Why Language is the Next Big Frontier in eLearning

Television and film are some of the most important communication mediums developed in the last 100 years. They inform local cultures and define how we view the world around us. They also open a window to different parts of the world that can be experienced by anyone, anywhere. But with all these benefits, why haven’t they been used more proactively for learning languages?

There’s at least one company is now taking advantage of the opportunity. Lingopie has become the first company to connect the intrigue of language learning with cultural film and TV. The company believes learners can overcome communication barriers when the process is easy and designed around their existing interests.

There are sure to be more companies following Lingopie’s lead. Here are three more tell-tale signs innovation in this space is just getting started. 

When you ask many people worldwide how they learned English, many will say from their experience with American TV shows and movies. And now, even more English learners are using television programming to learn other languages as well.  It’s the power of this unique communication channel that allows people to understand and relate to a different culture.

Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) technology has allowed us to view content from around the world and we can now watch as much or as little of it as we want – on our own schedules. By the year 2025, global SVOD subscriptions are expected to surpass 1.1 billion. And with the Covid-19 pandemic requiring many students to migrate to online learning, SVOD technology is already being used for more than entertainment as we head into 2021. The opportunities to use this technology for teaching students is unprecedented and we are only at the beginning of this curve.

Recent data from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) shows that U.S. employers are losing business opportunities because they can’t find employees who can communicate in languages other than English. More than 84% of businesses polled listed Spanish as the most in-demand language for English language speakers to learn. As globalization continues to widen our access to other cultures, speaking different languages may be the final barrier to exchanging ideas and information.