Best reading tool for non-native English speakers

Non-native English speakers often believe hiring a tutor or taking classes is the only way to learn. Fortunately, these days people have access to many special tools, accessibility software, and AI-powered literacy apps to make their lives easier. Text to speech (TTS) technology is a great example of a tool for learning English by reading—or in this case, by pairing listening skills and reading materials.

Of course, using the right app or combination of tools is crucial to your success. So whether you prefer listening to podcasts, taking quizzes, reading subtitles, or browsing dictionaries, some literacy tools work better than others. Here’s why Speechify is the best tool for English learners who want to improve their English level with reading comprehension and listening skills.

Speechify—The best learning English reading tool for non-native speakers

Speechify is a text to speech service initially developed to help people with dyslexia , but it’s now also a popular tool for English language learners who want to move from beginners to intermediate levels or even become fluent in English. Whether for leisure or study purposes, the TTS reader can assist native language speakers and non-native English speakers in improving their literacy skills and language comprehension.

The service offers various features that help non-native English speakers easily expand their English vocabulary and learn a new language, such as:

Adjustable playback

Changing the reading speed of the app helps language learners focus on new words in a foreign language. It improves a text’s readability by not allowing the AI-generated narration to skip head. Alternatively, you can listen at twice the normal reading speed or even faster as you improve your English skills.

Multiple narrator voices

If English isn’t your mother tongue, understanding spoken English words may seem difficult. Thankfully, Speechify has a rich library of narrator voices to choose from. Language learners can switch between different accents and styles until they find something easier to understand.

Multi-platform compatibility

Speechify makes its service available on Microsoft Windows, iOS, macOS, and Android operating systems. You can use it as a mobile app to read documents, a browser extension for emails, and many more digital texts.

Optical character recognition

Some of the best second language study materials aren’t available in online resources, or you may not find them in a plain text format. The optical character recognition (OCR) technology lets you scan physical text and convert it into audio. It’s great for learning English from multiple source materials.

Screen reader

Speechify can read your screen as well as written text. It can make devices locked in foreign languages more accessible. It’s a great way to practice learning new words and pronunciations.

Text highlighting

You can highlight sentences and words in Speechify to follow along with the AI-engineered narration.

Instant translations

Speechify supports over 20 languages. It can process written words and translate them in a new language. To make things even better, the service can also read aloud those translations using its AI-engineered voices.

Why reading with text to speech helps English learners

One of the first ways in which TTS helps people improve their reading skills is by appealing to their auditory senses. Many are auditory learners and become more focused when reading and listening simultaneously.

Furthermore, TTS software can help people learn a new language without professional assistance from a tutor teaching English. For example, a TTS app user can search for synonyms of new words online and use the app to listen to their pronunciation, and they can gain a new vocabulary by listening to the sounds and reading text at the same time.

Users can also look up idioms and get more context and use-case examples. Again, combining reading and listening makes it easier to decode new information, remember it, and ultimately improve language skills, vocabulary words, and reading comprehension.

With an English learning app like Speechify, you can read aloud entire English thesaurus or Merriam-Webster dictionary definitions. You can understand English grammar faster, get guidance on comprehension quizzes as a non-English speaker, and take advantage of many other online resources like vocabulary lists.

The best part is that you can do everything without an in-person English teacher.

Key aspects of reading English

Despite the popularity of the English language, it’s not the easiest second language to learn. English grammar is relatively straightforward. However, speaking English is often the most complicated part.

The reason for this is the disconnect between spelling and pronunciation. English words don’t always contain all the vowels and consonant symbols people pronounce. For first-time learners, the dissociation between the writing style and speech patterns may feel confusing.

That said, becoming bilingual and mastering English writing and pronunciation is possible when using the right tools, like audiobooks or text to speech tools for reading practice.

Sign up for Speechify today and start improving your English reading skills

Speechify is a one-stop shop for studying a new language at your own pace or mastering your native tongue. It can help foreign students, people with reading and learning disabilities, and many others become proficient in a particular language. You can be a better reader, writer, and speaker, using Speechify as a guide.

With Speechify, you can practice language learning in a new and engaging way, and read aloud high school or academic-level texts until you understand English as well as your first language.

If you want to see the full Speechify offering, try out the premium version of the service for free.

FAQ

Is Grammarly good for non-native speakers?

Grammarly is a reliable grammar checker for non-native speakers. It’s also a great tool for native speakers. It can help people learn proper grammar, differentiate between American and British English, and improve their writing skills.

Is Grammarly good for ESL?

Grammarly is a good AI-powered tool that can help ESL learners to proofread their assignments, expand their vocabulary, and improve their writing style to sound more native. However, not all Grammarly suggestions are accurate, as the AI won’t always understand the context. The software can serve academic writers more than people learning casual, conversational English.

What is the best reading tool for non-native speakers?

Speechify is arguably the best reading tool for non-native speakers. It can generate accurate translations from other languages like Spanish, German, French, etc. The software also has many voices and accents emphasizing proper pronunciation.

What are the best tools for non-native speakers?

Grammar checkers, translators, and text to speech or speech to text apps are among the best tools for non-native speakers learning English outside the classroom. You can try tools like Grammarly, the Hemingway app, Speechify, Google Translate, and many others to study different languages.