users can interact with PDFs in various ways, including highlighting and bookmarking specific lines, playing, repeating, and jumping to any page using the sidebar's page view option. Additionally, users can toggle between text and page view modes for a more streamlined reading experience.

Is customer support available on Readloudly?

Yes, Readloudly offers 24/7 customer support to address any inquiries or issues users may encounter while using the platform. Users can contact the support team through the help button on the website or dashboard and can expect prompt assistance.

What exclusive features are available on the user dashboard?

The user dashboard on Readloudly provides access to four exclusive options: "Books You Have Listened," "Add New Book," "Lines You Have Bookmarked," and "Preferences." Users can manage their listened books, add new ones, access bookmarked lines, and customize preferences such as text highlight and dark mode settings.

How do I access my highlighted lines and bookmarks on Readloudly?

Users can easily access their highlighted lines and bookmarks by navigating to the "Bookmark" tab on their dashboard. Here, they can view and manage all their bookmarked content for easy reference.

Can I provide feedback or report issues on Readloudly?

Yes, Readloudly welcomes user feedback and encourages users to report any issues they encounter while using the platform. Users can provide feedback or report issues through the help button, and the support team will promptly address them.

Is Readloudly accessible on mobile devices?

Yes, Readloudly is accessible on various devices, including smartphones and tablets, through the website or the mobile app. Users can enjoy their favorite books and stories on the go, ensuring a seamless reading and listening experience across different devices.

Site News and Updates

March 3rd, 2024.

Exciting news! We've enhanced our OCR capabilities, providing more accurate text recognition. Now, with OCR, we offer support for over a hundred languages, making your reading experience truly global. Explore a world of literature in your preferred language!

Say goodbye to language barriers! With our new language change option, navigating through diverse literary landscapes is now hassle-free. Choose your preferred language and immerse yourself in a seamless reading experience.

Discover a refined reading experience with our latest design changes on the most viewed viewer page. Enjoy a smoother user experience, cleaner reading interface, and cool icons that enhance your interaction with the content. Immerse yourself in the world of literature with style and simplicity!

January 24th, 2024

Embark on a seamless reading journey with our new Text Viewer—an immersive experience designed to focus solely on the textual content of PDFs. Enjoy features such as highlighting, bookmarking, and effortless reading, all tailored to enhance your interaction with the written word.

For the PDF Viewer, take control with precision using zoom in and zoom out buttons. In the Text Viewer, elevate your reading experience by customizing font sizes with easy-to-use buttons. Your preferences shape your unique reading adventure!

Explore the power of Text-to-Speech with our new caption section! Enable captions to view the current sentence you're reading or listening to. Dive into the immersive experience where each spoken word is highlighted with a distinct color. Experience reading in a whole new way!

December 12th, 2023

Tired of straining your eyes during late-night reading sessions? We've got you covered! Introducing our new Dark Mode feature—because your comfort matters. Enjoy a soothing, eye-friendly interface while delving into your favorite documents.

Exciting news! Now, you can share the joy of reading seamlessly. Whether it's a captivating PDF, an engaging eBook, or a valuable textbook, sharing is caring! Head to your dashboard's book section, hit the share option, enter your friend's email, and voilà—spread the reading love!

But wait, there's more! Our Share Option isn't just about sharing; it's your personal storage haven. Safeguard your cherished documents while creating a vibrant reading community. Update your experience now and let the reading revolution begin! 🚀

Nov 22th,2023

A new version for added flexibility. Store and access multiple books effortlessly, eliminating the need to upload the same book repeatedly. Enjoy reading or listening whenever you want!

• Login : Experience a streamlined and secure login process, ensuring easy access to your personalized features and content.
• Personal Dashboard : Your customized hub for an organized and efficient user experience, providing quick access to all your account settings and activities.
• Book Storage : Store and manage multiple books effortlessly, eliminating the need to re-upload, and enjoy a clutter-free reading environment.
• Highlight and Bookmark : Enhance your reading experience by highlighting and bookmarking specific sections, making it easy to revisit and engage with key content.
• Preference : Personalize your reading experience with color customization for highlights and bookmarks, allowing you to tailor the visual aspects to your preferences.

Sep 27th,2023

We're thrilled to introduce a game-changing update to the ReadLoudly PDF viewer that promises an even smoother reading experience. 📚

• Each page is now processed on our powerful servers, significantly reducing the load on your browser.
• Enjoy lightning-fast page loading and navigation, no matter the size of your PDF document.
• Say goodbye to slow rendering and hello to a seamless reading experience.

Sep 19th,2023

Enhance your reading experience with our new Text-to-Speech page. Now, you can easily convert written text or upload a TXT file and listen to it being read aloud. Whether it's articles, notes, or your own writings, our text-to-speech technology brings content to life, making it accessible and engaging.

Introducing our convenient Page Selection option! We've made it even easier to read books and documents. You can now select the specific pages you want to read, resulting in faster load times for larger books. Customize your reading experience and access content more efficiently.

Sep 13th,2023

We've added a handy option to Repeat a Single Sentence. Now, you can easily replay a specific sentence or passage while listening, ensuring you never miss a word of your favorite content.

Our team has been hard at work, addressing issues to improve your audio playback experience. Say goodbye to audio player glitches and enjoy smoother, uninterrupted listening.

Sep 6th,2023

We're excited to unveil our fresh, new logo! It represents our commitment to providing you with innovative and user-friendly reading and listening experiences.

Introducing the eBook Reader Page, where you can now listen to your eBooks directly. Immerse yourself in your favorite eBooks with our text-to-speech technology.

Transform your eBooks into interactive flipbooks effortlessly. Visit our eBook to Flipbook Page to view your eBook files in an engaging flipbook format.

Sep 1st,2023

We've upgraded to a more powerful server! This means your books will be ready for reading even faster than before. Enjoy quicker access to your content.

Your security is our priority. We've implemented enhancements to ensure your data and reading experience are more secure than ever.

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