ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics and Literature) Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023 Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 1 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 Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 2 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 Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 3 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 4 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 Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 5 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 Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 6 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 7 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 Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 8 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 Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 9 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 10 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 and Literature) Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023 Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 11 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 ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics and Literature) Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023 Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 12 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. ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics and Literature) Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023 Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 13 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 ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics and Literature) Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023 Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 14 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. References Adnan, Aryuliva. 2018. “The Role of Technology in Teaching Listening.” International Conference on Languages and Arts 0(0):95–100. Alfiami, Marfitah. 2020. “Students’ Listening Strategies In Improving Listening TOEFL Score.” Undergraduate Paper, UIN Ar-Raniry. 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