Latest news with #non-English-speaking
News18
5 days ago
- General
- News18
Why Early English Learning Needs A Rethink In India's Classrooms, Expert Breaks It Down
Q. Where do you see the role of English in the early years of school education in India? What does an effective and inclusive early language learning environment look like in the foundational years? What approaches have you seen actually work? A. Children up to the age of five are highly perceptive and adaptive because of the brain's plasticity. This makes early childhood the ideal time for language learning, provided their developmental and individual needs are addressed. English education at this stage should not cause stress—it should empower children and foster a love for learning. An inclusive early language environment must support all types of learners—auditory, visual, kinaesthetic, and those who learn through reading and writing. Play-based learning, developmentally appropriate activities, and interdisciplinary methods are critical. It's also important that the content reflects diversity and inclusion, helping children relate to what they're learning while appreciating different cultures and experiences. Q. What are some common challenges teachers face when helping young learners gain fluency and confidence in English, especially in non-English speaking regions? A. In India, English is often a second or even third language. In many rural or non-English-speaking areas, teachers are working with students who haven't yet built foundational literacy in English. According to the ASER 2024 report, only 27% of Grade 3 students in rural government schools can read a Grade 2-level English text. This highlights the urgent need for focused language support. Writing is another major hurdle. Young learners often struggle with handwriting clarity, spacing, and motor control. For instance, the shift from four-line to single-line notebooks can confuse students. Small changes like using clearer fonts or simplified writing formats can ease this transition and reduce frustration. We've also seen a disconnect between classroom materials and the needs of multilingual learners. In many cases, the content isn't tailored to regional or cultural contexts. To address this, it's important that lesson plans, visual aids, and phonics-based activities are designed with real classroom conditions in mind, particularly where resources are limited. Q. From a student's perspective, what can make learning English feel more natural and less intimidating, particularly for those from non-English speaking households? A. For children from non-English-speaking homes, fluency starts not with grammar, but with comfort and exposure. Familiarity is key. When English is introduced through songs, stories, and simple conversations, children begin to connect with the language more naturally. One highly effective strategy is involving families in the learning journey. When parents have access to basic resources—such as rhymes, stories, or home activities—they're able to engage with their child's English learning meaningfully. This shared effort brings the language into the home environment, making it feel less foreign and more relevant. Songs and storytelling also help with emotional regulation and engagement. When rooted in local culture and everyday experiences, these tools not only teach vocabulary but also help children express themselves. Making English relatable is often the first step in building their confidence. Incorporating movement-based storytelling, reflective thinking, and imagination-driven tasks also supports holistic development—mental, emotional, and physical. Technology can add value here, but the core idea is to create a learning space where English feels like a tool for discovery, not a subject to fear. Q. Do you think the current way English is taught in colleges prepares students well for the real-world job market? What changes would make language skilling more aligned with employment needs? A. Unfortunately, many college students don't get enough real-world practice in English. While grammar and comprehension are taught, students often don't learn how to use English in interviews, workplace conversations, presentations, or writing professional emails. The recent NITI Aayog report on higher education points to this issue—there's a lack of industry-aligned curriculum, especially when it comes to communication skills. This affects how students collaborate in teams, present themselves to recruiters, and manage routine professional interactions. When students practice sector-specific language—whether it's IT, customer service, healthcare, or retail—they start seeing English as a tool they can use, not just a subject they study. Colleges need to offer more practical training in professional communication—like mock interviews, writing tasks, and role-plays—to prepare students for real-world expectations. Ultimately, English should be treated as a life skill and a workplace necessity, not just an academic requirement. With that shift, students can step into their careers with far more confidence and capability.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Health
