Master your mother tongue, the ‘Coolphabets’ way
Since 2016, Kollu Ranjit, a software engineer hailing from Vijayawada and settled in the U.S.A., and his friend, Venkat, had been focused on a single
Since 2016, Kollu Ranjit, a software engineer hailing from Vijayawada and settled in the U.S.A., and his friend, Venkat, had been focused on a single goal—to make learning languages easier for children settled outside their native State or country. After countless efforts, their goal materialised ten years later as they created ‘Coolphabets’, an app designed by both of them with the help of a small team. Writing is a dying art, says Mr. Ranjit when asked why they felt the need to develop such an app. A son of yesteryear Telugu journalist Kollu Ankababu, Mr. Ranjith moved to the U.S.A. in the 1990s.
“Writing is intrinsic to Indian languages and a part of our culture,” adds Mr. Ranjit, who now works at Dell Technologies in Boston. But many children, settled outside their home States or abroad, begin to lose touch with the script of their mothertongues gradually. “The app, which works offline, helps the user build the foundational skills of a language in a fun way,” explains Mr. Ranjit, adding that while the app has been designed for children in the age group of 3 and 10, it can be used by anyone planning to learn a new language.
While the two childhood friends came up with the idea in 2016, their efforts were stalled due to the lack of technological advancements. With the growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), they found the missing piece of the puzzle. Learning through games Since the app focuses on writing, AI helps trace a child’s strokes, scores their handwriting on-device, and reads every letter back in a native Indian voice, he says, adding that the app has 45 games to make the learning process easier for children. The app is available on iPhone and iPad at present, and supports three languages—Telugu, Hindi, and Marathi.
The app will soon be available on Android devices and in all major Indian languages, Mr. Ranjit says, adding that the app is compliant with the U.S.A. law, Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. Mr Ranjith, who has come to Vijayawada, is holding talks with the Andhra Pradesh government to provide the app, which operates on a subscription model, to government schools in the State free of charge.
The BriefWire