Apps built in Tashkent — in the language of the people using them

The problem

Apps that teach English are written for children who already read English. To a six-year-old in Tashkent, an instruction in English is not an instruction — and when the explanations are translated last, you get text the parent ends up reading aloud instead of the child. A separate question is what the app asks of the phone, and what it shows a child when nobody is watching.

What we built

Twenty topic modules and a separate alphabet module. Each has spoken vocabulary, listening, word building, letter tracing and a quiz. The Uzbek and Russian explanations were written first, not translated afterwards. Stars unlock the next module, the parent area sits behind an addition problem, and the app does not ask for the microphone at all.

What's inside

• 20 topic modules plus a separate alphabet module
• Five exercise types: spoken vocabulary, listening, word building, letter tracing, quiz
• Uzbek and Russian are the original language of the explanations, not a translation
• Stars and staged unlocking: the next module opens at 60% of the previous one
• The parent area is behind an addition problem — a child will not wander into it
• No microphone permission: there are no speaking exercises, and the permission is removed from the app

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