- Forbes
AI For Good: Beyond Efficiencies Into Education, Economy And Health
Jennifer Sanders, Executive Director, North Texas Innovation Alliance; Cofounder, National Smart Coalitions Partnership. These days, AI is everywhere. It's popping up in our business operations, social media and even government. In fact, AI is projected to contribute nearly $20 trillion to the global economy through 2030, and the race to capture that reality is on. But while it's easy to focus on the ways AI makes our lives more convenient—like finishing that annual report or deciding which TV show to binge next—there's a bigger question: Can AI be a force for good in accessing services for those often left behind—and for the professionals who serve them? And, are we using it the right way? When we look at the technology through this lens, we can start to see the full picture of what AI can be. It has an important role to play in healthcare, education, mental health and public services—and in easing some of the strain on the professionals providing these services, whether teachers, doctors or public servants. Healthcare Access Affordable, quality healthcare remains a major challenge in many communities due to a lack of access and high costs. In fact, in Dallas County, where my organization is based, there is more than a 20-year difference in life expectancy between ZIP codes with varying socioeconomic levels, according to a 2019 study by UT Southwestern Medical Center. With AI, and natural language processing (NLP) in particular, I believe we have an opportunity to help address these disparities in meaningful ways. For instance, NLP-powered tools can translate medical information in real time, making it easier for non-English-speaking patients to communicate with their healthcare providers. But that's only the beginning. Some companies are taking things a step further with their applications of AI. Hippocratic AI, for example, developed an agentic AI tool that helps with managing non-diagnostic medical tasks, like reviewing medication instructions and answering patients' questions. Another example is SilverStone Health. With unique challenges in treating aging populations, SilverStone's integrated model—which includes home health, palliative care and hospice—uses AI to help ensure a smooth transition between different levels of care. In areas where patient loads are increasingly limiting, I believe AI can be used to help support more patients accessing quality managed care with continued oversight by a human. Could organizations create tools that help create a healthcare system where access no longer limits the quality of care someone receives? Education And Upskilling Education has always been a key pathway to opportunity, and AI is transforming this by enabling more personalized and adaptive learning experiences. For example, AI-driven tools can make a meaningful difference for immigrant and refugee students, who often face challenges related to language proficiency and other factors. By offering individualized learning plans and real-time feedback, AI can help students progress at their own pace, regardless of their English proficiency. Additionally, interactive AI-powered chatbots can provide intuitive supplemental lessons for students and help them catch up on lagging skills. Through tools that drive and shape exercise cadence, including the content itself and the manner in which lessons are communicated, students of all learning styles can receive the support they need, particularly in schools lacking dedicated staff to provide individual support. This can not only support academic success but also foster technological literacy. In a job market that increasingly demands digital skills, preparing students early with these skills opens doors to future careers. In fact, in late May, the European Commission and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development released a draft framework for teaching AI literacy in schools. Mental Health Access With growing awareness around mental health, resources have expanded through teletherapy and more affordable options for care. AI-based solutions have the potential to provide even greater accessibility. Virtual therapy platforms and AI-driven diagnostic tools, for example, can make it easier for individuals to seek support without the stigma that is often associated with in-person therapy in some communities. For example, Texas-based MyCHN offers a free AI-powered mental health app to uninsured, underinsured and low-income patients to expand access. The app provides confidential support and can help address the growing needs of vulnerable communities. This can act as a first step for individuals hesitant to seek traditional therapy. Or, consider Eleos Health, which uses AI to streamline behavioral health workflows. This can help reduce documentation time so physicians can focus on engagement and care quality. In partnership with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Eleos aims to expand access to AI-driven