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and Literature) 

Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023  
Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 

 

 

 

 

 
 

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USING NATURALREADER: A FREE TEXT-TO-SPEECH 
ONLINE WITH AI-POWERED VOICES IN  

TEACHING LISTENING TOEFL 
 

Tira Nur Fitria 

Institut Teknologi Bisnis AAS Indonesia 
tiranurfitria@gmail.com 

 
Abstract 

This research describes the use of NaturalReader in teaching listening TOEFL. 
This research is descriptive qualitative research. The analysis shows that 
NaturalReader is an AI-powered free text-to-speech service online that helps 
teachers/lecturers to teach English. In teaching English, especially listening to 
TOEFL, an English lecturer in ITB AAS Indonesia uses face-to-face learning 
combined with Zoom and Live YouTube streaming. The lecturer uses 
NaturalReader Text-to-Speech (TTS) in teaching listening TOEFL including Part 
A (short dialogue), Part B (long dialogue), and Part C (monologue). The lecturer 
opens the NaturalReader application and then clicks the + icon to input the 
words, phrases, or sentences that she/he wants to listen to the audio with their 
pronunciation. NaturalReader offers female and male voices and variation 
accents for both free and paid users. This software is capable of converting text 
into sound in multiple languages, including English with diverse accents, such 
as British or American. In teaching listening TOEFL, pronunciation especially 
accent cannot be separated from listening. In listening, the presence of several 
accents, the speakers’ speed, and the speaker’s intonation from native speakers 
on listening tests may threaten test fairness. By using the NaturalReader app, 
the students can learn to listen to how the word/phrase/sentence is 
pronounced differently with different accents and voices as they want. It means 
that the students study listening also pronunciation. When students understand 
correct pronunciation, students will understand English listening more easily 
because they will learn to identify the sounds directly from native speakers.  
 
Keywords: AI-powered voices, listening, listening TOEFL, NaturalReader, text-to-
speech  
 
 
Introduction 

In the process of teaching and learning, many obstacles are experienced 
during the activity so the learning objectives cannot be achieved optimally 
(Fitria 2021b). For the learning objectives to be achieved properly, the teacher 
must overcome these obstacles. One way is by using learning media. Learning 
media can be used as a tool that functions to expedite the course of teaching and 
learning activities so that learning objectives are achieved properly. Each 

mailto:tiranurfitria@gmail.com


ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics 

and Literature) 

Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023  
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subject has varying levels of difficulty, there are subject materials that do not 
require aids, but there are subject materials that are very difficult so they 
require aids because they have a high level of difficulty which is difficult for 
students to process and digest. Students will also feel bored and exhausted if, in 
the teaching and learning process, the teacher giving explanations does not 
focus on problems and confusion. 

Currently, a teacher has broad access to information about anything, 
including learning media (Fitria, 2022a). Media comes from the Latin which 
means "between". This term has an intermediary meaning between the source 
and the receiver. Learning media can be said as a tool used in the learning 
process to convey messages, ideas, or ideas in the form of educational teaching 
materials to students so that they can stimulate students' thoughts, emotions, 
interests, and attention so that educators and students can interact with each 
other in education. Media as a learning resource is recognized as an auditive, 
visual, and audiovisual aid. It means that media can be in the form of graphic, 
visual, electronic, audio, and video tools used to facilitate the information 
conveyed to students (Fitria 2022a). Media helps students improve their English 
proficiency (Sasan and Rabillas 2022). Multimedia is an effective media that can 

be used by teachers in teaching language (Andriani 2020). The researchers 
aimed to provide teachers with a more stress-free method of facilitating an 
effective teaching-learning process. The teacher introduces an audio application 
and then installs it on a blind student's cell phone or laptop as part of the 
process of using an audiobook as a reference for learning English (Amalia and 
Istiqomah 2020). 

