Digital Literacy Promotion Of Indic Languages In Early Schooling And Technology Challenges

Abstract:

The paper presents the importance of using an Indian languages appropriate keyboard as a digital literacy promotion aid. This is to augment E-Learning and ICT initiatives at Indian schooling systems which implement three language formula for students in the age group of 6 to 16 years. The objective is to evaluate the appropriateness of digital tools and interfaces which empower Indian school educator and learner. The digital devices should facilitate to teach and test four language skills LSWR (Listening, Speaking, Writing, Reading) for mother tongue, state language and international language (English),without cross lingual interference. The paper presents a review of select keyboards and layouts used as language teaching interfaces in early schooling and technology challenges to be addressed for three language digital literacy.

Introduction: We start this deliberation with a set of open question: What would be the right kind of digital tools and language learning interfaces for use in early schooling, up to high school, to achieve three language digital literacy? [1] What norms are to be used for assessing the outcome of multilingual digital literacy? How best technology challenges can be resolved for achieving the learning outcomes set for language education by commissions and policy documents? What will be the impact of building Indian languages digital literacy futures [2] around romanized representation of Indian language characters and anglicized technology for programming- applications? How other nations have addressed the ICT of their non-English like National languages? what is the consequence and trends?

Digital Literacy:

Why and how it differs from 'classical literacy' model?

Digital literacy is a critical skill for professions in the coming decades. This skill needs to be groomed from early schooling stage. The education policies and pedagogy of 19th and 20th century education and employment focused on education to facilitate acquisition of classical model of literacy. Computers in class room and business world have changed this scenario. Literacy is defined in a multi-planar way. The base line refers to acquisition of basic language skills related to LSWR (listening, speaking, Writing, reading), in the early schooling years, acquired through the intervention of an instructor and formal language instruction programs. In late nineteenth century, UNESCO broadens [3] this base line to define functional literacy. This definition adds the following to the base line: 'the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. [4]. In a later enhancement, literacy, covers pedagogy to assess 'multiple language literacies'. Literacy stretches beyond class room to 'lifelong learning'.

Digital literacy is defined as individual's ability to find, assess, and compose clear information through writing and other mediums on various digital platforms. The classical skill of hand writing needs to be augmented with 'typing skills'. The assessment of digital literacy proficiency is based on ability to process, access, reproduce and manipulate, protect and move multi-lingual, multiple formats of information across non-linear web space, using technology, work with Photo-visuals data, Reprography of documents, skills to use digital devices and apps to access, create, edit, store and move digital data, undertake web search, careful about web-security and etiquette. The pedagogy of 21st century digital literacy needs to strengthen base line set by classical literacy with skills training for the above needs.

The advent of technologies in to the foray of education further modified the definition and scope of literacy. The UNESCO (2004) definition of literacy does not include [5] 'computer literacy, digital literacy'. When UNESCO, in 2019, observes September 8 as the 'International Literacy day',[6] with the theme ' literacy in a digital world', there is a session to examine main characteristics of ‘literacy and multilingualism’ in today’s globalized, digitalized world for improved policies and practice. This is a clear recognition of how technology is shaping language education futures. It is a recognition of the increasing use of digital devices for language data, communications and representation in digital devices.

Advancements in technology has always impacted class room techniques used by educators and student learning outcome. The old model of 'teacher-taught instruction model, 'below the tree' with 'face to face proximity' has changed to the 21st century model of online, collaborated smart class model. The class room has moved from slate and chalkboard, paper and pencil, to tablets and stylus, pointers and touch screens, smart-phones and smart walls. These advancement in technology has impacted the class room pedagogy for digital literacy. But techno-gadgetry advancement has not changed the goals set for literacy and/or multiple literacy. In the present state, digital literacy pedagogy needs to look forward and plan how to keep the language skills and standards in the future techno gadgets and ecosystem coming up as augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI) and Voice interfaces (VI). ICT pedagogy in Indian Schools differs from 'classical literacy' pedagogy. In India, schools received the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) since 2004. MHRD and language education commissions have laid out strategic plans for ICT at schools with main focus on STEM education. [7]

Digital Literacy promotion needs appropriate technology of hardware, software, apps and pedagogy designed content suitable for the language. For trilingual digital education, we would need these packages in a language wise customizable and upgradable way. The desirable goal is to avoid packages that precondition 'cross language interference and dependency' in digital literacy promotion. A survey and examination of the current ICT packages has been carried out for their suitability for trilingual digital literacy in early schooling. The report [8] of 2013 says clearly that QWERTY model keyboard interfaces are not suitable for text composition in other languages. The evaluation criterion used for these packages was effective delivery of skills to meet the base line expectation of classical literacy. Two main features that figure in this deliberation are (i) demand for a prerequisite of English digital literacy before non-english indian language literacy (ii) English Language - mixing with Indian native languages ( aka Romanization and Anglicization). State of art and Trends review for indic language digital Literacy

Keeping the above points in mind, the survey of state of art and trends in promoting ICT at early schooling pointed to the following:

• Wide spread use of desktop/ lap top/ tabs / smart phones which provide the following kind of indic language interfaces:
• QWERTY model hardware keyboard, industry standard, supplied along with the equipment. [9]
• The virtual layouts also come on a similar model. [10]
• Apps (and sometimes hardware ) which need to be installed separately to run indic language learning packages.
• Indic language characters overlay on roman alphabet character set and given hardware. [11] (Romanized mode of interface / Indic language character layout locked to the given key hardware keys layout ).
• Touch screens and virtual layouts which help to enter text in a given application limitation and context. [12]
• One keyboard has unique Brahmi language model organization of character set and accommodates the true brahmi phonetic typing. [13].
• The standards also have contributed to the promotion of Romanization of Indian languages. [14].

It is in this context, a new focus seems to have emerged to address the multilingual- pluri script challenges of Indian languages and voices in education. There are about 26 non-English like languages of India (with over 1600 language dialects and script variations) which need an appropriate ICT interface, not dependent and not having cross talk-noise with English.

Due to the low level of technology integration for local language digital literacy is low. This is a technology challenge in building native language based technology interface for early users who are not sufficiently exposed to English for better use of technology. The local languages/ mother tongue are learnt before beginning with English. There is a critical need to address the empowering tools for multilingual young learner and instructor at school to teach languages on their own merit without cross lingual noise.

Conclusion:

Through the deliberations in this paper, we have put forth the following. Multilingual digital literacy from early education is the necessity to save the languages of nations and national language. [15] This is a key focus area to preserve the linguistic demography of India and multilingual feature of India. [16]

• The need to have an Indian languages appropriate keyboard as a digital literacy promotion aid in early schooling for students undergoing three language formula in the age group of 6 to 16 years is highlighted.
• This is to augment E-Learning and ICT initiatives at Indian schooling systems.
• The evaluation criterion for success of ICT –Digital literacy is noted as the need to aim facilitation of acquiring four language skills LSWR (Listening, Speaking, Writing, Reading) for mother tongue, state language and international language (English),without cross lingual interference. Technology should not distort, dilute, kill languages.
• State of art practical keyboards deployed are reviewed for the goal of digital literacy empowering Indian school educator and learner.