tools, education and research, the National Council said in a July 2024 press release announcing the partnership. Public Services And Disaster Response In times of public safety and disaster response, timely and clear communication is critical. Communities, particularly those in urban or environmentally vulnerable areas, can benefit from AI tools in disaster preparation and resource distribution. The tech can be used to predict and prepare for natural disasters, including wildfires, improving the speed and accuracy of emergency responses. These tools can improve communication between communities and government, providing timely information on everything from safety alerts to city services. In situations where immediate, clear information is critical, AI can be used to help break down barriers and ensure citizens have access to essential resources. The Advantage: Real-Time Communication And Understanding As we continue to develop and deploy these technologies, it is essential for leaders developing AI solutions to prioritize inclusivity and ensure AI serves as a tool for good—one that can reach those who stand to benefit in a meaningful way. In my organization, for example, identifying the highest value intersection between AI's potential internal benefits—like time, resources and ability to scale—and external benefits—like shrinking access gaps that inhibit social and economic outcomes—are factors we consider in designing our programs in workforce, education and health. Companies are already showcasing the diverse ways in which AI is being deployed to meet needs and help pave the way for a healthier, safer and educated society. With responsible use and community-focused innovation, I believe AI can become a force for social and economic progress across geography and economic resources. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Al Etihad
7 days ago
- Business
- Al Etihad
Heading overseas for university? Here's what Emirati students need to know about UAE's higher education standards
16 July 2025 01:12 MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)To elevate the quality of higher education and better align academic outcomes with national goals, the UAE Government has a robust framework in place for Emirati students wishing to pursue studies abroad. Decision No. (5) of 2025, issued by the Education, Human Development and Community Development Council (EHCD), has introduced a defined set of standards for academic institutions and programmes. The decision, already in effect, governs the enrollment of UAE nationals in diploma, bachelor's, master's, doctorate, and equivalent degree programmes at international universities. Why These Criteria Matter The framework was established not only to protect students and their families from investing in non-accredited or low-ranked institutions, but also to align international education with the UAE's economic goals and future skill setting clear thresholds for university rankings, the EHCD seeks to empower students to make informed decisions and avoid the risk of their qualifications being rejected for purposes such as government employment, promotion, or scholarship Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) is the central authority students must consult before enrolling abroad, with formal procedures in place to verify whether a university or academic programme meets official standards. What Are the Criteria?All Emirati students, whether self-funded or supported by government scholarships, must ensure that the chosen institution meets the ministry's approved global ranking requirements. The institution must be ranked among the top 50 universities worldwide in the intended field of study. If studying in the US or Australia, the institution must rank in the top 100 in the chosen field and top 100 studying in any other English-speaking country, the university must fall within the top 200 globally, both in the specific academic field and overall. In non-English-speaking countries, the institution must be ranked among the top 300 in the field and to meet these standards may result in non-recognition of the qualification, jeopardising employment, further studies, and professional entitlements in the UAE. How Students Can Check Their OptionsMoHESR offers a free service to support students in navigating these academic criteria. Students can access these services by navigating to the 'Information Service about Academic Programmes Abroad for UAE Nationals' page on the ministry's official website, clicking 'Start New Application', then selecting 'Inquiry About Academic Programme'. Lastly, they need to enter the details of the university and academic programme they wish to enquire about. After uploading necessary documents (such as Emirates ID and passport copy) through the digital portal, students will receive an official response within 1–5 business days confirming the accreditation status. Enquiries and exemption requests can be addressed to
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Yahoo
AI models aren't made equal. Some nonprofits are creating their own tools instead.