From an educational perspective, learning media are a crucial factor in 
deciding the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process (Fitria 2022b). 
Learning media as a learning resource will help teachers enrich students' 
insights. Various forms and types of learning media used by teachers are a 
source of knowledge for students. Since its existence, students have had direct 
access to its dynamics. As a tool in the learning process, media may make 
instruction more engaging for students, therefore fostering their drive to learn. 
The meaning of instructional materials will be clarified so that students may 
comprehend them and effectively grasp the learning objectives. Diverse 
learning approaches, as opposed to solely verbal communication in the form of 
lectures, will prevent both boredom and exhaustion among students and 
teachers (Fitria 2021b). Furthermore, students are more active since there are 
several things to observe, perform, and display, among others. The variety of 
available learning media requires teachers to be more careful and attentive to 
the criteria for selecting learning media to enhance the effectiveness of teaching 
and learning activities (Fitria 2020).  

Text-to-speech technology is a system capable of converting phonemes to 
sound. Occasionally, technology has been enhanced temporarily (Widyana, 
Jerusalem, and Yumechas 2022). Recently, technology has advanced quite 
quickly (Lin and Wu 2014). Nowadays, practically students utilize high-tech 



ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics 

and Literature) 

Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023  
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items like tablets and smartphones. Along with the times, technology has 
become an integral part of human life, including in the field of education. With 
the rise of technology and digital platforms, teaching and learning English has 
also become easier (Fitria 2021c). One of the technologies that can help the 
education system is text-to-speech (TTS). Text-to-speech technology is one of 
the many technologies that have been developed to facilitate language 
acquisition. Text-to-speech is one of the technologies that has been developed 
steadily during the last few years (Arbie et al. 2013). 

With the development of technology, providing all the convenience for 
audio files. Of course, with the help of text-to-speech or TTS which converts text 
into sound. Text-to-speech (TTS) is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based product 
developed to facilitate various human needs (Fitria 2021c). Text-to-speech 
technology is an artificial intelligence-based system that converts text into 
pronunciation (audio), where the speed, intonation, and audio output format of 
the pronunciation can be adjusted to be saved in the form of an audio file. In 
short, TTS is an assistive technology that converts writing into speech. This is 
closely related to the grammar used so that the system can pick up the sound 
easily. There are many free and paid TTS programs. The advantage is that the 

sound quality can be premium or standard according to the application.  
Initially, TTS technology was created to help people with disabilities, 

especially the blind and other visual impairments. Over time, this text-to-speech 
technology continues to be developed so that it can be implemented in various 
areas of life, for example in language teaching. Text-to-speech is an artificial 
intelligence-based system that is capable of converting text into speech quickly 
and precisely. The text-to-speech system can convert simple text, books, news, 
and articles, to website content in audio form. Even though it is the result of a 
machine composition, the sound produced by the TTS engine is very natural, so 
it sounds like an ordinary human, not like a robot.  

Text-to-speech can be a learning medium to assist speakers in more real 
pronunciation but is the result of machine manipulation computers in this 
digital area (Manu and Masan 2020). Help the speaker, in this case, is Text to 
Speech can read written words to be a speaker like native human 
pronunciation. Text-to-speech applications may be useful in various activities 
such as in improving listening skills. Listening seems to be the most difficult 
skill among the four skills in English language learning (Silviyanti, Ramadhani, 
and Samad 2020). Listening comprehension is one of the most essential 
language skills to develop (Sofyan, Mushrihah, and Mushrihah 2019). Since 
listening is a crucial talent in the English language, language learners should be 
able to master their listening abilities, as this will help them improve their 
English (Asmar and Ardi 2013). This ability utilizes the human hearing sense to 

facilitate communication and mutual understanding. Sound waves are received 
as stimuli during listening, but listening needs an intentional interpretation of 
the acquired stimuli. Through listening, students may expand their vocabulary 
and improve their pronunciation, accent, and intonation. Listening is not a 



ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics 

and Literature) 

Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023  
Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 

 

 

 

 

 
 

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passive talent since comprehending is an active process that requires 
participation from the listener. It also addresses the listener's response, such as 
a remark, an action, a facial expression, or applause, and something that 
indicates that the signals have been heard.  

