Propagated by Dr. Ruben R. Puentedura, SAMR is a model that helps educators make informed decisions about integrating technology in classrooms to provide improved digital learning experiences for students, in addition to better learning outcomes. In this blog, we explore the application of this model on our product Glibzter Immersive - English Vocabulary Builder.

The four levels of education technology integration are Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition. As the educator progresses through each level, the role of technology becomes more transformative.

The first two levels of Substitution and Augmentation are meant to 'enhance' the learning experience while the latter two stages of Modification and Redefinition are meant to transform it i.e. by enabling teachers and students to perform activities that couldn't have been otherwise performed.

This 8 minute video by Analisa McMillan is the best I have seen to explain the 4 levels with utmost clarity and simplicity.

Glibzter's browser extension and web app - Glizbter Immersive - English Vocabulary Builder works on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers while users access the internet via a laptop or personal computer (PC).  

It enables users to build and expand their vocabulary in English through real-time curation of words and phrases for AI-powered contextual practice when they stream videos with English subtitles/ closed-captions on Netflix and YouTube, and also read online news articles from select media portals such as BBC, CNN, MSN News, The Times of India etc.

Let's dive into how this product offering can be integrated into a classroom setting using the SAMR model of technology integration.

Think vocabulary building, and the image of a physical dictionary comes to mind. You come across a new word and the dictionary becomes a port of call for finding out the meaning. Likewise with idioms, phrasal verbs and connotations. Now imagine substituting the physical dictionary with an online dictionary app, say TheFreeDictionary.com. Or key in the word or phrase into the Google Search box to find its meaning, along with usage examples, pronunciation audio, synonyms, antonyms etc.

Application of Glibzter Immersive for Teachers: In place of physical books, teachers can curate educational content such as YouTube videos (with subtitles / closed captions in English) and online news articles (e.g. Editorials, Long form news articles on a specific subject), and ask students to watch/ read them on their laptops/ PCs with Glibzter Immersive - English Vocabulary builder as a browser extension. 

When you come across a new word or phrase, say in a book, magazine or newspaper, you would ideally underline it, jot it down in a notebook, refer the dictionary (online or physical one), jot down the meaning along with the usage sentence/s. What if all this takes place automatically at the back end as and when you are streaming a video on YouTube with subtitles/ closed captions in English or reading an online article without you having to pause the video or break your reading tempo for jotting all these down?

The enhancement is in terms of automatic real-time curation of the most relevant words and phrases (e.g. 20 words and 15 phrases from a 1000 word article) and unhindered content consumption experience for the learner.

Application of Glibzter Immersive for Teachers: Glibzter Immersive will extract and present to students the most relevant words and also phrases from the curated YouTube videos and online news articles you provide them, for contextual practice. Based on the presented words and phrases, the teacher can create in-class assessments in the future.

Read: Glibzter Immersive v/s Dictionary v/s Google Search

This is the phase where technology is used to design interactive and dynamic tasks that go beyond the limitations of a traditional classroom. (Source: 3P Learning.com). It would redesign the learning activity.

Application of Glibzter Immersive for Teachers: Glibzter Immersive leverages the power of Generative AI to enable students to better remember the usage of English words and phrases trough contextual relevance i.e. by knowing in what situation and in what emotions can the words/ phrases suggested be used. Add to this 'Word Combinations' i.e. Collocations and 'Synonyms', and students will get a well rounded practice session with translations in 7 Indian languages (soon to be opened for all languages) and audio feature for aiding in better pronunciation.

Redefinition is a phase where technology can make new learning opportunities, hitherto considered impossible, possible.

As an English Vocabulary Builder, Glibzter Immersive caters to the 'What to Speak' aspect of communication. Going forward, we will be looking to building the 'How to Speak' component with voice based assessments. We will also be looking to improve the assessments for contextual usage of words and phrases.

Application of Glibzter Immersive for Teachers: With these features, teachers can assess communication skills of students, be it in terms of vocabulary application but also in terms of confidence to verbally use the words and phrases in writing and speech.

This blog will be updated once these features are worked on. Until then, do share your views on this blog and our product offering Glibzter Immersive in the comments section below.

In the run up to the 18th International and 54th Annual Conference of ELTAI which is scheduled to take place in Guwahati (Assam) at the Royal Global University from 23rd to 26th October, 2024, we at Glibzter are happy to announce that we have entered into a strategic knowledge partnership with English Language Teachers' Association of India (ELTAI).

