Breaking Language Barriers in the Classroom: How Pocketalk is empowering Teachers and Students Across Europe

The Growing Language Challenge in Schools

In today’s globalised world, classrooms are more diverse than ever. In the UK and Germany, many schools are seeing an increase in students whose first language is not the local one. With migration, international business, and multicultural communities growing rapidly, language barriers in schools have become an even greater challenge.

This year, Pocketalk started the School Partnership Programme aimed at helping teachers communicate better with their pupils, ensuring that barriers are broken and that no student is left behind due to a language gap. Importantly, it also helps the school communicate with parents or guardians who don’t speak the local language. Our school partnership programme provided translation devices to teachers, empowering them to create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment.

Success Stories: How Pocketalk Transformed Classrooms

Over the course of this partnership, we’ve seen countless success stories that highlight the impact of bridging the language divide. Teachers, who once struggled to communicate with students from diverse linguistic backgrounds, now have a real-time translation tool to facilitate smooth communication.

For example, in a primary school in Upper Batley, UK,  a student and teacher were both close to tears as they were finally able to communicate with each other through Pocketalk.

Schools that prioritise inclusion are the most interested in the programme, Greetland Academy in Calderdale made breaking barriers a priority thanks to the support of Pocketalk.

Why Translation Devices Are Essential Today

In the past, language barriers in education could mean delays in learning, miscommunication, or even social isolation for students who struggled to understand their teachers. But in 2024, with tools like Pocketalk, we have the opportunity to break down those barriers and create a classroom environment where every student feels understood and included

The importance of translation devices has never been more critical. Over 1.7% million students in the UK and Germany speak a language other than the national language at home. This number is expected to grow as migration, international relocations, and cross-border business become even more common.

Pocketalk enables real-time translation between over 84 languages, making it easier for teachers to communicate with students, whether they’re explaining complex subjects or offering emotional support. It also allows for conversations outside of the classroom and dialogue with parents; the individual support and understanding of the student’s personal situation cannot be underestimated.

Looking Ahead: As language needs become more prominent, our programme is moving on to France

As globalisation and migration continue to shape the future, the need for effective communication in schools will only increase. Students from diverse linguistic backgrounds bring unique perspectives and talents to the classroom, but ensuring they receive the same level of education as their peers, whilst not having a negative effect on their peers’ learning, is a growing challenge.

Pocketalk’s school partnership programme has shown that with the right tools, this challenge can be met head-on. Translation devices like Pocketalk will play a key role in the future of education, ensuring that language diversity becomes an asset rather than a barrier.

We believe that the success we’ve seen in schools across the UK and Germany is just the beginning, for this reason that we’ve decided to expand the programme and launch in France.

Launching on 12th November in France, schools will have the opportunity to take part in the programme simply by telling us how they would benefit from a translation device like Pocketalk. In return we will provide the 5 winners with 10 Pocketalk devices for them to use, to experience first hand the positive impact Pocketalk can have on their institution from day one. SIGN UP HERE

Bridging Gaps, Building Futures

At Pocketalk, we’re incredibly proud of the success of our school partnership programme. We’ve witnessed first-hand how breaking language barriers can open doors to better learning experiences, stronger relationships, and greater academic success.

As the world continues to change, the need for real-time translation in schools will only become more urgent. We’re excited to continue our mission of helping teachers and students break communication barriers and create classrooms where every student, regardless of their language, can succeed.

As classrooms continue to diversify, we are committed to supporting teachers and students around the world with the tools they need to communicate, learn, integrate and thrive.

If you’re a teacher, teaching assistant or school administrator who wants to take part in the French School Partnership Programme, simply sign up here. or contact us to explore partnership opportunities or request a trial  of our translation device.