Contramind believes that English animation and gamification are the future of English education.One of the 6,500 languages that are spoken today is English, it is the language of diplomacy and trade in over 118 nations. Over 1.5 billion people regularly learn and use English, and that number is growing, despite the fact that English is only the official language of 53 countries.
Over 59% of the internet’s 1.9 billion websites were in English in 2021—that’s more than a billion websites in English. Over 4.5 billion people worldwide would use social media in 2022. This indicates that an annual increase of at least 2 billion individuals using English on social media accounts.
The study of English has increased dramatically and it has become the preferred medium of study in most countries in the world for a successful career. In a study published by the British Council in 2021, of the 157,278 English programmes in the world (degrees and other courses), almost 28,000 or close to 20% were taught outside the ‘big four’ (North America, UK, Australia, and New Zealand), which account for the largest number of English teaching courses in the world.
And the growth of this 20% was enormous, with countries like China, India, the Middle East, and Africa growing at rates beyond 70% a year from the addition of more English courses. According to Shoaib Ahmed, the CEO of Catalystor Skill Development and a former President of Tally, the billion-dollar accounting product company, “English is the keystone to building any connection to the international community.
It is the bridge that enables success for businesses and careers through effective communication. Although your core competencies or offerings are a major ingredient for an international audience, how well you articulate this through effective English communication is the final decider on the levels of success you achieve”
But while all agree that learning English is a mandatory skill today, the importance of using English effectively to communicate and move forward is even more important. One major point in today’s world is how “effective” learning English in non-English-speaking countries which have the fastest growth in English learning, is. One major problem is that when English is taught in different subjects (say, economics), the focus is on the subject and not on the English, as long as it is passable.
From what we have seen worldwide, students have performed extremely well in different subjects that are taught in English but have poor English communication and grammar skills. This has been the case even in professional subjects like medicine, engineering, and the sciences. The inability of students to communicate effectively, in spite of having done well academically and professionally, is a major deterrent to their careers.
Dr. Joseph Rasquinha, an economist from St. Andrews University, Scotland, who advises academic institutions on strategy, says, “Articulation is a twin to ability. Short of being a total genius whose work is so overwhelming that it wipes away all considerations, the majority of people have to rely on how well they are able to communicate their opinions, abilities, and skill sets to make an impression. A better command of the English language gives you a major advantage over someone who is not so articulate, even when their work or offerings are slightly superior to yours. “
A significant development since the COVID pandemic is online learning, which has grown exponentially. However, due to the overexposure to online learning in 2020, the enthusiasm for online learning has reduced in comparison to human interactive sessions. But for English, this is not a good development as students learn English locally and not through native speakers.
Here, animation and gamification with contributions from native speakers have provided an excellent learning medium and a mode of learning that is interesting and very effective. An academic study from Brazil comparing animation and gamification learning vs. non-animation and gamification learning found major advantages in animation and gamification through better performance, better understanding, better results, and most importantly- more sustained interest in learning.
Contramind works with companies that provide English animation and gamification products, mostly from Scotland, the UK, and North America. Some of our companies even offer international certifications from the prestigious “City & Guilds” of London. As these are English Animation & Gamification modules by native English speakers, the learning content and the effective communication skills enable significant improvement in English skills and communication.
The Animation & Gamification modules have a range of learning from A1 (beginner) to B1-B2 (what is required for university entrance). These Animation & Gamification products are for Contramind’s B2B markets in South Asia, the Middle East, the Far East, and Africa and have been well received as an additional learning system to enhance present systems. They provide effective results for better careers.