Several previous studies have been conducted related to Text-To-Speech 
(TTS) in teaching English. First, Meihami & Husseini (2014) state employing 
TTS software has greatly enhanced word stress, word intonation, pitch contour, 
and fluency. Besides, TTS teaches about word stress, word intonation, pitch 
contour, and fluency in English reading. Second, Yunus, 2014) states that the 
Text-To-Speech application is based on natural language processing to learn 
tenses in English. This app can listen to sentences in English and can arrange 
interrogative sentences and negative sentences based on positive sentences in 
several English tenses in writing. Third, Huang & Liao (2015) state the impact of 
using digital content in a Text-to-Speech system (Spelling Bee vocabulary) on 
students' English spelling/pronunciation. The findings demonstrated how 
using digital resources helped students become more independent learners and 
improve their English spelling. Fourth, Christianto (2016) states a game for 
learning English by listening to animals that support learning in elementary 

school is created using Text-to-speech technology and backtracking algorithms 
Satya Wacana Christian Laboratory Elementary School Salatiga. The idea of 
using games to teach English vocabulary to the students. Fifth, Maemanah 
(2017) states the development of an Android-based English vocabulary learning 
application for fifth-grade elementary school children using Text-To-Speech. 
The application allows users to listen to the spelling of the text of the material 
being delivered. The test results show that the application is easy to use, in 
learning vocabulary and has an attractive appearance, and the material 
presented is related with the material taught in class. Sixth, Bachtiar & 
Yulianton (2017) state that the Text-To-Speech application is an English learning 
tool for the speech impaired with PHP and API programming. It can 
automatically play English when connected to the internet. This app allows 
users to search or play learning English and English articles that can be played 
in each sentence or each say. Seventh, Sari (2018) state the usage of Text-To-
Speech software will be employed as an aid for comprehending various content 
and discussion, so it will be easier to learn English, especially in everyday 
conversation, since text-to-speech will allow for direct voice understanding of 
its users. Eighth, Yudhistiro & Silalahi (2021) states that Text-To-Speech and 
voice recognition technologies make studying pronunciation and vocabulary 
more engaging and dynamic for students who participate in extracurricular 
activities or study English at school at SD YBPK Ngaglik. It encourages 
interactive activities for students, both individually and in groups, leading to an 

increase in pronunciation abilities and vocabulary acquisition. Ninth, Al-Jarf 
(2022) provides a paradigm for incorporating Text-To-Speech software into 
students' practice and instruction in interpreting. Without turning to the 
television, they listen and translate. They test out several interpretive 



ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics 

and Literature) 

Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023  
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techniques (simultaneous, consecutive, liaison and sight interpreting).Students 
must first learn about TTS, how to copy and paste text into a text area block, 
how to select a male or female reader, an American or British accent, and how 
fast to read. Tenth, Pramono (2022) the use of Balabolka Text to Speech may 
improve students' ability to comprehend oral Manual and Tips of Procedural 
Text in English classesm also this app enhances the students' speaking abilities. 
The last, Fitria (2022) state that using NaturalReader TTS assistance can 
accommodate a range of student pronunciation demands. This TTS also can 
translate text into sound in a number of languages, including English with 
different regional accents like British or American. 

Based on the previous studies above, shows the similarities and 
differences with this research. All previous studies above focus on the Text-To-
Speech app in teaching English, especially the Text-To-Speech app which has 
impacts on several English skills including writing, spelling/pronunciation, 
reading, speaking, and even interpreting. However, no previous studies have 
focused on Text-To-Speech listening skills.  

