The TeachMe Akshara series consists of a number of applications under the “TeachMe” head for different vernacular languages (presently, Hindi and Malayalam). TeachMe Hindi is the Hindi language module from the TeachMe Akshara series. The application helps the user read and write letters in Hindi and Malayalam. The letters of the language come up on the screen, and one can know about how the alphabet is pronounced and written.

“TeachMe Akshara was developed to teach illiterates or semi-literates about the vernacular languages of India. Though TeachMe Akshara was meant to teach only basic letters, we consulted language teachers for formulating and verifying the content,” says Gopalakrishnan. TeachMe Akshara happens to be the first vernacular language teaching application for mobile phones. An animation of the letter, along with a picture, appears on the phone’s screen when a particular letter is selected.

The majority of the Indian population lives in rural areas, and the penetration of the mobile phone have been good. The application is appropriately targeted towards the rural and semi-urban population.

Within a few years, we can expect the mobile content market to boom, and we will see more applications that can exploit the use of mobile phones as educational tools.

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