The partnership would entail Glibzter and ELTAI working together on industry research projects along with user testing involving ELTAI members and their students particularly in the space of education technology and English Language Teaching (ELT).

The industry insights and feedback secured from practitioners of English would benefit Glibzter in the long run to develop digital tools most relevant to address the challenges faced by students in English language learning.

Glibzter would be supporting ELTAI's Annual Conference in Guwahati

Glibzter extends support to ELTAI's 'India Reads' initiative on the digital front through the application of its browser extension and web app - Glibzter Immersive - English Vocabulary Builder, while encouraging students to read English online news articles from select news portals and reading subtitles/ closed-captions  while streaming videos from select OTT video platforms.

Read:Glibzter Opines - Using the Open Internet for Language Learning

Read: Glibzter Opines - ELTAI's 'India Reads' movement

Keep following GlibTalks, Glibzter's official blog posts to stay updated on the learnings and developments arising out of this knowledge partnership.

For starters, this blog is an 'analogy'. Google search the meaning of the word and you get this result (sourced from the Oxford Dictionary)

The meaning hinges around the words of 'comparison' and 'similarity'. In many respects, building your communication skills in English has a lot in common with how a mason would construct a wall. Let's explore this analogy: 

To build anything, you would need to source the right materials along with the requisite tools. When it comes to building a wall, the essential materials would be bricks, mortar (cement), TMT steel bars, water, primer and paint, while the tools would be trowels, spirit level, jointer, paint brushes/ rollers among others.

For Building Spoken English Communication Skills (Online): 

The mason identifies where the wall needs to be built and clears the area of any vegetation/ debris to dig a trench for the foundation. Before the wall is built, it is essential to finalize the design and layout.

For Building Spoken English Communication Skills:

On the similar lines, it is essential to make time and stay committed to the process of learning. Setting SMART Goals would be essential to determine the desired learning outcomes.

An example of setting SMART Goals while using Glibzter Immersive - English Vocabulary Builder, a browser extension to help you build and expand your English Vocabulary by curating relevant English words and phrases in real-time while streaming videos with English subtitles/ closed-captions and reading online news articles from select media portals, for contextual usage practice:

The foundation is laid by digging and leveling the trench with gravel forming a stable base. The mortar is mixed and the bricks are laid on the foundation with the trowel being used to make each brick settle in place.

The analogy for building Spoken English Communication Skills:

If you have basic foundational proficiency and wish to improve your communication skills in English, then Glibzter Immersive would be an ideal tool to help you improve your contextual usage of English words and phrases.

Read: How Glibzter Immersive helps you build and expand your English vocabulary

Read: 5 ways how reading improves your Spoken English Communication Skills

What other analogies can you think of? Do share your thoughts on this blog and your communication skills enhancement journey in the comments section below.

This blog will focus on the following 3 fundamental principles enshrined in the NEP 2020 to analyze the impact on the education ecosystem:

• Technology use and integration through online / digital education
• Promoting multilingualism and the power of language in teaching and learning
• Imparting life skills 

NEP 2020 emphasizes the important role played by technology in the improvement of educational processes and outcomes. It sees the relationship between education and technology as being bi-directional at all levels. New forms of educational software and hardware are foreseen changing not just what students learn but how they learn, thereby placing importance of conducting extensive research on how they can be improved to meet learning objectives.

An autonomous body, the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), will be created to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning, administration, and so on, both for school and higher education. The aim of the NETF will be to facilitate decision making on the induction, deployment, and use of technology, by providing to the leadership of education institutions, State and Central governments, and other stakeholders, evidence-based advice proving the efficacy of edtech interventions, besides identifying new areas for research and innovation in the space of AI, Machine learning and Virtual Reality.

The thrust of technological interventions will be for the purposes of improving teaching-learning and evaluation processes, supporting teacher preparation and professional development, enhancing educational access, and streamlining educational planning, management, and administration

NEP 2020 also emphasizes on the need to bridge the 'digital divide' by making available affordable computing devices for students and making access to online/ digital education resources more equitable. Mass media such as television and community radio are mediums that will be used in the interim.

Appropriate agencies such as NETF, IITs, NITs etc. would conduct pilot studies to study the effectiveness of and suggest optimizing the integration of edtech products and services into the offline education set up from primary schools to higher education institutes. The policy also understands the need for suitable training and development for teachers to be effective online educators.

