Inclusion

The instruction should not be the hard part

YAKKI teaches English to children who do not have English at home. Instructions and hints can appear in the child’s own language, while the learning material stays in English.

When the screen is English only

A beginner who does not understand “Choose the correct form of the verb” is stuck on the screen, not on the English. A child who hears Hebrew, Arabic, Russian or Amharic at home is the first one such a screen leaves out.

The same goes for dyslexia: if typing the answer is the hard part, the grammar is not what failed.

The child’s language

Available Now

Ten interface languages

The app interface is translated into English, Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, Amharic, Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, Polish and Ukrainian. Hebrew and Arabic run right to left. Ask us which of them are open for your family.

Chosen by an adult

The interface language is set by an adult: the one who leads the child’s lessons, or the parent. The child does not switch it. Every game follows that choice.

English stays English

Instructions, navigation and hints are translated. The texts, words and tasks the child learns from stay in English.

If a translation is missing

The screen shows the English label, and the lesson carries on.

Dyslexia mode

In Development

The dyslexia mode will be free. The adaptations are already in the app, but you cannot switch them on for a particular child yet; that part is in development. They will be switched on by the same adult who sets the language; the child does not switch them. Their design is informed by published dyslexia-friendly guidance.

Easier reading

A larger font, wider letter and line spacing, calmer contrast, less clutter around the text.

Voice instead of keyboard

Where a game asks the child to type, the child can say the answer aloud.

Text read aloud

The text is read aloud, and the highlight follows the voice.

More time

In timed games, the child gets one and a half times as long.

These are accessibility features, not a clinically validated method. If you are a special-education specialist or a speech therapist and would like to look at them, write to us.

A question about language or dyslexia?

Write to us — we answer personally.