A reader named John suggested awhile ago that I check out this free website service called Rhinospike. It’s been around for some time but I had no idea about it sadly. I wish I did though.
There have been plenty of times when I’m talking with one of my friends, practicing Spanish and then they end up telling me that I’m pronouncing a word wrong (or lots of words). It’s invaluable to get the feedback and learn how to pronounce the word(s) correctly. The problem is that we don’t have natives or friends around to correct us all the time. This is where this website comes in handy.
So… what is Rhinospike?
Basically, you submit any kind of foreign language text you want read aloud. Stories, letters, e-mails… you name it. Someone who is a native will come along and record whatever you want read and then you can download and listen to it. You can also submit your own recording for others which will help your request get bumped in the queue system.
You could even take the audio file you receive and embed it into your favorite flashcard SRS like Anki, for example, which is one of my main reasons for using this website now.
The only downside is that it can take awhile to receive your audio file. If it’s an urgent matter then it won’t work so well. But if you can wait, then it’s fine. There is an area where you can browse previous submissions so you might be able to come across a word or phrase that someone has already requested which you need.
Rhinospike is a completely free service. They can do this because instead of them doing the recording for others, users do it themselves. Meaning no cost to them besides running the website.
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Listening is one of the most important things to do when learning a language, don’t overlook this!
Do you know of any sites like this? Use this yourself?