Listening skills can be separated from the understanding of listening 
TOEFL. When taking the TOEFL listening test, some issues include not 

understanding the subject, foreign words, nervousness, not understanding 
grammar and diction, repetitions and pauses, a wide imagination, missing 
detailed information, as well as a lack of concentration, an inability to 
understand English accents, the ability to interpret words word for word, a lack 
of vocabulary and pronunciation knowledge, and the inability to distinguish 
between specific words and sounds, even the variation of the English accent 
(Fitria 2021a)., Alfiami (2020) states that length and speed of listening, accent, 
physical condition, the quality of the recorder, and cultural factors contribute to 
students' difficulty in answering listening TOEFL questions. These statements 
refer that listening is related to pronunciation or English accent. As we know 
English has a variety of accents, then the TOEFL puts more emphasis on 
'American English' or it could be British, so at least we have to be familiar with 
that accent. Text-to-speech (TTS) is an assistive technology that can read the text 
and convert it into different accent both American and British. This technology 
was created to make it easier for humans to understand a text by simply 
listening.  The researcher is interested to find out more about the use of Text-To-
Speech apps in listening skills. The researcher wants to know more 
NaturalReader app. Therefore, the objective of this research is to describe the 
use of NaturalReader in teaching listening TOEFL. 
 
Method 

This research applies descriptive qualitative research. This type of 
qualitative descriptive research is a combination of descriptive and qualitative 
research. This type of qualitative descriptive research displays the results of the 
data as it is without any manipulation or other treatment. This type of 
qualitative descriptive research is a research method that utilizes qualitative 



ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics 

and Literature) 

Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023  
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data and is described descriptively. In this research, the researcher as an English 
lecturer describes the use of Text-To-Speech (TTS) NaturalReader in teaching 
listening TOEFL to non-EFL students in ITB AAS Indonesia. 

The method of collecting data uses observation and documentation. (Flick 
2014) states that observation and visual data, as well as documents, have 
become important in qualitative research. Observation allows the researcher to 
view objects in their natural setting and can be conducted invisibly (Ary et al. 
2018). Documentation comes from the word document, which means writing. 
Meaningful documentation data collection process carried out with record data 
(information) that already exists. Documents can be in the form of literature, 
diaries, magazines, meeting minutes, audio corpus, videos, photos, and more, 
etc. In this research, the researchers observe the use of an online app namely 
NaturalReader Text-to-Speech (TTS) in teaching listening TOEFL from several 
recorded videos of teaching classes on YouTube. 

The method of analyzing data uses three steps of qualitative analysis as 
delivered by(Miles, Huberman, and Saldana 2018), such as data reduction, data 
display, and conclusion. In reduction data, the researcher reduces the data and 
uses the related data. In display data, the researcher displays the data in the 

form of pictures (screenshots) from the videos on YouTube. In conclusion, the 
researcher states the result data descriptively. 
 
Findings and Discussion 
Findings 

In teaching English, especially listening to TOEFL, an English teacher 
uses NaturalReader Text-to-Speech (TTS).  

 

  
Figure 1. NaturalReader Text-To-Speech 

 

  
Figure 2. Available English Accent in NaturalReader Text-To-Speech 



ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics 

and Literature) 

Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023  
Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 

 

 

 

 

 
 

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An English teacher's use of NaturalReader Text-To-Speech in teaching 

listening TOEFL to students. English teachers describe how to use 
NaturalReaders. Teachers/lecturers can access 
http://www.naturalreaders.com/ via their web browsers. They may either log 
in or create an account. If they have an account, they may proceed or select 
"Continue with Google" or "Continue with Apple" to log in. They can input a 
word, phrase, or text in the column box or click the plus sign to upload Word or 
PDF documents. Before playing/listening to the pronunciation, the user can 
customize the kind of native speaker sound (male or female), volume, and 
speed. When all settings are complete, the user clicks the play icon to hear the 
words spoken by a native speaker. Teachers/lecturers might ask students to 
imitate how native speakers pronounce phrases or sentences for students to 
acquire proper and fluent English pronunciation. They can instantly create or 
export MP3 audio files. The NaturalReader application provides a text-to-
speech solution for both websites and mobile applications. NaturalReader 
transforms text into English with a variety of accents, including British and 
American. This program is capable of synthesizing human speech from text 

input.  
The English teacher begins to set the type of native speaker's voice 

whether male or female and chooses an accent that matches the accent on 
TOEFL listening that a native speaker will pronounce, for example, the 
American accent. The English teacher can also adjust the volume and speed of 
pronunciation in the application before playing or listening to the 
pronunciation of the native speaker's voice in the Natural Reader application. 
When all the settings have been made, he/she clicks the play icon to listen to 
the voice of a native speaker with an American accent who will say the sentence 
that has been inputted. If a native speaker starts to say a 
word/phrase/sentence, a color mark will appear to mark the pronunciation.  



ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics 

and Literature) 

Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023  
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In this research, the researcher describes the use of NaturalReader in 
teaching listening TOEFL as stated in the figures below:

 

 
Figure 3. Teaching Listening TOEFL Part A Using NaturalReader Text-To-

Speech  

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjgADyb_cb4&t=4095s 
 

Based on the figure above, shows an English teacher who uses face-to-
face learning combined with Zoom and Lives YouTube streaming. An English 
teacher uses NaturalReader Text-to-Speech (TTS) in teaching listening TOEFL, 

especially Part A (short dialogue). The English teacher opens the NaturalReader 
application and then clicks the + icon to input the words, phrases, or sentences 
that she/he wants to hear in the audio with their pronunciation. For example 
Direction in Part A of Listening TOEFL", and several questions in Part A of 



ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics 

and Literature) 

Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023  
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Listening TOEFL.

 

 
Figure 4. Teaching Listening TOEFL Part B Using NaturalReader Text-To-

Speech  
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbTMnA8IVcg 

 
Based on the figure above, shows an English teacher who uses face-to-

face learning combined with Zoom and Lives YouTube streaming. An English 
teacher uses NaturalReader Text-to-Speech (TTS) in teaching listening TOEFL 
especially Part B (long dialogue). The English teacher opens the NaturalReader 
application and then clicks the + icon to input the words, phrases, or sentences 
that she/he wants to hear in the audio with their pronunciation. For example 



ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics 

and Literature) 

Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023  
Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 

 

 

 

 

 
 

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Direction in Part B of Listening TOEFL", and several questions in Part B of 

Listening TOEFL.  

 
Figure 5. Teaching Listening TOEFL Part C Using NaturalReader Text-To-

Speech  
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg7CWvYyjpk 

 
Based on the figure above, shows an English teacher who uses face-to-

face learning combined with Zoom and Lives YouTube streaming. An English 
teacher uses NaturalReader Text-to-Speech (TTS) in teaching listening TOEFL 
especially Part C (lecturer/monologue). The English teacher opens the 
NaturalReader application and then clicks the + icon to input the words, 
phrases, or sentences that she/he wants to hear in the audio with their 
pronunciation. For example Direction in Part C of Listening TOEFL", and 
several questions in Part C of Listening TOEFL. 
 
 
 



ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics 

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Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023  
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Discussion 

The current English curriculum devotes insufficient time to listening, 
necessitating that students continually engage in listening practice outside of 
class hours as well as in the classroom (Moon 2020). Learning in the 21st 
century may facilitate teachers' access to diverse auditory materials. Even 
though it is simple to obtain auditory materials, there is no assurance that each 
will meet the requirements or learning objectives of the students. Text-to-speech 

software as an instrument for the production of listening materials is one 
possible solution (Oktalia and Drajati 2018). Even if listening resources are 
simple to obtain, there is no assurance that each one will satisfy the needs of the 
students or the learning purpose. It cannot be denied that technological 
advancement has had a significant impact on the teaching of attentiveness. 
Every language teacher needs to be aware that teaching listening requires 
technologically dependent materials and media (Adnan 2018). Teaching 
attentiveness requires audio recordings of native speakers for classroom 
activities and student practice outside the classroom. Over the years, English 
instructors have used cassettes and tape recorders to teach listening, although 
these are relatively basic technologies and media. 

Using a Text-to-speech application as a tool to create listening materials 
depending on students' needs or learning objectives is one potential approach. 
The presence of speech synthesizer technology, also known as the Text-To-
Speech (TTS) system, can convert computer-generated text into speech (audio), 
where the resulting pronunciation can be adjusted at speed, intonation 
(prosody), as well as the output audio format to be stored in the form of an 
audio file. TTS technology is expected to further streamline the learning and 
teaching process as well as complement learning media for English subjects 
such as listening (Yudhistiro 2016). 