As per the NEP 2020, the medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language/mother tongue/local language/regional language. Thereafter, the home/local language shall continue to be taught as a language wherever possible. This will be followed by both public and private schools in India.

The three-language formula will continue to be implemented with the States and students being given the freedom to choose them so long as at least two of the three languages are native to India. 

Besides Hindi and Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Pali, Persian, and Prakrit, will also be widely available in schools as options for students, possibly as online modules, through experiential and innovative approaches, to ensure that these languages and literature stay alive and vibrant. Similar efforts will be made for all Indian languages having rich oral and written literatures, cultural traditions, and knowledge.

For the enrichment of the children, and for the preservation of these rich languages and their artistic treasures, all students in all schools, public or private, will have the option of learning at least two years of a classical language of India and its associated literature, through experiential and innovative approaches, including the integration of technology, in Grades 6-12, with the option to continue from the middle stage through the secondary stage and beyond. 

In addition to high quality offerings in Indian languages and English, foreign languages, such as Korean, Japanese, Thai, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian, will also be offered at the secondary level, for students to learn about the cultures of the world and to enrich their global knowledge and mobility according to their own interests and aspirations.

The teaching of all languages will be enhanced through innovative and experiential methods, including through gamification and apps, by weaving in the cultural aspects of the languages - such as films, theatre, storytelling, poetry, and music - and by drawing connections with various relevant subjects and with real-life experiences. Thus, the teaching of languages will also be based on experiential-learning pedagogy.

Read: Effectiveness of PLRRPAR Framework to improve your English skills

Read: How English teachers can use Glibzter Immersive while applying the PLRRPAR Framework

Studies will be undertaken to pilot new ways of assessment using education technologies focusing on 21st century skills. The NEP 2020 gives importance to holistic and multidisciplinary education with emphasis on enhancing communication skills, discussion, debate, team work, critical thinking, resilience and problem solving among others.

The motivation to write this blog comes from the article published in the editorial of The Hindu newspaper (19th Sept, 2024) titled Shed the myopia, refocus on the relevance of English, co-authored by Adv. Ra. Shhiva and Sabur Ali M, founders of Citizens for Law and Democracy (CLAD)

After perusing the entire NEP 2020 document, no where did we see any evidence of the English language being marginalized or explicitly categorized as a foreign language, with ample scope of it being used as a medium of education under the proposed three-language formula.

The NEP 2020 states that "All efforts will be made in preparing high-quality bilingual textbooks and teaching-learning materials for science and mathematics, so that students are enabled to think and speak about the two subjects both in their home language/mother tongue and in English."

We agree with the authors on the need to prioritize the promotion of English as a vital tool for national and international communication, so that every citizen can fully participate in the nation's growth story without any hindering linguistic barriers. However, the emphasis on Hindi and Sanskrit in NEP 2020 does not equate to the neglect of English in our studied opinion. 

English would still continue to be the lingua franca of the corporate world and an essential skill to have to climb the socio-economic ladder. We have a plethora of English learning apps for those students who'd have to learn English from scratch post grade 5 or 8. Our web browser extension and web app Glibzter Immersive - English Vocabulary Builder would be better suited for students having basic foundational level of English proficiency moving to intermediate and advanced levels.

Read:How Glibzter Immersive helps you build and expand your English Vocabulary

What is heartening for an EdTech company like ours is the due importance given to technology interventions and research for further innovations in the space in the NEP 2020. Using EdTech to impart 21st century skills is certainly a business opportunity that excites us at Glibzter.

Encouraging experiential language learning using creative sources such as films, music etc. is a validation for our Glibzter Immersive offering.

With the objective of bridging the digital divide, simple interventions such as Same Language Subtitling, can be used to not just learn English, but also learn regional Indian languages through subtitles and closed captions in mass media like television as well as on OTT streaming platforms such as YouTube and Netflix videos. 

Read: Same Language Subtitling: A boon for language learning via videos

What are your views on our observations about NEP 2020? Do share them with us in the comments section below.

For a better understanding of the PLRRPAR framework and its seven phases, you are recommended to read the previous blog on the topic:

Read:Glibzter Opines: Effectiveness of PLRRPAR Framework to improve your English Skills.

