This new app is helping kids learn isiZulu

A new app is helping kids learn isiZulu - by making animals come to life through augmented reality.
It’s made by Mukundi Lambani founder of Ambani, an African-language content platform for young learners, who is using technology to make education fun.
By transforming this set of 20 animal flashcards Ambani is making them spring to life using a cell phone app. The cards feature lions, chickens and other wild and farm animals. In AR the cards spring to life allowing you to hear their isiZulu pronunciation.
Lambani spent 10 years in the South Africa film industry before moving into researching new media technology development for a Masters degree.
“Ambani was sparked by my personal experience and Master's research around South Africa's Model C [schools] and the first black cohort in the country to grow up detached from their ethnic languages and cultures, through being educated in previously white schools and moving into white neighbourhoods,” she said.
Lambani wants to make learning African languages fun, especially for families who feel they may have become disconnected from their traditional heritage.
“South Africa's Education System has many challenges: African-language speaking children have to drop their mother tongue or home language too soon, and learn in a language they do not understand. It is very difficult to learn a foreign language well enough to learn through it,” she said.
The company ultimately want to gamify other aspects of learning such as Science, Maths, Art, Critical Thinking subjects. She wants to make education a more whole, independent and accessible experience for young African learners.
“Over 50% of Grade 4 learners in South Africa do not understand what they read. A scarcity of books written in African languages, as well as a shortage of well-resourced school and community libraries.”
The APP is currently only in isiZulu. But, Lambani plans to introduce Kiswahili, Setswana, Tshivenda, Igbo, Shona over the next few weeks.
You can purchase the cards here:
www.ambaniafri...
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