By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
TechgoonduTechgoonduTechgoondu
  • Audio-visual
  • Enterprise
    • Software
    • Cybersecurity
  • Gaming
  • Imaging
  • Internet
  • Media
  • Mobile
    • Cellphones
    • Tablets
  • PC
  • Telecom
Search
© 2023 Goondu Media Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Sharpen your Mandarin skills with Android app
Share
Font ResizerAa
TechgoonduTechgoondu
Font ResizerAa
  • Audio-visual
  • Enterprise
  • Gaming
  • Imaging
  • Internet
  • Media
  • Mobile
  • PC
  • Telecom
Search
  • Audio-visual
  • Enterprise
    • Software
    • Cybersecurity
  • Gaming
  • Imaging
  • Internet
  • Media
  • Mobile
    • Cellphones
    • Tablets
  • PC
  • Telecom
Follow US
© 2023 Goondu Media Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Techgoondu > Blog > Mobile > Cellphones > Sharpen your Mandarin skills with Android app
CellphonesInternetMobileSoftwareTablets

Sharpen your Mandarin skills with Android app

Aaron Tan
Last updated: June 13, 2014 at 5:05 PM
Aaron Tan
Published: August 5, 2012
3 Min Read

A Singapore-based company has launched a new Android app that helps students and adults learn Mandarin on the go.

Dubbed iQ-Hub, the app delivers Mandarin lessons based on a proprietary speech recognition technology that assesses your pronunciation through built-in analytics. Learners are offered immediate feedback on their speech accuracy, while parents and teachers can track a student’s progress in each lesson.

iQ-Hub’s client relationship manager Sabine Tjia said the app will address the limitations of rote learning and provides self-learners an easy way to practice spoken Mandarin. Besides tuition centres and new residents, the company is targeting airlines and the service industry, where frontline staff may be required to learn Mandarin to converse with the growing number of Chinese tourists in Singapore.

The app comes with S$0.99 lesson packages aligned with the Singapore Ministry of Education’s primary school Chinese curriculum. It also includes English lessons for kids, as well as adult packages for learning English and Chinese. The lessons cover all required vocabulary and grammar structures.

Honing spoken language skills may be the key draw of iQ-Hub, but that alone is not enough to master a language. The app also tests your listening skills by requiring you to listen to dialogue and repeat the same dialogue on your own. More advanced lessons will even require learners to fill in missing words in a sentence written in romanised Mandarin or hanyu pinyin.

While most speech recognition applications make use of waveform matching, iQ-Hub uses Advanced Speech Recognition (ASR) technology developed by Qooco, iQ-Hub’s parent company in Beijing. ASR compiles speech patterns from thousands of people into a database and uses a mathematical model to assess the accuracy of a user’s pronunciation.

iQ-Hub claims that this approach can overcome the limitations of waveform-based speech recognition, where unrelated sounds can appear to produce similar waveforms. Even if the waveforms vary, a student’s pronunciations may still be correct.

Now, if ASR can improve the performance of existing voice recognition applications such as Apple’s Siri, which has difficulty understanding different accents, iQ-Hub may have just found a new revenue stream beyond its own learning app.

The app is now available from iQ-Hub’s website and on Samsung mobile devices. It requires an Internet connection to work, as most of the heavy-lifting is done on iQ-Hub’s servers on the cloud.

According to Tjia, plans are underway to launch the app in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, with support for other native languages.

Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro review: Speedy mobile Wi-Fi – at a cost
See your Facebook pals on your Sony Ericsson
With 1,000 jobs cut at Grab, another reality check for on-demand services
HTC Flyer priced at a “promotional” S$899 in Singapore
Easily transcribe a speech with updated Google Translate app

Sign up for the TG newsletter

Never miss anything again. Get the latest news and analysis in your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn Copy Link Print
Previous Article First tap-and-pay services emerge in Singapore, but issues remain
Next Article Goondu review: S$488 Sony Xperia go is a great mid-end phone
Leave a Comment

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Stay Connected

FacebookLike
XFollow

Latest News

Thermomix TM7: A German kitchen helper that cooks Singapore chilli crab
Internet
July 11, 2025
Grab goes driverless with electric shuttle trial for employees in Singapore
Enterprise
July 10, 2025
Samsung slims down Galaxy Z Fold 7, packs in 200MP camera in major upgrade
Cellphones Mobile
July 9, 2025
Singapore expands AI assurance pilot to test AI agents, detect prompt injections
Enterprise Software
July 7, 2025

Techgoondu.com is published by Goondu Media Pte Ltd, a company registered and based in Singapore.

.

Started in June 2008 by technology journalists and ex-journalists in Singapore who share a common love for all things geeky and digital, the site now includes segments on personal computing, enterprise IT and Internet culture.

banner banner
Everyday DIY
PC needs fixing? Get your hands on with the latest tech tips
READ ON
banner banner
Leaders Q&A
What tomorrow looks like to those at the leading edge today
FIND OUT
banner banner
Advertise with us
Discover unique access and impact with TG custom content
SHOW ME

 

 

POWERED BY READYSPACE
The Techgoondu website is powered by and managed by Readyspace Web Hosting.

TechgoonduTechgoondu
© 2024 Goondu Media Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Terms of Use | Advertise | About Us | Contact
Follow Us!
Never miss anything again. Get the latest news and analysis in your inbox.

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.
 

Loading Comments...
 

    Welcome Back!

    Sign in to your account

    Username or Email Address
    Password

    Lost your password?