The role of teachers in this phase is to curate relevant knowledges resources - be it videos on YouTube and Netflix or news articles from online news portals. Glibzter Immersive - English Vocabulary Builder is programmed to work on international news portals such as BBC, CNN and MSN while also catering to Indian media portals such as The Times of India and Scroll.in

The objective is to achieve 'Immersive Learning' through engaging resources that are interesting and which motivate the learners for further language exploration. 

In this phase, teachers need to assess the prior knowledge of the subject and the associated language skills (i.e. Vocabulary) among their students, and facilitate its bridging with new language components that would be part of the video or news article. This is done through context setting and by sharing thoughts, views and experiences in class to pave the path for the remaining six phases.

While encouraging students to use Glibzter Immersive to learn from the curated videos (with subtitles/ closed-captions) and online news articles, the teachers can impart socio-cultural context and provide a summarized overview of the content after the students have watched/ read it.

This is the phase where Glibzter Immersive - English Vocabulary Builder's browser extension (available forGoogle Chrome and Microsoft Edge) would extract and present to the students the most relevant English words and phrases from the content curated by the teachers. These words are categorized as Basic, Essential and Uncategorized while the phrases are categorized as Basic and Essential.

Read: How Glibzter Immersive helps you build and expand your English Vocabulary

Only the Essential and Uncategorized words and phrases are recommended for students to practice the contextual usage. Teachers can encourage students to learn the contextual usage of the curated words and phrases in class, and offer their perspective/ teachings on the usage (by context, situation and emotion).

In this phase, the role of the teacher is to facilitate metacognitive awareness i.e. linking personal experiences with the theme of the content; the contextual, situational and emotion based usage of the newly acquainted words and phrases; and display any relevant imagery to enrich their language learning experience and making students remember / retain the word and phrase usage better.

In-class discussions can be facilitated wherein students can share their personal experiences using the newly acquainted English words and phrases, besides discussion on the topic that was covered in the suggested video or news article.

This is the phase where the role of the teacher is pivotal. The teacher is irreplaceable here, as without them the overall picture of the association of language skills (i.e. relating vocabulary with grammar, listening, reading, writing and speaking) may get lost.

While using the word or phrase, how should the sentence be structured? What is the role of grammar in the sentence? How should the sentence be pronounced while speaking? How should the same sentence be written with the correct spellings and punctuation? How should the learner interpret the sentence while listening or reading it? And most importantly, associating the sentence with the context (i.e. situation and emotion) are important. 

These are areas where intervention of teachers helps in building language skills for the long term.

The quality of practice determines the accuracy and confidence with which the language skills can be applied. While using Glibzter Immersive  English Vocabulary Builder, the learning and the practice of words and phrases acquired takes place by context, situations, emotions, synonyms, and word combinations (collocations).

Teachers can conduct various activities such as summary / precis writing, role play and J-A-M (Just A Minute) sessions based on the video or text content curated; conduct vocabulary application assessments and grammar exercises, thereby making the teaching process all the more creative and engaging.

Most importantly, students must be encouraged to commit mistakes and learn from them in this phase. Even if a mistake is committed, the student should be corrected and not mocked at. This will address many negative attitudes towards applying the language. 

Similar to the practice phase, the students are encouraged to apply their learnings of the usage of newly acquired words and phrases independently in the form of social media posts first and then in real-life conversations on the social and professional fronts. Teachers can look to conduct 1:1 interviews / conversations and group discussions on relevant topics to assess the contextual word and phrase usage prowess of the students.

Infusing a lifelong love for learning and honing English is the essence of this phase for teachers. Teachers need to make their students feel 'empowered' by making them unlock new levels of English proficiency. Conducting assessments to revisit and apply previously acquired vocabulary will help reinforce the learning. 

Language learning and particularly vocabulary building and expansion don't have a finish line. They are all a continuous life-long metacognitive process fueled by the our curiosity and propensity to spend time on self-development. The application of the PLRRPAR framework in conjunction with the usage of Glibzter Immersive - English Vocabulary Builder can take place in the manner suggested in this blog right from secondary schools to post graduation with the intervention of English teachers across the spectrum of schools and higher education institutes.

Read: Glibzter Opines: Technology Integration for ELT in India

The same process suggested here can continue even into professional life with the intervention of communication coaches and soft skills trainers. 

Do let us know what you think and share your observations by applying the PLRRPAR framework in your classes along with the usage of Glibzter Immersive in the comments section below.

