Coinciding With European Day Of Languages, Eazyspeak Ltd Names Ernst Klett Sprachen Doki® Distributor: A Revolutionary Flash-Based Language Training Software
BRIGHTON, UK and STUTTGART, GERMANY (ots)
Eazyspeak Ltd. and Ernst Klett Sprachen announce the launch of PONS Englisch voll easy! and PONS Spanisch voll easy! in Germany, Switzerland and Austria - the first products based around unique language learning platform.
Eazyspeak Ltd. has entered into a co-branded distribution agreement with Ernst Klett Sprachen GmbH ("Klett") of Stuttgart Germany for localisation, marketing and sale of Doki®, a cutting edge Flash-based language training software. Eazyspeak Ltd. currently distributes beginner and pre-intermediate Doki® English and Doki® Spanish courses. Under the terms of the co-branded marketing and sales agreement, Klett will manage physical distribution of Doki® under its well-known PONS label with four localized products: "PONS Englisch voll easy!" (levels 1 and, 2) and "PONS Spanisch voll easy!" (levels 1 and 2). Rollout is managed by Pons' networks of finer bookstores across Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland as well as online at www.pons.de. Value priced at EURO 18 (sFR 31.10), each PONS voll easy! product comes with a users' manual, a word list and a CD-ROM.
The initial Doki® product was created by the UK-based interactive publishers Eazyspeak Ltd. together with development partner Worth Media Ltd and leading academics at the University of Brighton (UK), Doki® is a fun compelling and immersive game-like learning platform aimed at both institutional and home learning user groups. Suitable for anyone over the age of 4, the main target audience for the Doki® - PONS co-branded products are young adults. Doki® is completely monolingual and modular software and is built with scenarios grouped by real life communication challenges found in the real world (such as introducing yourself, going to the supermarket, checking into a hotel). To help the target market the help screens and user manuals were localized into German.
According to Vivienne Ladommatou, Managing Director Eazyspeak Ltd, "Today is European Language Day, dedicated to lifelong language learning, we are proud to be one of the forces promoting Europe's rich linguistic and cultural diversity through such learning." Ladommatou continued, "Doki® dovetails well with PONS' product line and "Voll Easy" means totally easy which sums up Doki®. We are confident the target market will warm to Doki®. With no grammar or rules to learn, there's no set course and this is very empowering as users decide when and where they want to learn. Doki® familiarises you with a language and provides the basics for everyday conversations. Designed like a game, it is fun and compelling, the premise being the longer you stay and play, the more you learn."
Elisabeth Webster, Editorial Director of PONS Self-Study states: "What most of us want when we approach a foreign language is quick results without having to work too hard. This product takes the sweat out of learning by increasing both the fun and the intuitive factors. After working with PONS Voll Easy the basics of communication will be instilled and the learner will have noticed that - even as an adult - language learning can come easily!"
Doki® compliments a taught environment with a pathway set by a teacher or can be used as a self-study tool, where users decide what they want to learn by choosing places to explore, becoming fully engaged with the animation and interactivity found in each venue. This unique approach empowers and even entertains users who then quickly begin to assimilate the sound, recognize the vocabulary and understand the structure of a new language, without recourse to lengthy grammar explanations or exercises.
How Doki® works
Doki® is modular and is built with scenarios grouped by real life functions such as introducing yourself, going to the supermarket, checking into a hotel. Doki® is completely monolingual, teaching exclusively in the target language, providing the same communication challenges found in the real world. The tailor-made Doki® software is a easily installed from the Voll Easy! CD-ROM, or over the Internet. In a couple of clicks the console, or player, appears on a screen housed with functionality, buttons and icons that are easily understood. The Doki® Internet site contains a language matching and pen pal service, plus other community activities for Doki® learners worldwide to communicate with each other and interface with others learning to speak their target language.
About Doki®
Doki® is an interactive scenario-based learning platform suitable for any type of learning application. Privately held Eazyspeak Ltd was founded in 1999 by three partners with backgrounds in publishing, television and new media with a common goal to significantly improve learning products and techniques. The Doki® platform was created through the combination of the e-learning expertise of Worth Media, a UK-based new media agency, venture capital and two year's research & development. Spanish and English language training as as an online language learning community are the first® learning programmes to be launched. Available online and from selected outlets, the online and offline Doki® experience is the same and delivers learning for everyone. French, German, Greek, US English, World Spanish, and Mac-supported versions will be added to the Doki® portfolio by 2003. Doki® is dedicated to making lifetime learning accessible for everyone. www.doki.tv
About PONS - Dictionaries and Self Learning Products Europe speaks PONS! PONS has meant competence in language learning since 1978. With 350 titles in some 20 languages PONS has an array of small to extra large dictionaries ranging, self-instruction methods and software for schools, office, work and travel. PONS is easy to use: its modern and up-to-date vocabulary, and an easy to use format means users find what they are looking for quickly and efficiently. In addition to the dictionaries, PONS has a selection of business software; self-learning packages and e-dictionaries. Further information and a free Language Service are on line at www.pons.de
Come see Doki® at the Frankfurt Book Fair October 9 - 14, 2002, Hall 4.0 J1122 "The Future of Learning" or visit Doki® online at: www.doki.tv to download a copy of the Press kit.
PONS Englisch voll easy! 1: ISBN: 3-12-560558-X PONS Englisch voll easy! 2 : ISBN: 3-12-560559-8
PONS Spanisch voll easy! 1: ISBN: 3-12-560560-1 PONS Spanisch voll easy! 2: ISBN: 3-12-560561-X
Contact:
Eazyspeak Ltd.
Robert-Charles Kahn
Director Corporate Communication
Phone +44/8708-408-048
Fax +44/7092-311-054
mailto:robert@doki.tv
PONS
Frau Stefanie Saam
Presse- und Oeffentlichkeitsarbeit
Phone +49-711-6672-15-35
Fax +49-711-6672-20-10
mailto:s.saam@klett-mail.de