Texthelp Launches Bilingual Read&Write for Google for French and English
Texthelp, a provider of language and literacy support software, has released a French version of Read&Write for Google. Read&Write for Google, introduced in May 2013, is used by more than 1.7 million students, teachers, and individuals and works seamlessly with Google Apps for Education (GAFE).
Read&Write for Google is a Chrome extension that makes the Web and files in Google Drive more accessible. With it, users can hear on-screen text read aloud to improve reading comprehension; understand unfamiliar words with text and picture dictionaries, develop writing skills with word prediction, check spelling mistakes with proofreading tools, and research assignments with study skills tools. All tools offer full bilingual support for French and English.
"The GAFE market in Canada is huge and growing. It's great that our current Canadian school districts love our Read&Write for Google software and have been asking us for a localized French language product. So we're thrilled to offer this version for their students learning French as a second language or for those enrolled in French immersion programs," said Mark McCusker, CEO of Texthelp, in a statement. "It is our goal at Texthelp to encourage avid readers and fluent writers, and this is another step forward by supporting bilingual French/English students. We recognize the growing ELL student population, with nearly one in every 10 public school students classified as English language learners, and we plan to add additional languages in the future to accommodate this increasing demand."
"Texthelp's Read&Write for Google has already proven to be a very powerful tool in supporting reading and writing in English for our 60,000 students and has leveled the playing field for all learners, especially our struggling students," said Judy Sackville, itinerant resource teacher at the Halton District School Board in Canada, in a statement. "The French version of Read&Write for Google will open doors for our students and staff in Halton DSB. With about 30 percent of our schools being French immersion, this will further foster motivation, engagement, and independence of both students and teachers. With Texthelp's easily deployable Chrome extension, with all the tools right there in our GAFE environment, it is revolutionizing education.".