To help young learners improve their Hindi and English reading skills, Google has launched a new and very innovative platform in the form of an android application, ‘Bolo.’
Google Launches Bolo!
On Wednesday, Google introduced the new application, called Bolo
(meaning ‘’speak), which employs speech recognition and text-to-speech technology. It also comes with an offline feature, which means there is no need for internet for the app to function.
(meaning ‘’speak), which employs speech recognition and text-to-speech technology. It also comes with an offline feature, which means there is no need for internet for the app to function.
Bolo will comprise of 90 books, including 50 English and 40 Hindi textbooks. This app can be navigated with the help of a reading assistant, Diya. Diya is an animated digital assistant which encourages children to read their lessons or stories out loud. Diya also helps them get through if the student is stuck at any point.
Also, it offers the students rewards for completing a set of particular tasks, or for reaching ‘milestones,’and the app also maintains a report card which is available for parents so that they can track the success of their child.
Google’s new venture is smart enough to make sure to stream suitable material for the children depending on their age and intelligence and abilities.
Development of Google’s ‘Bolo’
As per reports, Bolo took around two years to fully develop. According to Google, they have been piloting the app with 900 children across 200 villages of Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district. This was carried out with the help of with the help of ASER (Annual Status of Education Report) center which is a research unit under the Pratham Education Foundation.
Former HRD secretary Anil Swarup said, “Technology can and will be game changer in the field of education. The only thing we should ensure is that it acts as a supplement and not replace teachers. The app appears to be an additional tool that will help in learning a language better. But its too early to tell what its impact will be on the ground.”
As of now, the platform is available only for English and Hindi, but the internet giant is looking to extend it to other languages as well. This app can be downloaded from Storyweaver.org.in website.