Nonprofits like Education Above All are using AI to address global inequities. AI initiatives align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals to promote peace and prosperity. This article is part of "How AI Is Changing Everything," a series on AI adoption across industries. As millions of young people worldwide increasingly rely on AI chatbots to acquire knowledge as part of their learning — and even complete assignments for them — one organization is concerned that those in developing countries without access to the tech could be put at an unfair disadvantage. And it's using the very technology it believes is causing this problem to fix it. Education Above All, a nonprofit based in Qatar, believes that because most of the world's popular AI chatbots are created in Silicon Valley, they aren't equipped to understand the linguistic and ethnic nuances of non-English-speaking countries, creating education inequities on a global scale. But its team sees AI as a way to tackle this problem. In January 2025, the charity teamed up with MIT, Harvard, and the United Nations Development Programme to introduce a free and open-source AI literacy program called Digi-Wise. Delivered in partnership with educators in the developing world, it encourages children to spot AI-fueled misinformation, use AI tools responsibly in the classroom, and even develop their own AI tools from scratch. As part of this, the charity has developed its own generative AI chatbot called Ferby. It allows users to access and personalize educational resources from the Internet-Free Education Resource Bank, an online library containing hundreds of free and open-source learning materials. Education Above All said it's already being used by over 5 million Indian children to access "project-based learning" in partnership with Indian nonprofit Mantra4Change. More recently, Education Above All has embedded Ferby into edtech platform SwiftChat, which is used by 124 million students and teachers across India. "Ferby curates, customizes, and creates learning materials to fit local realities, so a teacher in rural Malawi can run the right science experiment as easily as a teacher in downtown Doha," said Aishwarya Shetty, an education specialist at Education Above All. "By marrying offline ingenuity with AI convenience, we make learning local, low-resource, and always within reach, yet at scale." Education Above All is among a group of organizations using AI to tackle global inequality and work toward realizing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Created in 2015, the UN SDGs comprise 17 social, economic, and environmental targets that serve as guidelines for nations, businesses, and individuals to follow to help achieve a more peaceful and prosperous world. Education Above All's projects fall under SDG 4: inclusive and equitable education. A range of other organizations are using AI to augment and enhance their education programming. Tech To The Rescue, a global nonprofit that connects charities with pro-bono software development teams to meet their goals, is another organization using AI in support of the UN SDGs. Last year, it launched a three-year AI-for-good accelerator program to help NGOs meet the various UN SDGs using AI. One organization to benefit from the program is Mercy Corps, a humanitarian group that works across over 40 countries to tackle crises like poverty, the climate crisis, natural disasters, and violence. Through the accelerator, it created an AI strategy tool that helps first responders predict disasters and coordinate resources. The World Institute on Disability AI also participated in the accelerator program, creating a resource-matching system that helps organizations allocate support to people with disabilities in hours rather than weeks. Similarly, the International Telecommunication Union — the United Nations' digital technology agency, and one of its oldest arms — is supporting organizations using technology to achieve the UN SDGs through its AI for Good Innovation Factory startup competition. For example, an Indian applicant — a startup called Bioniks — has enabled a teenager to reclaim the ability to do simple tasks like writing and getting dressed through the use of AI-powered prosthetics. While AI may prove to be a powerful tool for achieving the UN SDGs, it comes with notable risks. Again, as AI models are largely developed by American tech giants in an industry already constrained by gender and racial inequality, unconscious bias is a major flaw of AI systems. To address this, Shetty said layered prompts for non-English users, human review of underlying AI datasets, and the creation of indigenous chatbots are paramount to achieving Education Above All's goals. AI models are also power-intensive, making them largely inaccessible to the populations of developing countries. That's why Shetty urges AI companies to provide their solutions via less tech-heavy methods, like SMS, and to offer offline features so users can still access AI resources when their internet connections drop. Open-source, free-of-charge subscriptions can help, too, she added. Challenges aside, Shetty is confident that AI can be a force for good over the next few years, particularly around education. She told BI, "We are truly energized by how the global education community is leveraging AI in education: WhatsApp-based math tutors reaching off-grid learners; algorithms that optimize teacher deployment in shortage areas; personalized content engines that democratize education; chatbots that offer psychosocial support in crisis zones and more." But Shetty is clear that AI should augment, rather than displace, human educators. And she said the technology should only be used if it can solve challenges faced by humans and add genuine value. "Simply put," she said, "let machines handle the scale, let humans handle the soul, with or without AI tools." Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
10-07-2025
- Business Insider
AI models aren't made equal. Some nonprofits are creating their own tools instead.