Listening is one of four language skills that must be taught to students 
for them to acquire and master English. Media technology is crucial for the 

instruction of listening. The text-to-speech media technology is one of them. 
Text-to-speech is an appropriate media technology for teaching listening 
because it is an engaging (audio) medium for students (Ilmi, Tanjung, and 
Tavriyanti 2014). Text-to-speech media technology can help students develop 
and enhance their listening skills, as well as increase their motivation to acquire 
listening skills. Utilizing text-to-speech media technology is one audio medium 
for enhancing students' listening skills when learning English as a second 
language. It can play a significant role, as well as be used for continuous time, 
in language teaching, thereby assisting the teacher in providing material for 
learning skill activities. 

Text-to-speech applications or tools are extensively utilized to improve 
student's reading comprehension and listening skills, particularly in non-
English speaking countries (Wajdi, Sanjaya, and Sumartana 2021). Utilizing 
text-to-speech media technology has several advantages in this situation. The 
first, text-to-speech media technology, is an effective, appealing, and innovative 



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medium, particularly for the teaching and learning processes. Second, it can 
assist instructors who are unsure of how to properly enunciate certain words 
when teaching listening skills. Thirdly, students anticipated that by utilizing 
text-to-speech media technologies, etc., they would not become fatigued while 
engaging in listening-based learning activities.  

There have been experiments with text-to-speech (TTS) voices to develop 
audio materials for auditory comprehension as an alternative technology to 
conventional audio apparatus such as compact cassette assessments (Sha 2009). 
The new iteration of TTS voices based on unit selection synthesis offers 
remarkable naturalness and understandability. In the investigations, TTS-
generated audio files were utilized in classroom procedures and listening 
assessments (Sha 2009). The English teacher should acquire classroom 
procedures (lesson plans) addressing the activity of presentation in teaching 
and learning listening skills to improve the teaching of listening. The initial 
phase of procedures is preparation. It describes how to prepare media for 
presentation in the classroom. The teacher can then employ media in the 
classroom in relation to three activities: pre-teaching, during-teaching, and post-
teaching (Ilmi et al. 2014).  

NaturalReader is a professional text-to-speech application that turns any 
written content into spoken language. NaturalReader provides both free and 
paid memberships for the applications to accommodate the varying demands 
and budgets of consumers. NaturalReader Plus membership gives access to 
unique features and Plus Voices, the most recent and advanced voices. Plus 
Voices enables text-to-speech that sounds fluid and natural, matching the 
rhythms and intonation of human voices. Free users get access to 20 minutes of 
Premium Voices and 5 minutes of Plus Voices every day or use any accessible 
Free Voices without restriction. Additionally, users can listen on the move with 
our mobile app. Using the mobile camera, our program may also be used to 
read actual books and notes. If users are interested in using our voices for 
commercial or public reasons, such as YouTube films, e-learning, or other non-
personal uses, user can visit our NaturalReader Commercial online application. 

NaturalReader is based on an AI-powered free text-to-speech service for 
online, and mobile apps, commercial licenses, and education. Synthesized AI 
voices provide the most realistic-sounding voices currently available on the 
market. NaturalReader is a text-to-speech solution for individual, business, and 
academic use. NaturalReader is a text-to-speech desktop application available 
for personal use. This user-friendly program with natural-sounding voices can 
read any text to the user, including Microsoft Word files, websites, PDF files, 
and emails. A perpetual license is available with a one-time purchase. 
NaturalReader turns text, PDF, and 20+ other formats into spoken audio, 

allowing users to listen to our writing, papers, ebooks, and school materials at 
any time and anywhere. Utilize text-to-speech to convert and download audio 
licensed for use on YouTube, eLearning platforms, or any other public use or 
redistribution purpose with ease.  



