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Learning English with Technology in Gujarat

RightToRead, ReadToMe, EnglishHelper, Learning English
Gujarat: Reading with Technology

In a small village in Gujarat, forty children were learning English sitting in front of a screen by using RightToRead’s reading solution, ReadToMe. The students here are mostly from the agricultural community with absolutely no exposure to English. This is common in the 1755 schools under the RightToRead initiative supported by EnglishHelper in partnership with IL&FS Education and American India Foundation Trust in Gujarat.

There are more than 36,000 primary schools in 18,000 villages, more than double the number of villages in Gujarat. Every child has a school within a 1 km radius. However, education is a not accessible to most children as they begin working at a young age. A majority of children in these schools come from underprivileged families where most parents are day laborers. Gujarati is their main medium of instruction. However, students have to learn four languages in school – Gujarati, Hindi, Sanskrit, and English!

RightToRead, ReadToMe, EnglishHelper, Learning English

Importance Given to Education

The most novel finding was to see how beautifully the teachers and students have adapted to technology in the class. Teachers, most of whom have never used a computer are now able to use ReadToMe with great confidence. Some even said they now can’t think of taking English classes without ReadToMe!

What the Teachers and Students have to say about Learning English

There was praise for ReadToMe in all the schools we visited. The confidence level of the English teachers and their commitment towards teaching English through ReadToMe was quite apparent. With ReadToMe they said, they were “able to retain the interest of the children, make the lesson enjoyable, and ensure student participation.”
The students love engaging with ReadToMe. Their favorite tool is the ‘Picture Dictionary’ and they frequently request teachers to look up words on the picture dictionary. Students who struggled with the alphabets, are now able to introduce themselves, talk about their family, and their goals. We witnessed that learning English became an exciting activity for every child in Gujarat.

The Daily Lives of Children

The children live with several challenges. Dev Thakur, cooks food for his ailing mother before coming to school. Neha Thakur has no parents and lives with her uncle; she has to cook, clean, pack, and deliver food to the fields before coming to school. Kinjal Chawda, who lives with her old grandmother rushes home during recess to finish washing and feeding her. These students are bright and will thrive when given the opportunity.

– Written by a member of the EnglishHelper Team.

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