MetaLingual , DifferenceMakers
MetaLingual will help people learn a new language via a virtual reality platform.
2022 Fan Favorite
The MetaLingual team consists of five UMass Lowell students, Aiman Baig, a freshman in computer science, Haris Waqar, a freshman in computer engineering, Zuhair Shaikh, a junior in computer science, Samiel Lugo, a junior in electrical engineering, Nihal Chaudhary, sophomore in language studies, and Isa Ahmed, senior business major. They realized how problematic language barriers can be, especially now where international business is very common and important. The team also researched the difficulties of learning a new language, even if someone wishes to do so for their own desire. MetaLingual is a solution that is composed of a virtual reality platform where people can learn different languages with a more hands-on approach. The idea is that people will be able to travel to different places in the world through virtual reality so that they are fully immersed when conducting their learning.
The team saw this as a great opportunity which would help people learn a new language and expand their knowledge about different countries and cultures by being able to interact in those simulated areas. The program will have an AI function where people can choose to speak to an AI that adapts to their level of fluency. This team was voted as the Fan Favorite for the 2022 DifferenceMaker $50k Idea Challenge. With this $1,000 in funding, they will progress the development of their work to create immersive experiences and conduct trial runs.