MIT Solve

Solution Overview

Solution Name

Learn French Avec Rijak

One-line solution summary.

It is an attempt to introduce the underpriveleged to the idea of taking up languages as a career, learn international languages too and explore exam related opportunities.

What is your solution?

My Idea is to first build a strong core of the subjects children study, in their vernacular language with the help of people proficient in it. Thereafter, I will introduce them to a foreign language of their choice to improve their skill set at no costs to be ready to face the world. Educators proficient in vernacular languages will be provided with the content by the academic team. Thereafter, those who are willing to learn a foreign language will be taught by professionals.

What specific problem are you trying to solve?

In India, only 30% of the population can speak English. Due to the pandemic, everything has shifted online and there is not much access to quality content in regional languages for the 65.2% of the population studying in government schools. In December 2016, the then HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar had informed the Parliament that 49 per cent of students study in Hindi-medium schools while 33 per cent schools teach in the mother tongue of the state. Only 17 per cent students across India study in English-medium schools. Studies also show that learning in the mother tongue produces better results. Hence, my solution is an attempt to combat the problem of quality education to yield better learning outcomes.

The factors which culminate the problem include the lack of regional language content infrastructure, despite efforts being taken there is a problem of accessibility being disrupted in rural areas and the myth that English is the only medium of quality content lading to huge withdrawal of children belonging to low income families from schools.

Language barriers have resulted in talent in the roots of the country being unable to contribute in country's development- Aspiring Minds has revealed that only 18.43% of all engineering graduates are eligible for a software engineer’s job in a firm due to incompetent language skills. The major problem was witnessed with pronunciation, followed by fluency skills, grammar and sentence construction- this has led to a massive skill gap somewhere.

Who does your solution serve? In what ways will the solution impact their lives?

The underprivileged, rural children who do not attend schools and children who attend government schools in India are Whom I am eager to work for. The Indian education system lacks vernacular infrastructure which plays a key role in building a child's foundation. Due to vague clarity, it shakes the child's confidence to showcase his talent to the world which means that we might lose a gem. My solution is to first build a strong core of the subjects they study, in their vernacular language with the help of people proficient in it. Thereafter, I will introduce them to a foreign language of their choice to improve their skill set and ready to face the world.

What steps have you taken to understand the needs of the population you want to serve?

I have been volunteering with organisations like the Bhumi and have participated in teaching them for NMMS. I have researched extensively on curriculum designing and structuring for the same. I have not been able to tie knots with NGO's till now and nor have been able to approach potential users in my area due to the pandemic. However, I have begun working on Instagram and YouTube.

Which aspects of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Improving learning opportunities and outcomes for learners across their lifetimes, from early childhood on (Learning)

Our solution's stage of development:

Prototype: A venture or organization building and testing its product, service, or business model

Explain why you selected this stage of development for your solution—in other words, what have you accomplished to date?

I have created a curriculum for French language. I am yet to connect with proficient people and win their confidence over my Idea for the same and reach out to the potential users. However, I have built a website , begun on Instagram and YouTube.

Where our solution team is headquartered or located:

Firozpur, Punjab, India

Team Lead:

Rijak Kaur Sarla