If you are teaching or learning language, you can improve listening and pronunciation using speech synthesis software. When people have access to Windows Vista, they can install the text-to-speech freeware panopreter on it. Then Microsoft Anna, the standard American voice, will speak and read files in English. It's a wonderful English learning method to improve pronunciation and listening, in addition, panopreter converts speech into wave and mp3 files, you can import generated audio files to portable devices, and listen to them while walking, jogging or commuting to school. In addition,  it's also good for people with dyslexia.

It supports other languages too, such as Spanish, French, German and more. If you are running panopreter on Windows XP, you'd better install a third party voice engine, for the default Microsoft voice on Windows XP is not as good as that on Windows Vista.