Around 2.6 million of Ukrainians have fled to neighbouring nations due to the ongoing conflict since late February. The refugees seeking shelter, either permanently or temporarily, have faced a number of challenges such as language barriers. With the attention focused on the entry and reception of those fleeing the war in Ukraine, ELSA is offering Ukrainians around the world a free subscription for three months to help with the language challenges they are encountering.
Language is culture and it can be the key to the integration of refugees in their new communities. Since the invasion of Ukraine, research has shown that installs of the top 10 language learning apps grew 47% to 132,000 in the first nine days of March from 90,000 in February.
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Learning the language of the receiving country can have multiple benefits for refugees: from more and better access to the labour market, to recognition from the rest of the community and a feeling of belonging for the refugees themselves. The better the language skill, the more likely refugees will have access to good jobs and good education when entering a new community.
ELSA, English Language Speech Assistant, is an AI-powered English coach, which helps users develop different aspects of their speech, from their rhythm to their intonation, and even their choice of words. The app’s recommendation engine works by tailoring the experience so the users can always feel like they are learning something relevant to them and their particular experience, rather than approaching the learning journey with a general curriculum.
“Our deepest empathy and concerns are with the millions of people impacted,” said Vu Van, CEO of ELSA. “At this difficult time, we want to do as much as we can to help the millions of displaced Ukrainians bridge communication gaps and make connections.”
About Elsa
Founded in 2015 by Stanford alum Ms. Vu Van, and Dr. Xavier Anguera, a veteran in speech recognition and AI, ELSA is a Silicon Valley based company that uses proprietary speech recognition technology and artificial intelligence to help language learners improve their English pronunciation. The inspiration for ELSA, the 2016 SXSWEdu winner, came when Vu realized that pronunciation and accent often pose a hindrance for non-native employees in business.