diff --git a/android/res/layout/main.xml b/android/res/layout/main.xml
index c6043db6..da74dc3a 100644
--- a/android/res/layout/main.xml
+++ b/android/res/layout/main.xml
@@ -35,9 +35,46 @@
         <ListView
             android:id="@+id/properties"
             android:layout_width="match_parent"
-            android:layout_height="wrap_content" >
+            android:layout_height="0dp"
+            android:layout_weight="1" >
 
         </ListView>
+
+        <TextView
+            android:id="@+id/textView1"
+            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
+            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+            android:text="@string/synthesis_demo"
+            android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge" />
+
+        <EditText
+            android:id="@+id/editText1"
+            android:layout_width="match_parent"
+            android:layout_height="match_parent"
+            android:layout_weight="1"
+            android:ems="10"
+            android:inputType="textMultiLine" >
+
+        </EditText>
+
+        <LinearLayout
+            android:layout_width="match_parent"
+            android:layout_height="wrap_content" >
+
+            <Button
+                android:id="@+id/speak"
+                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
+                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+                android:text="@string/speak" />
+
+            <Button
+                android:id="@+id/ssml"
+                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
+                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+                android:text="@string/ssml" />
+
+        </LinearLayout>
+
     </LinearLayout>
 
 </LinearLayout>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/android/res/values/strings.xml b/android/res/values/strings.xml
index 70bc7163..8e98c1c6 100755
--- a/android/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/android/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -129,5 +129,8 @@
     </string-array>
         <string name="status">Status</string>
         <string name="tts_version">eSpeak version</string>
+        <string name="speak">Speak</string>
+        <string name="ssml">Load SSML Template</string>
+        <string name="synthesis_demo">Enter text to speak:</string>
 
 </resources>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/android/src/com/reecedunn/espeak/eSpeakActivity.java b/android/src/com/reecedunn/espeak/eSpeakActivity.java
index 05605424..1c5aa158 100644
--- a/android/src/com/reecedunn/espeak/eSpeakActivity.java
+++ b/android/src/com/reecedunn/espeak/eSpeakActivity.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import android.view.MenuInflater;
 import android.view.MenuItem;
 import android.view.View;
 import android.widget.ListView;
+import android.widget.EditText;
 
 import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@ public class eSpeakActivity extends Activity {
     private TextToSpeech mTts;
     private List<Pair<String,String>> mInformation;
     private InformationListAdapter mInformationView;
+    private EditText mText;
 
     @Override
     public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
@@ -73,9 +75,29 @@ public class eSpeakActivity extends Activity {
         mInformation = new ArrayList<Pair<String,String>>();
         mInformationView = new InformationListAdapter(this, mInformation);
         ((ListView)findViewById(R.id.properties)).setAdapter(mInformationView);
+        mText = (EditText)findViewById(R.id.editText1);
 
         setState(State.LOADING);
         checkVoiceData();
+
+        findViewById(R.id.speak).setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
+            @Override
+            public void onClick(View v) {
+                mTts.speak(mText.getText().toString(), TextToSpeech.QUEUE_ADD, null);
+            }
+        });
+
+        findViewById(R.id.ssml).setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
+            @Override
+            public void onClick(View v) {
+                String ssml =
+                    "<?xml version=\"1.0\"?>\n" +
+                    "<speak xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2001/10/synthesis\" version=\"1.0\">\n" +
+                    "\n" +
+                    "</speak>";
+                mText.setText(ssml);
+            }
+        });
     }
 
     @Override