About TTS – Dialogic

About text-to-speech (TTS) in Dialogic

Dialogic is designed to provide immersive learning experiences, and one feature is the ability to integrate Text-to-Speech (TTS) technology. This enables learners to hear the dialogue they are engaged in, adding an auditory dimension to the learning process. Dialogic supports a variety of TTS options, allowing teachers and students to tailor the experience to their needs.

TTS options in Dialogic

Dialogic currently supports two TTS options:

1. Browser-based speech synthesis

This is a built-in feature available in most modern browsers. When enabled, it allows the browser to read text aloud without needing external services. This option is ideal for quick setup and works on any platform with speech synthesis support.

Languages Supported: Most modern browsers support a wide range of languages.
Advantages: No need for additional setup, free to use, and it works across all major browsers.
Limitations: May lack natural-sounding voices compared to more advanced options like Google TTS. No ability to adjust gender / dialect parameters.

2. Google Cloud text-to-speech (TTS)

Dialogic also supports integration with Google Cloud TTS, a more advanced and customizable solution. Google TTS uses deep learning models to generate more natural and human-like voices. This option requires setting up an API key.

Languages Supported: You’ll find a list of languages and dialects supported here.
Voice Customization: You can customize the voice based on gender (male/female) and dialect (e.g., US English vs. UK English). The voice selection can be tailored using the gender and dialect columns in your scenarios.
High-Quality Voices: Google TTS provides access to Wavenet voices, which offer a more natural-sounding speech synthesis.
Usage Limits: API usage limits apply, depending on the Google Cloud pricing plan, though currently Google gives users 1,000,000 characters / month free, which will likely be more than adequate for most teacher’s needs (that’s about 1500 conversations per month!).

Customizing TTS in Dialogic

Dialogic offers the following customization options for TTS:

Autoplay Messages: Teachers can enable autoplay for incoming messages. When this is enabled, each new message is automatically read aloud to the student.
Voice Gender and Dialect: Teachers can specify the gender and dialect of the voice in the scenario settings. This can make the scenario a bit more realistic. For example, you can choose between US or UK English, and male or female voices to align with the culture and gender of your interlocutor.
TTS in Multiple Languages: Dialogic supports TTS in multiple languages. Whether you are teaching English, French, Spanish,or even Arabic and Chinese, the TTS system provides a consistent experience in the language of your choice.

How to set up Google TTS

To use Google Cloud TTS, follow these steps:

Obtain an API Key: Sign up for Google Cloud Platform, enable the Text-to-Speech API, and generate an API key. Check out our YouTube channel or Google’s official documentation for more information.
Add the API Key to Dialogic: Once you have the key, go to the “Settings” tab in your Dialogic app and paste the key into the appropriate field (cell G9).
Activate TTS in Scenarios: In your scenario builder, use the gender and dialect columns to specify the voice preferences for each scenario. For example, to set a male voice with a US accent, set the gender column to MALE and the dialect column to en-US.
Test the Setup: After setting up your API key, Dialogic will automatically use Google TTS to play the voice messages based on your scenario settings.

Why use TTS in language learning?

Enhanced Listening Skills: TTS provides learners with an auditory component, helping them improve their listening comprehension and pronunciation.
Pronunciation Practice: By hearing the dialogue spoken aloud, learners can mimic correct pronunciation, improving their speaking skills.
Accessibility: TTS also makes Dialogic more accessible to learners who may benefit from hearing text read aloud.

For more information, troubleshooting, or assistance with setting up Google TTS, feel free to contact us.