UNESCO expands multilingual learning through LearnBig
Backed by major partners, UNESCO’s LearnBig helps children study in their mother tongues, reducing linguistic barriers and promoting inclusive education.
The LearnBig digital application is expanding access to learning, with UNESCO supporting educational materials in national and local languages instead of relying solely on dominant teaching languages.
A project that aligns with International Mother Language Day and reflects long-standing research showing that children learn more effectively when taught in languages they understand from an early age.
The programme supports communities along the Thailand–Myanmar border, where children gain literacy and numeracy skills in both Thai and their mother tongues.
Young learners can make more substantial academic progress with this approach, which allows them to remain connected to their cultural identity rather than being pushed into unfamiliar linguistic environments. More than 2,000 digital books are available in languages such as Karen, Myanmar, and Pattani Malay.
LearnBig was developed within the ‘Mobile Literacy for Out-of-School Children’ programme, backed by partners including Microsoft, True Corporation, POSCO 1% Foundation and the Ministry of Education of Thailand.
An initiative by UNESCO that has reached more than 526,000 learners, with young people in Yala using tablets to access digital books, while learners in Mae Hong Son study through content presented in their local languages.
The project illustrates the potential of digital innovation to bridge linguistic, social, and geographic divides.
By supporting children who often fall outside formal education systems, LearnBig demonstrates how technology can help build a more inclusive and equitable learning environment rather than reinforcing existing barriers.
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