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Commercial director Dr. Svetlana de Souza. Photo: © Guenther Iby
Founder Daniel Gorin. Photo: © Boris Gorin
I N F O R M AT I O N A N D C O M M U N I C AT I O N T E C H N O L O G Y E X P E R T
Because words mean the world Learning English has never been as enjoyable and effective as with the apps designed by Alphary. Using state-of-the-art technology and the renowned suite of Oxford learner dictionaries, FeeBu – Alphary’s Feedback Butterfly – offers a ‘gamified’ learning experience that features personalised feedback. TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE
Great things often have small beginnings. That is certainly true for Alphary. In a sleepy town near Basel, a chance encounter of Alphary’s founder Daniel Gorin and a young English teacher named Alex marked the beginning of the company’s successful journey. “One day, I asked Alex to test the phase6 flashcard and vocabulary memorisation software I had invented as a student,” CEO Gorin remembers.“My hopes of a lucrative deal with his private school were crushed, however, when Alex told me straight to my face why he wouldn’t use phase6 in his classroom.“ “He said: ‘Daniel, your software may be appropriately designed to help beginners memorise the meaning and translation of words on a flashcard, but my students already know English, they are on an inter122 | Issue 48 | March 2017
mediate level.’ So the vision of creating the world’s first intelligent, digital and adaptive English vocabulary-building tool was born.” Gorin’s vision manifested itself in the creation of Alphary, a company dedicated to creating innovative English learning solutions that help learners and teachers alike. Alphary’s approach of combining cutting-edge natural language processing technology with the latest research into language learning immediately attracted attention from the professional language and teaching communities. Alphary avoids unconstructive ‘right or wrong’ feedback. Instead, the specifically developed feedback engine, FeeBu, gives intelligent, personalised feedback so users can learn from mistakes. The game elements, including rewards and hints, attract
the younger demographic and motivates them. Commercial director Dr. Svetlana de Souza explains: “The FeeBu app is particularly well-suited for students studying English as part of a course, as well as teachers. Learning words and phrases – the building blocks of language – is most effective when it is ‘blended’ with other activities inside or outside the classroom.” The company’s partnerships with leading educational organisations such as Cambridge University Press, National Geographic Learning and Langenscheidt bear testimony to its great achievements. Last year, the Oxford English Vocabulary Trainer app, developed by Alphary in collaboration with Oxford University Press, was awarded Silver in the category ‘Excellence in Design of Content – non-profit or public sector’ of the prestigious British Learning Technology Awards. Learning a new language is a beautiful journey and Alphary apps are the ideal travel companion. www.alphary.net