Since 2015, every SolarSPELL library has included a Voice of America Let’s Learn English module. This video-based course has become one of the most popular, widely-used and most requested resources in our libraries around the world.
Because of this positive response over the years, Voice of America and the ASU SolarSPELL Initiative signed a partnership agreement, signaling our commitment to work together to continue bringing this valuable content to offline communities around the world.
Miftah, a SolarSPELL champion in Comoros, uses Let’s Learn English with his English Club each week.
SolarSPELL co-founder and co-director Laura Hosman meets with Hai Do, chief of VOA’s Learning English.
How it began
Shortly after developing the SolarSPELL offline digital library, co-founder and co-director Laura Hosman was introduced to Hai Do, chief of the Learning English branch of Voice of America (VOA). VOA had recently launched a new English language learning series called “Let’s Learn English,” which was designed by certified American English teachers for beginners and would debut a new video lesson every week for 52 weeks.
When Do learned about SolarSPELL, he recognized the value of being able to reach the world’s population that remains offline — about four billion people — with VOA’s new series. For her part, Hosman also recognized the value of being able to provide such high-quality English language learning content to SolarSPELL library users.
Let’s Learn English series
Each Let’s Learn English lesson features a video telling the story of Anna, a co-creator who’s recently moved to Washington, D.C., as well as supplemental instruction videos, worksheets, assignments and lesson plans.
VOA has since launched two additional series: Let’s Learn English Level 2 and Let’s Teach English, which features SolarSPELL in Episode 4! Each of these series has been added to the SolarSPELL libraries.