Learners are exposed to authentic materials in the form of texts, dialogues and multimedia resources, promoting immersive learning and nurturing interest and motivation for further language exploration.

This foundational phase is meant to equip learners with context setting, thus prepping their minds to know what to expect and experience. It is tantamount to watching the trailer/ teaser of a movie or the headline/ sub-head/ abstract of a news article. It aims to bridge prior knowledge about a subject and its associated vocabulary, grammar, sentence structures and pronunciation with new language components in the new materials.

The second phase is about the learners' active engagement with the learning resources in the form of acquisition of words and phrases, observing how they are pronounced along with studying sentence structures, exploring the context in which they are used and their meaning. The aim is to enhance comprehension while consuming the content in the materials (be it multimedia resources, books, newspapers or magazines).

During the third phase, learners interpret the content they consume from the resource materials (OTT videos with subtitles and online news articles as in the case of Glibzter Immersive - English Vocabulary Builder) and link situations they come across as well as the newly acquainted English words and phrases with self experienced real-life situations and emotions. Facilitating this metacognitive awareness will ensure the 'stickiness' of the newly acquired words and phrases.

English language skills include components such as listening, speaking, reading and writing besides vocabulary and grammar. How you read will determine how you express yourself through speech and writing. How you listen will determine how you comprehend and respond to what is said to you. 

While learning new words and phrases using Glibzter Immersive browser extension (available for Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge) and web app, you will learn by context, situation and emotion through usage examples in the form of sentences. Through listening to these sentences (audio feature) and reading them, you understand the application of grammar in the sentence structure. Learners can make the most of this phase by reading the usage example sentences of words and phrases, listening to how the sentences sound, writing them out and finally speaking them during social interactions, thereby improving their LSRW skills.

While using Glibzter Immersive - English Vocabulary Builder, once the words and phrases are automatically curated and presented to you, you need to practice them contextually - i.e. by situation and emotion, besides acquainting yourself with word substitutes (synonyms) and word combinations (collocations).

Most language learning apps like Duolingo have introduced the concept of 'spaced repetition' i.e. being presented with the word or phrase, its meaning and usage example along with a couple of gamified assessments spread across a period of time e.g. the next day, 3 days later, 10 days later, 15 days and 30 days later so as to improve mental retention. With increased practice, learners will start using the words and phrases more accurately, leading to greater comfort and confidence in real-life communicative situations.

The sixth phase will need the learners to apply their knowledge of the topics they have learn as well as the language skills they have amassed in their personal, social and professional environments. The biggest challenge however is that of hesitation or lack of initiative to engage despite knowing what to speak or write.

The more qualitative and frequent the practice, the better would be the outcome in this phase.

If you use Glibzter Immersive - English Vocabulary Builder, we encourage you to share usage examples in the form of social media posts (text posts on Facebook or X.com, and then graduating to reels on Instagram). This is more of a shadow practice application before getting to engage with a larger audience through speech.

Reinforcement involves revisiting and creatively applying previously learnt language skills (especially contextual usage of words and phrases) through recall while watching other movies, reading news and taking part in assessments (solving word puzzles or playing word games). This is the phase wherein, if you are used to using a particular word to describe a situation, you should tune yourself to using synonyms of that word to become more creative and engaging in spoken English. 

This phase should also make learners realize that English language learning is a lifelong cognitive process, wherein it should be an objective to learn something new everyday.

As you can see, our product, Glibzter Immersive has been developed based on the PLRRPAR framework for the most part. The framework provides a systematic language acquisition path for learners, while being complemented by Glibzter Immersive serving as their digital English vocabulary coach curating words and phrases of relevance from the content they consume online.

The role of English language teachers in this process is pivotal to the successful implementation of the framework, thereby going to highlight the fact that both edtech and AI can best complement and can never ever replace the central role played by teachers as facilitators.

Read:Comparison - Glibzter Immersive v/s Dictionary v/s Google Search

Read:How Glibzter Immersive helps you build and expand your English Vocabulary

I came across a research paper examining the reasons behind the ineffectiveness of the existing English language curriculum and delivery in achieving desired learning outcomes among students the states of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh in India. Limited technology integration (be it in-class by teachers or adoption at student level through mobile apps) and inadequate exposure to the English language were observed as key reasons for the failure of ELT among non-native English learners.

The overuse of grammar-translation method (GTM) and lecture based teaching combined with the lack of audio visual components in the curriculum add to the linguistic challenges. 

