How to Record Student Readings and Convert to MP3 Files - Eileen M. Zeitz,
UMD
Presentation: Saturday, Feb. 8, 2003
(Modified: Jan. 22, 2004)
These recordings can be used to practice pronunciation in a foreign language;
to master poetry readings; to practice dramatic scenes in plays; to practice
speeches and other oral presentations, etc.
Background
- The recording is just a change in technology, something that in the past
would have been done with the tape recorder.
- Can do poetry reading, dramatic reading, pronunciation in foreign language
or English, voice recording for students who are non-readers; for older kids
to read books for younger kids; for kids to read a story that they have written
- At Central HS students read and recorded a poem. I condensed it and put
it on the web, along with a recording of 2 native speakers reading same poem,
so students could compare themselves with the native speaker.
- Prof. Seybolt then listened and wrote out pronunciation problems (and what
to try to do to correct) and gave that feedback to individual students.
- Students had practice sites on the web, and they practiced at home and/or
in the school lab.
- After 2 months, we recorded them to see if their pronunciation had improved.
The recordings were somewhat better. The question, of course, is to what extent
was it due to the feedback that they were given, and to what extent the practice,
and to what extent the fact that it was on the web? Don't know, but probably
is some combination of all these.
- Go to the website and play for them the student recordings http://www.d.umn.edu/~ezeitz/AdvancedF2002/PrimeraGrabacion.html
(Prof. MTS; Estud. 6) (No longer available; 1/04)
The recording is changed over to an MP3 file because it is "compressed",
which means that it is a smaller file, and can be used more easily on modums,
takes up less space on the web, ....
Steps
- 1. Open Audacity.
- 2. Hit the Record Button (top of box, group of 3 buttons on the left, the
furthest right of the 3). Read and record the (poetry) reading. When finished,
hit the Stop Button (the button in the middle).
- 3. Save file to desk top. Give file a name: for example, <<MyReading.aup>>.
(The ".aup" is already there. Put the cursor in front of the dot,
and type the file's name.
- [4. If it was recorded in Stero (you would see two bars extending to the
right, one on top of the other):
- a. Open Audio Track / Split Tracks;
- b. Click on one of the tracks and Delete Track.
- c. Open Audio Track / Mono.]
- 5. Press Apple key and A, to select the entire recording
- 6. Open Effect / Amplify (the program automatically does the settings) and
press ok
- 7. Open File / Export as Wav.
- 8. Save File to desk top. Give file a name: for example, <<MyReading.wav>>.
(The ".wav" is already there. Put the cursor in front of the dot,
and type the file's name.)
- 9. You can close the file. (Click on red dot at very top left.
- 10. Open i-tunes.
- 11. Make certain Library is highlighted in left panel.
- 12. Open File / Add to Library
- 13. A menu will show up. Highlight the desired wav recording and hit "choose".
- 14. That wav document (or file) is now in the i-tunes library. Highlight
it.
- 15. Open Advanced / Convert Selection to MP3. Hit ok.
- 16. The way i-tunes works, you will now see both the wav and the MP3 files
in the library. The program always places the wav document first, and the
compressed MP3 file second.
[Programs used (for Mac): Audacity, i-tunes.]
You can upload these recordings to the web, using a program such as Dreamweaver.
My computer uses Quick-Time to play them. The advantage of posting them on the
web is that students can listen to them at their leisure, from anywhere there
is a computer connected to the web. This would permit more frequent practice/work
with the oral portion than might be available in school. In the case of our
project (TecnoQuixotes, APT3), once I uploaded the students' recordings, another
professor was able to listen to them from his office and make suggestions to
students about ways to improve their pronunciation.
These instructions for today's session are available at: http://www.d.umn.edu/~ezeitz/
(Open "Recording Students".). To hear the students' recordings of
two Spanish poems, Open "Working
Projects. (We have taken these down; 1/04). To hear the two professors readings
of the two poems, open the following links:
Prof. Weidmer - poema 1
Prof. Weidmer - poema 2
Prof. Tobin Stanley - poema 1
Prof. Tobin Stanley - poema
2.