Talking and Listening

About the software
This software is freely available for home and school use. It is designed to encourage reluctant speakers to interact with the computer, and help develop language skills.

Using the software
Each activity is very simple to use. The most basic activity, Shout, simply shows a randomly selected image that changes size as you make more noise into the microphone.

Say lets you record a word or sentence using the big red record button, then use the green button to play it back.

Talk gives you two walkie-talkies, each with a record and play button, so question and answer responses can be recorded. The circular arrow button switches to mobile phones, for variety and to maybe give a better degree of familiarity.

Speak is very similar to Say, but an animated carton character will speak you word or sentence back to you. The arrows let you move between the characters.

In Change, you can play back your words either normally, faster, slower, backwards, or in a 'robot' type voice.

Keyboard lets you record a sound or word and play it back at different pitches from a piano style keyboard

Emotions allows you to record a word relating to any of a selection of different emotions. This activity has pre-recorded samples which you can record over. Try recording your words with the 'feeling' the word describes. Clicking a face selects and plays the word, while the record button records over it.

Words lets you select different words to make up a sentence, and play it in one go. You can also record the words in your own voice and pley them back as sentences. Click a face to hear it's word, click a word in the list to change it, and click record to record a new word. The play button will then play your whole sentence.  You can record your own words by clicking on them to type or edit them, then use the record and play buttons as usual.

Keyboard and switch use
The simpler activities can be controlled using just the space bar to move the mouse cursor over the buttons, and the return key to select - if you would like to use switches with the program, simply set them up to emulate space and return.

Troubleshooting
Some activities need you to record a sound before you can play anything back.

The programs all require that your microphone is plugged in, working, switched on, and has the volume set about right. This is done through the Sound and Audio pages of the Control Panel, usually available from the Settings tab of your Start Menu. You may need you explore the Advanced settings of this area to find the correct volume slider for your particular microphone and computer combination. Try using the Help function built into Windows if you get stuck.

Once the microphone is working, the sound-level indicator in each activity should show the noise levels change as you make sounds - usually you should aim for it to be in the bottom half of the green area when it's quiet near the computer.

If you need more help or instructions, contact details are given below, or check the web site, which may have more up-to-date instructions or improved versions of the software.

TO download THE USER GUIDE FOR THE Talking and listening SOFTWARE CLICK HERE

Down's Syndrome Association
Langdon Down Centre Tel: (44) 0845 230 0372
2a Langdon Park Fax: (44) 0845 230 0373
Teddington
TW11 9PS

United Kingdom
The Down's Syndrome Association is a registered charity that relies almost entirely on voluntary donations. Please help us plan for future generations of people with Down's syndrome ..Every effort is made to provide accurate information, although the DSA does not guarantee this. This site may contain personal views of contributors and authors that are not necessarily those of the DSA, unless specifically stated.