As millions of young people worldwide increasingly rely on AI chatbots to acquire knowledge as part of their learning — and even complete assignments for them — one organization is concerned that those in developing countries without access to the tech could be put at an unfair disadvantage. And it's using the very technology it believes is causing this problem to fix it. Education Above All, a nonprofit based in Qatar, believes that because most of the world's popular AI chatbots are created in Silicon Valley, they aren't equipped to understand the linguistic and ethnic nuances of non-English-speaking countries, creating education inequities on a global scale. But its team sees AI as a way to tackle this problem. In January 2025, the charity teamed up with MIT, Harvard, and the United Nations Development Programme to introduce a free and open-source AI literacy program called Digi-Wise. Delivered in partnership with educators in the developing world, it encourages children to spot AI-fueled misinformation, use AI tools responsibly in the classroom, and even develop their own AI tools from scratch. As part of this, the charity has developed its own generative AI chatbot called Ferby. It allows users to access and personalize educational resources from the Internet-Free Education Resource Bank, an online library containing hundreds of free and open-source learning materials. Education Above All said it's already being used by over 5 million Indian children to access "project-based learning" in partnership with Indian nonprofit Mantra4Change. More recently, Education Above All has embedded Ferby into edtech platform SwiftChat, which is used by 124 million students and teachers across India. "Ferby curates, customizes, and creates learning materials to fit local realities, so a teacher in rural Malawi can run the right science experiment as easily as a teacher in downtown Doha," said Aishwarya Shetty, an education specialist at Education Above All. "By marrying offline ingenuity with AI convenience, we make learning local, low-resource, and always within reach, yet at scale." Education Above All is among a group of organizations using AI to tackle global inequality and work toward realizing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Created in 2015, the UN SDGs comprise 17 social, economic, and environmental targets that serve as guidelines for nations, businesses, and individuals to follow to help achieve a more peaceful and prosperous world. Education Above All's projects fall under SDG 4: inclusive and equitable education. A global effort A range of other organizations are using AI to augment and enhance their education programming. Tech To The Rescue, a global nonprofit that connects charities with pro-bono software development teams to meet their goals, is another organization using AI in support of the UN SDGs. Last year, it launched a three-year AI-for-good accelerator program to help NGOs meet the various UN SDGs using AI. One organization to benefit from the program is Mercy Corps, a humanitarian group that works across over 40 countries to tackle crises like poverty, the climate crisis, natural disasters, and violence. Through the accelerator, it created an AI strategy tool that helps first responders predict disasters and coordinate resources. The World Institute on Disability AI also participated in the accelerator program, creating a resource-matching system that helps organizations allocate support to people with disabilities in hours rather than weeks. Similarly, the International Telecommunication Union — the United Nations' digital technology agency, and one of its oldest arms — is supporting organizations using technology to achieve the UN SDGs through its AI for Good Innovation Factory startup competition. For example, an Indian applicant — a startup called Bioniks — has enabled a teenager to reclaim the ability to do simple tasks like writing and getting dressed through the use of AI-powered prosthetics. Challenges to consider While AI may prove to be a powerful tool for achieving the UN SDGs, it comes with notable risks. Again, as AI models are largely developed by American tech giants in an industry already constrained by gender and racial inequality, unconscious bias is a major flaw of AI systems. To address this, Shetty said layered prompts for non-English users, human review of underlying AI datasets, and the creation of indigenous chatbots are paramount to achieving Education Above All's goals. AI models are also power-intensive, making them largely inaccessible to the populations of developing countries. That's why Shetty urges AI companies to provide their solutions via less tech-heavy methods, like SMS, and to offer offline features so users can still access AI resources when their internet connections drop. Open-source, free-of-charge subscriptions can help, too, she added. AI as a source for good Challenges aside, Shetty is confident that AI can be a force for good over the next few years, particularly around education. She told BI, "We are truly energized by how the global education community is leveraging AI in education: WhatsApp-based math tutors reaching off-grid learners; algorithms that optimize teacher deployment in shortage areas; personalized content engines that democratize education; chatbots that offer psychosocial support in crisis zones and more." But Shetty is clear that AI should augment, rather than displace, human educators. And she said the technology should only be used if it can solve challenges faced by humans and add genuine value. "Simply put," she said, "let machines handle the scale, let humans handle the soul, with or without AI tools."
