Who are They and Why is English Important
English Language Learner is a term that refers to any student in an English-language educational system who is not able to communicate fluently in English. While this term is often used to describe students in the United States, it applies to any country where English is commonly used in early education. Often, English language learners are students whose parents speak a different language at home.
But why is learning English important? Clearly, in an English-speaking society, learning English is necessary just to participate in the economy as an adult. However, research has shown that this learning needs to start very early: children who enter kindergarten with substantially lower English literacy than their peers have poorer academic outcomes in K-12 and beyond. This shortfall in academic achievement means that millions of children do not achieve their potential in the workplace. It has been estimated that functional illiteracy in the population costs the global economy $1 trillion annually. In addition to its critical role in English-speaking countries, English literacy has become a key determinant of success in our globalized world economy. Therefore, improving literacy among English language learners is an important global need. At GLEN World, we are dedicated to this mission, creating research-driven tools for students all over the world. With our flagship app, GLEN Learn, students can hone their language skills with guided lessons, narrated readings, and fun games. This app is designed to be used with or without supervision, making it an ideal option for students across the socioeconomic spectrum, at home or at school. Visit our website to learn more about GLEN World and our mission to improve English literacy.
About GLEN World
GLEN World is a nonprofit organization on a mission to scale early English literacy so that every child has access to the educational and economic opportunities it unlocks.
GLEN World has developed GLEN Learn, a research-based personalized learning app for early English literacy, designed to help children develop reading skills via a series of guided exercises, engaging stories, and rhymes. GLEN Learn’s content design is based on Instructed Second Language Acquisition research, targeting the fundamental skills required for literacy: vocabulary knowledge, recognition of sounds, and recognition of spelling. GLEN Learn’s learning modules reinforce each other as they target these fundamental skills. GLEN World also offers GLEN Books, a mobile app with a rich collection of beautifully illustrated and warmly narrated storybooks that foster a love for reading in children.
GLEN World is experimenting with safe and scalable ways to leverage generative AI to create learning content that promotes curiosity and engagement in young learners. Our first two experiments in AI-generated learning content are AI Explain and AI Tails. GLEN World’s YouTube channel features the AI Explain playlist with educational videos on the origin of important inventions and discoveries. The AI Tails playlist includes AI-generated illustrated audiobooks on topics that we hope will interest young children.
Our team includes seasoned educators, authors, animators, established graphic artists, and engineers. A unique strength is our connection with two premier research universities, the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), with the close involvement of faculty with expertise spanning second language acquisition, education, cognition, engineering, and machine learning. Learn more by visiting our website.
As always, we are grateful for your support. If you like our work, please consider a donation.
GLEN World is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. If your employer has a donation match program, then that’s a great way to double your gift’s impact!