Comments on: speaks for itself! http://japanese.nearlythere.com/2005/09/29/speaks-for-itself Notes from my self-study and my Japanese lessons Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:08:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: heather http://japanese.nearlythere.com/2005/09/29/speaks-for-itself#comment-123 Mon, 17 Oct 2005 10:31:21 +0000 http://japanese.nearlythere.com/2005/09/29/speaks-for-itself#comment-123 "synthesized voice"?? synthesized? no way! how is that possible? “synthesized voice”??

synthesized?

no way! how is that possible?

]]> by: Jay http://japanese.nearlythere.com/2005/09/29/speaks-for-itself#comment-122 Sun, 16 Oct 2005 21:18:55 +0000 http://japanese.nearlythere.com/2005/09/29/speaks-for-itself#comment-122 I have to say, Voice of Japan has AMAZING quality of the synthesized voice. The only other Japanese TTS I'm aware of is the free SAP 14 voices from Microsoft. Too bad there only appears to be a woman's voice. I'd like to hear a male's voice too. I have to say, Voice of Japan has AMAZING quality of the synthesized voice. The only other Japanese TTS I’m aware of is the free SAP 14 voices from Microsoft. Too bad there only appears to be a woman’s voice. I’d like to hear a male’s voice too.

]]> by: heather http://japanese.nearlythere.com/2005/09/29/speaks-for-itself#comment-94 Fri, 30 Sep 2005 09:52:13 +0000 http://japanese.nearlythere.com/2005/09/29/speaks-for-itself#comment-94 no japanese tv here in ireland. but i can get a good number of DVDs in shop. i'm not sure just *why* they are all so incredibly violent though. i saw on your site, you recommend cooking shows! how cool! http://mariemockett.blogspot.com/ i'm apprehensive/excited/scared/happy about going to japan. i don't know how much language skill i can amass before i get there, but i'll keep pluggin away. no japanese tv here in ireland. but i can get a good number of DVDs in shop. i’m not sure just *why* they are all so incredibly violent though.

i saw on your site, you recommend cooking shows! how cool!
http://mariemockett.blogspot.com/

i’m apprehensive/excited/scared/happy about going to japan. i don’t know how much language skill i can amass before i get there, but i’ll keep pluggin away.

]]> by: Marie http://japanese.nearlythere.com/2005/09/29/speaks-for-itself#comment-90 Thu, 29 Sep 2005 15:37:01 +0000 http://japanese.nearlythere.com/2005/09/29/speaks-for-itself#comment-90 Wow. I'm impressed by all the material you have amassed and by your willingness to learn Japanese! It really is a difficult language. I imagine once you are in Japan, it will start to make more sense. I find that the cooking shows on cable are easiest to understand -- the women speak slowly. If you get NHK or any of the Japanese networks where you live, you might try watching them. Wow. I’m impressed by all the material you have amassed and by your willingness to learn Japanese! It really is a difficult language. I imagine once you are in Japan, it will start to make more sense. I find that the cooking shows on cable are easiest to understand — the women speak slowly. If you get NHK or any of the Japanese networks where you live, you might try watching them.

]]> by: heather http://japanese.nearlythere.com/2005/09/29/speaks-for-itself#comment-86 Thu, 29 Sep 2005 13:07:20 +0000 http://japanese.nearlythere.com/2005/09/29/speaks-for-itself#comment-86 LOL, as i was editing my post you added this comment. yeah, as an accessibility tool it's very handy. my friends son (who is blind) just got his school to buy him a mac to use and he uses it all day in class. what a huge improvement for his education. LOL, as i was editing my post you added this comment.

yeah, as an accessibility tool it’s very handy. my friends son (who is blind) just got his school to buy him a mac to use and he uses it all day in class. what a huge improvement for his education.

]]> by: Paul D http://japanese.nearlythere.com/2005/09/29/speaks-for-itself#comment-85 Thu, 29 Sep 2005 12:59:58 +0000 http://japanese.nearlythere.com/2005/09/29/speaks-for-itself#comment-85 Macs only have built-in English and German text speaking, even the ones sold here in Japan. It's really just an accessibility tool, since computer-based text-to-speech always sounds a bit unnatural. Far better to find a native speaker to read to you. ;) Although, come to think of it, it would be nice to highlight any word in Japanese and hear it pronounced. Maybe someone could write an app for OS X that did that. Macs only have built-in English and German text speaking, even the ones sold here in Japan. It’s really just an accessibility tool, since computer-based text-to-speech always sounds a bit unnatural. Far better to find a native speaker to read to you. ;)

Although, come to think of it, it would be nice to highlight any word in Japanese and hear it pronounced. Maybe someone could write an app for OS X that did that.

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