Help for Limited-English-Proficiency Student Now Available at NotePods.com

(Redondo Beach, CA, May 2007) InterLingua Educational Publishing announced the introduction of its NotePods study aids for limited-English-proficiency (LEP) high school and college students. NotePods are detailed audio and text summaries of books and plays by Shakespeare, Dickens, Austen and other required authors that can be played on a student’s iPod, MP3 player or computer.

“NotePods are effective tools for students with limited English language proficiency since the students’ listening and conversation skills develop before their reading and writing skills. This study material will help LEP students to improve their pronunciation and listening skills,” says Jack Bernstein, President of InterLingua Educational Publishing. “When students listen to the NotePod summary of, say, Romeo & Juliet, they learn to identify the characters and recognize the details of the storyline before reading the play, making it easier for them to understand the written text.”

NotePods are valuable study aids for LEP students whether in high school or college. An exhaustive online survey of required reading found almost 500 titles that are commonly assigned at the high school and college levels. The titles were ranked in order of popularity and InterLingua, literally, started at the top and worked its way down the list, so the most popular titles, such as Macbeth and The Catcher in the Rye were completed first. By the end of 2007, InterLingua expects to have about 125 audio summaries available, with a goal of completing 300 titles by the end of 2008.

“The NotePods are being written by university teachers and recorded by professional actors,” says Bernstein, “so they are accurate, comprehensive, and easy to listen to. By formatting the summaries for iPod’s and MP3 players, students can study while riding on the bus, jogging, biking, lounging, or even walking the dog.”

In addition to the audio summaries, students can download text versions of the summaries which can be read on their computers or iPods, and they can also download the full text version of many, but not all, of the books and plays, all for only $1.99 each.

InterLingua Educational Publishing, a Southern California-based company founded in 1992, has been aggressively expanding its offerings to the bilingual K-12 and higher education markets. Its portfolio of products now includes: the TADELL line of K-8 bilingual math assessment and development workbooks; bilingual math glossaries / posters / flash cards; bilingual GED prep materials; and now, the latest new product introduction, NotePods.

***