Soloist was designed specifically for language learning. In its most basic form, it is a digital virtual comparative recorder allowing students to listen to digital audio and view video programs while simultaneously recording their own voices to increase oral proficiency and listening skills. But Soloist can be much more for students and teachers. Its flexibility and options open up many new ways of learning in a multi-media environment and provide the opportunity for you to create unique lessons with content that can extend far beyond a basic textbook.

Students Speak and Listen More

• Students listen to an audio passage or and audio file practice lesson and simultaneously speak and record. Simultaneous playback for comparison and re-recording for practice makes it easy for students to improve speaking skills.



• In addition to supporting multiple audio file formats, Soloist supports text files that students can use for reading, writing or translation practice; HTML or web based files and still images or digital video files with content for them to explore culture.



• To make the most of students' study time, Soloist includes the ability to randomly access any part of an audio passage so that students can get there quickly and focus on the areas they need to review. Bookmarks can also be set within a passage and can be accompanied by teacher comments.



• Hone listening and pronunciation skills by using Soloist's "text to speech" feature. The PC "speaks" the written words in the target language that students read on-screen.

  
  Studying Independently




• Soloist is installed on student's PC as part of a Virtuoso Language Learning System, however, its flexibility allows you to install it on a PC that is part of the school's Local Area Network giving students more opportunity to use Soloist outside of the designated class period. This could include PCs in a library, dorm, or general lab space.


Teaching Creatively Beyond the Textbook


• For you, as the teacher, Soloist can help you share your passion for creativity, love of the language and culture that you teach, and your world of experience, with a user friendly set of authoring tools.



• You can easily create and arrange or edit one-of-a-kind audio lessons with dialogue or music that you have on audiotape, CDs, or from the Internet.



• With Soloist's "text editor" you create unique reading and writing exercises incorporating words and pictures.



• Teacher created text lessons are played back for students at selected "words-per-minute" rates to acclimate students to real Iife speech patterns while practicing and recording their own voices.