The study revealed that the lack of competent English teachers can be mitigated by using Open Educational Resources (OERs), modern technology like the internet and mass media.

The research paper goes to highlight the propensity of non-native ELT stakeholders to adopt and integrate pro-English building ICT tools for effective English language instruction. With the use of Open Educational Resources like YouTube with subject specific channels; encouraging the usage of devices such as laptops, tablets and mobile devices, online dictionaries and English learning apps; there will be a shift initiated towards a more functional approach to language.

The research has recommended incorporating multimedia resources such as films, music and podcasts can expose students to diverse accents, dialects, and cultural contexts.

To impart practical language use and real-life communication skills for non-native English learners, other creative forms of pedagogy like storytelling, drama and role-playing would prove effective and engage the students in equal measure. 

Anglophobia (a strong aversion to all things associated with English) and glossophobia (fear of public speaking) were seen as the top psycholinguistic factors hampering learning outcomes among students in these states. Lack of motivation to study the language were seen as among other negative mindsets seen among non-native learners. 

The research recommends teachers playing the role of facilitators and personality development coaches in order to enable students to motivate and build their confidence and passion for communicating in the language.

The research paper published validates our business and product offering Glibzter Immersive - English Vocabulary Builder in the following ways by recommending:

• The creative usage of YouTube and multimedia resources such as movies, music and podcasts for effective teaching and learning of English. We at Glibzter see subtitles / closed captions as an effective resource for learning new English words and phrases.
• The integration of modern technology into the English classroom for enhanced exposure to the language.
• English teachers to don the role of personality development coaches, linking the usage of the language to enhanced self-image and a better quality of life.
• Practice on practical real-life usage rather than rote learning

The movement aims to address the growing problem of intellectual or cognitive decline associated with the lack of reading. This is largely attributable to increased screen time, wherein students consume a lot of information in audio visual formats. Even if they do read, the quality of content isn't quite qualitative and also the manner in which they read, not involving the active application of their faculties, but merely scanning for the information they want to pick.

With 300 million students on the education ladder, plus with their 600 million parents, ELTAI's India Reads initiative aims to transform the malaise of technology addiction to book reading, perhaps the only antidote available (Source: BilkulOnline.com)

It is an endeavor to promote reading as a recreational hobby for joy among students who find very limited time to engage in reading other than for academic purposes.

In a webinar organized last year, Dr. K Elango (Chief Executive Chair - the then National Secretary of ELTAI) outlined how the India Reads movement would be implemented at the institutional level through setting up of book clubs with books contributed by students; conducting group discussions about the books being read and also organizing meet-ups with authors, among other engagement worthy activities.

Teachers would play an active role in getting students introduced to nearly 25 reading strategies, besides facilitating discussions on the books being read. The objective is to cover the spectrum of Understand, Storage, Retrieval and Application.

Reading is indeed the mother of all skills. Unlike consuming entertainment, which is a passive activity, reading demands focus, cognitive involvement, and discipline with the outcome of enhancing your knowledge of the subject being read, fluency in speech and writing through vocabulary building and sub-conscious grammatical learning, and opening your mind to new dimensions of creativity and thoughts.

We have penned a blog on the importance of reading:

Read - 5 ways how reading improves your Spoken English communication skills

Reading for pleasure or joy can only be achieved if there is no pressure on actualizing an outcome from the reading activity, while reading for knowledge enhancement requires readers to be inherently curious. 

While the focus of the India Reads movement is largely on books, we at Glibzter believe that encouraging newspaper and magazine reading would also be beneficial from the viewpoint of heterogeneity of subjects covered and writing styles. Moreover, news is topical and also helps in conversations and critical thinking.

While personally, there is no greater pleasure than curling up with a book or newspaper in hand with umpteen cups of tea, focusing on physical books and newspapers alone may not work out for today's generation of learners who are digital natives. So, widening the scope to include e-books, e-magazines, online news articles and also reading subtitles of online videos can be considered.

Teachers can play a significant role in curating the content relevant to their students, be it in the form of news articles or videos. Students can then be engaged on the content curated after they have seen or read them, through questions, group discussions, debates etc.

Glibzter supports ELTAI's India Reads movement and believe that our product offering Glibzter Immersive can serve as a valuable digital aid for students to improve their communication skills in English through vocabulary building and application, as and when they stream videos with English subtitles or read online news articles.