{"id":2050,"date":"2011-09-12T09:21:50","date_gmt":"2011-09-12T13:21:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edutechdebate.org\/?p=2050"},"modified":"2012-09-27T10:39:02","modified_gmt":"2012-09-27T14:39:02","slug":"creating-indigenous-language-content-with-universal-design-in-early-literacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edutechdebate.org\/open-discussion\/creating-indigenous-language-content-with-universal-design-in-early-literacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating Indigenous Language Content with Universal Design In Early Literacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

iLearn4Free Inc<\/a> is a 501C3 non-profit, whose mission is to bridge the digital language divide and support cultural sustainability by creating digital educational applications in multiple languages for early literacy.<\/p>\n

Current situation:<\/b><\/p>\n

Despite the fact that 94% of the world\u2019s children are not native English speakers, there is a shocking absence of digital educational tools for early literacy in languages other than English.
\nThere is now overwhelming evidence that children benefit from receiving early education in their own language, known as mother tongue learning, as learning to read in a language they do not speak can be very discouraging.<\/p>\n

Mother tongue learning also has many social benefits. In multilingual societies, all communities feel equally respected if their language is used in schools, and learning in their mother tongue fosters a child\u2019s capacity to express cultural identity.<\/p>\n

iLearn4Free believes all children should have access to digital learning games in their mother tongue, as digital learning is an engaging and efficient way for them to learn and remain motivated.<\/p>\n

A Multicultural Approach:<\/b><\/p>\n

To meet our objective, our main challenge was to create an application that is adaptable to\u2014and accessible by\u2014a multitude of languages and cultures, while keeping costs at a minimum to enable a sustainable deployment.<\/p>\n