10/10/05 - Adding "Text to Speech" to MS Word

WordTalk is a 'plug in' template that adds text-to-speech to Microsoft Word for Windows.  Research and experience has shown that students with visual or reading difficulties can find it very helpful to have text read out by the computer.  Supporting reading and study through ICT also offers greater independence and arguably a more useful life skill compared to relying on a human reader.

WordTalk was developed by Rod Macaulay at TASSC in Aberdeen and the Scottish Executive Education Department has provided funding for it to be distributed on CD free of charge to secondary schools in Scotland.

The program was formally launched in September at a series of presentations attended by over 100 teachers and others in different parts of Scotland.

It can be downloaded free of charge from the WordTalk website, www.wordtalk.org.uk.  Unfortunately, the installation file is very large so we would strongly recommend using broadband or a similar fast internet connection.  If you can only access a slow dial-up connection, the CD can be obtained from:
CALL Centre
Communication Aids for Language and Learning
The University of Edinburgh
Paterson's Land
Holyrood Road
Edinburgh
Tel:   0131 651 6235       Fax:  0131 651 6234
Email: callcentre@ed.ac.uk
www.callcentrescotland.org.uk