Problem

India's 7+ Population, 66% Literacy (2001)

India's 7+ Population, 66% Literacy (2001)


Women: 70 % of early & non- literate


Hindi belt: 50% of early & non-literate

Solution

Same Language Subtitling




What you hear is what you read

Indian Film Industry

1000 films per year


5000 music-videos per year


Dominates content on TV


Passion across class/caste/age


No SLS : Eye-fixation on TV

With SLS : Eye-fixation on TV

Programs

Same Language Subtitling

Why? Reading becomes automatic, subconscious, in everyday entertainment.


Why songs? Hugely popular, repetition, anticipation and instant gratification, adds value for all.


Motivational value for non-literate.


Print-exposure with text-sound association for pre-reading children.


Scientific Studies

Eye-tracking research has shown that viewers naturally synchronize the auditory and textual information while watching a film song with SLS. When SLS is integrated into popular TV entertainment, reading happens automatically and subconsciously.


Cost effectiveness

Every US dollar spent on subtitling a nationally telecast program of Hindi film songs, gives 30 minutes of weekly reading practice to 10,000 people, for a whole year! This is the equivalent of one paisa per person per year in India. In specific states or languages, it would range from 5-20 paisa per person per year.


Useful Sites/Links

A "Book" for Every Child in Her Language ( www.bookbox.com )


BookBox is a social enterprise that innovated the concept of "AniBooks" or animated books to support emergent literacy and language skills. We overcome the distribution challenges of print by piping reading to children on digital and electronic media.