Literacy for a billion with Bollywood songs Photo Gallery

What you hear is what you read!

With Same Language Subtitling (SLS), 200 million early literates get automatic and regular reading practice on TV in India.

Primary school in Andhra Pradesh

SLS complements reading and writing development taking place in schools.

India united by a passion for Bollywood

Songs are a valuable source for literacy. India produces nearly 1000 films or 6000 film songs per year in several languages.

SLS contributes to reading and entertainment

An experiment conducted in Ahmedabad: Several studies have now found that i) SLS accelerates reading improvement; ii) 90% viewers want it; and iii) SLS improves program ratings by 15%.

“We like to sing along!”

A woman in Gulbai Tekra slum, Ahmedabad, is being interviewed on New-Delhi TV about the impact of SLS.

Understanding impact of SLS

Brij Kothari discussing SLS in Gulbai Tekra slum, Ahmedabad. The idea struck him while watching Spanish films with English subtitles, during his Ph.D. at Cornell University.

Research on SLS

Hema Jadwani (a field researcher) interviewing a woman on the impact of SLS, in a village in Gujarat.

Deaf children like SLS

Viewing SLS in a school for deaf, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. SLS makes TV programming more accessible among deaf readers.

Reading is inescapable

Children viewing SLS in Dabok village, Rajasthan.

SLS contributes to all

Children and adults watching SLS in Ordi village, Rajasthan. SLS gives reading practice to the early literate, motivates the non-literate, gives print-exposure to pre-readers, and enhances entertainment for the literate.