Alphabet-owned Google has added the Arabic language to its Read Along app that helps children over the age of five to improve their reading skills with the help of an in-app reading buddy.
Arabic was the most requested language by users since the app’s global launch in May this year, the company said on Tuesday. Read Along now supports 10 languages – English, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Marathi.
“Our idea is to make reading fun while creating an experience that is safe for children. The app recognises [a child's] voice, interacts with them, corrects them and gives feedback wherever it’s required,” Nitin Kashyap, Google’s product marketing manager, told Dubai media in a virtual product briefing.
Almost 100 million children between the ages of five and 17 in the Middle East and North Africa have experienced school closures since the Covid-19 pandemic began and many are relying on alternate means of education, according to Unicef.
Read Along, which was launched in March last year in India before a global roll-out, works even when users are offline. It is free to use and does not contain advertisements to avoid distractions.
There is a library of nearly 700 short stories in different languages, which are available to all users. The Arabic language content will initially contain 40 stories. The average story length is between 275-300 words, but the longest contains more than 2,000 words.
“We had only 50 stories when we started … right now, we have 180 stories in English and nearly 150 in Hindi. We are going slow as it takes a lot of effort to ensure the right experience,” Mr Kashyap said.
“We have no fixed number but we want to add two-to-three new languages every year,” he added.
The stories currently available have been read more than 31 million times, with almost five million hours of cumulative reading being recorded on the app, Google said.
Besides reading, users can also play language-based games aimed at building vocabulary such as detecting jumbled words and recognising letters through sounds.
Google said users’ speech data is safe as it is processed on the device itself and discarded.
The app has had a positive impact on children’s reading abilities, the company said. After using it for 100 minutes, children who read at a speed of less than 45 correct words per minute saw an improvement of anywhere from 35 per cent to 85 per cent in their oral reading fluency.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
RACECARD
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (PA) $50,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
6.35pm: Festival City Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
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- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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6026 – Dh 200
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Brief scores:
Toss: India, opted to field
Australia 158-4 (17 ov)
Maxwell 46, Lynn 37; Kuldeep 2-24
India 169-7 (17 ov)
Dhawan 76, Karthik 30; Zampa 2-22
Result: Australia won by 4 runs by D/L method
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