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NaturalReader is a professional text-to-speech application that can 
transform any written content into spoken language. In addition to English, this 
program may be utilized in a variety of other languages. NaturalReader 
supports a variety of accents, including US (American), UK (British), French, 
German, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Arabic, Dutch, Chinese, Japanese, and 
Portuguese. Voices that appear on the homepage demo but are not listed here 
are only available for personal web applications (Web, Web Premium). Male 
and female voices are available for personal use with the Personal, Professional, 
and Ultimate editions of the NaturalReader application. Besides, there are 
several features of Natural Reader App. 1. Voice and language settings feature. 
With this feature, English teachers can make voice adjustments in terms of the 
available voices for their voices. In addition, the English teacher can also choose 
or set the language he/she wants to use, for example, English. 2. Speed setting 
feature. With this feature, the English teacher can adjust by editing the required 
foreign speaker's voice speed. 3. Text-to-voice change feature. This feature can 
convert text into a native speaker voice that sounds natural and professional. 

In teaching listening TOEFL, pronunciation especially accent cannot be 
separated from listening. Listening texts present a variety of accents (Chalhoub-

Deville and Turner 2000).  In listening, the presence of several accents on 
listening tests may threaten to test fairness (Ockey and French 2016). The 
speakers' criteria include the speaker's language proficiency, whether native or 
non-native (Novia, Bahri, and Inayah 2018). The skill of the speaker impacts 
how the listener perceives the source. Speaker's ability refers to the capacity of 
native speakers and non-native speakers to produce accents. (Yuniarti and 
Pratiwi 2022) the students’ difficulty in doing TOEFL listening to internal 
factors such as the native speaker's accent, the speaker’s speed, and the 
speaker’s intonation.  

The reason for this is that many English words when spoken incorrectly, 
have a different connotation than their original one. Therefore, students must 
improve their pronunciation improvement. Furthermore, it should be 
mentioned that in Indonesia there are still a great number of English speakers, 
but only a few have mastered the pronunciation. Pronunciation is how a word 
or sentence is spoken. In English, the pronunciation of a word frequently differs 
slightly from its written form. Equally significant, pronunciation accents 
influence pronunciation. British English, for example, has a different accent 
than American English. The best technique to improve students' English skills is 
to constantly recite every phrase, book, or dialogue. If students or their partners 
do not have friends to converse with or continue to feel less secure, we can use 
the software NaturalReader to enhance their pronunciation. With the aid of 
specific software or apps, it is possible to convert typing into sound. On any 

device, be it a computer or a cell phone, we may discover software/applications 
for translating text to speech. NaturalReader offers female and male voices for 
both free and paid users. This software is capable of converting text into sound 



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in multiple languages, including English with diverse accents, such as British or 
American. 

By using the NaturalReader app, the students can learn to listen to how 
the word/phrase/sentence is pronounced as many times as they want. It means 
that the students study listening also pronunciation. When students learn to do 
the correct pronunciation, students will find it easier to understand English. The 
speech will sound more natural and students can learn to speak English more 
quickly. This will help students in listening to English more easily because they 
will learn to identify and identify the sounds that other people say from native 
speakers. 
 
Conclusion 

In teaching English, especially listening to TOEFL, an English teacher 
uses face-to-face learning combined with Zoom and Live YouTube streaming. 
An English teacher uses NaturalReader Text-to-Speech (TTS) in teaching 
listening TOEFL. The English teacher opens the NaturalReader application and 
then clicks the + icon to input the words, phrases, or sentences that she/he 
wants to hear in the audio with their pronunciation.  NaturalReader is capable 
of converting text into sound in multiple languages, including English with 
diverse accents, such as British or American, and offers female and male voices. 
In teaching listening TOEFL, pronunciation especially accent cannot be 
separated from listening. In listening, the presence of several accents, the 
speakers’ speed, and intonation from native speakers may threaten test fairness. 
By using the NaturalReader app, the students can learn to listen to how the 
word/phrase/sentence is pronounced differently with different accents and 
voices as they want.  

English Teachers should be inventive when presenting material in the 
classroom to teach listening skills, such as by using text-to-speech software. It is 
suggested that English teachers use Text-to-Speech software to demonstrate 
their students' listening skills, as it is an effective means to improve students' 
performance and a novel method for improving students' listening skills. 
 
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