What began as an effort to learn English has sparked a bigger curiosity for M. Gowtham: how technology can make learning easier for children like him.

M. Gowtham, a Grade 7 student at PUMS Kozhipuliyur in Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu, is discovering that learning English can open doors to new interests and possibilities.

Gowtham has been working to improve his English through eVidyaloka’s Digital Classroom Program. Along the way, he has developed a keen interest in technology and how it can help students learn.

Three New Words a Day

When Gowtham began learning English, he struggled to read simple sentences and speak confidently. With guidance from his Volunteer Teacher, he started taking small, consistent steps to improve.

Today, he learns three new English words every day and shares them with his classmates, encouraging them to practise together. This daily habit helps him strengthen his own vocabulary while making learning a shared experience with his peers.

A Translation Tool Sparks His Curiosity

Gowtham’s interest in technology grew when his Volunteer Teacher introduced him to Google Translate.

Fascinated by its ability to translate text, speech and images, he wanted to understand what else the tool could do. He turned to YouTube to explore its features further and began sharing his discoveries with his classmates.

What started as a way to understand English soon sparked a bigger question: could technology help other students learn more easily too?

Thinking Beyond His Own Learning

Today, Gowtham feels more confident speaking English at school. He still encounters unfamiliar words and sentences, but he keeps trying and welcomes corrections as opportunities to improve.

His growing interest in Google Translate has also led him to think about how teachers could use technology in the classroom. He hopes tools like these could help Volunteer Teachers translate learning materials into regional languages, making lessons easier for students to understand.

For Gowtham, learning English has become more than an exercise in reading and speaking. It has opened up opportunities to explore technology, ask questions and imagine how he could help other students learn.

His journey is still unfolding, but his curiosity is already taking him beyond the classroom. As he builds his English skills and explores new tools, Gowtham is discovering how one learning experience can lead to another, creating possibilities for himself and the students around him.