Expat in China designs phone app for easy language pickup

After observing how so many people fiddle with their cellphones in China, Seso Nikolov, a Bulgarian man from Xiamen, Fujian province, came up with the idea of an application that will assist leaners of foreign languages.

The 27-year-old, who works as a salesman for a local lighting company and also as a part-time English teacher, came to China in 2012 to study international business at Xiamen University.

"I saw 90 percent of the people on a bus doing something on their phones. They were reading a book, using WeChat, which is Chinese-made phone messaging app, or playing games," Nikolov said.

According to him, on an average, a person spends about 30 minutes a day "taking out" the phone from either a bag or pocket, indicative of the obcessive nature of cellphone ownership in China.

But to him, the time would be better utilized by learning a foreign language. So Volock, whose cellphone app that's integrates as a screen locker, was born as an idea in July.

As an English language trainer, he is fascinated by the vastness of China's language education industry and the amount of money that's being spent. At present, the Chinese reportedly make up the world's largest group of English learners.

Nikolov, however, thinks that rote learning should not be encouraged when learners fail to remember words in foreign languages.

"I'm trying to figure out an easier and efficient way to memorize new words and that's why the app focuses on learning vocabulary," he said.

Users can create a list of words they want to learn and download them in Volock with their meanings. Different words can be placed in different decks. Once a deck is chosen, the words will switch and be used as a password when users want to access the phone.

The process will urge users to remember the words in order to unlock their phones, he said.

"If the user fails to type the word and has to use the phone urgently, there will be a skip button to flip the flashcard and show the meaning of the word, before proceeding," Nikolov said, adding that the flashcard feature of the app is thanks to his own learning experiences.

Ever since he came to Xiamen, Nikolov has been studying Chinese.

One of his most efficient ways of remembering vocabularies has been to write down words on one side of a sticky paper and their meanings on the other side. He first tries to say the meanings when seeing the words on the paper on the wall. If he forgets, he lifts the paper and finds the meaning.

"So the app combines digital flash cards with the screen lock function," he said.

Two months ago, he shared his app idea with his friends. Their positive feedback boosted his confidence and prompted him to translate it into reality.

Although he is app-savvy (uses a cellphone app to know how long a bus will be before it arives at the stop where he's waiting), he had no prior knowledge of designing apps. "I make a sketch in my head but I didn't know anything about programming," Nikolov said.

Nikolov knew a freelance programmer from Finland, a friend of a friend, who agreed to help him. They officially began the project about a month and a half ago.

Thinking from a user's perspective, Nikolov has tried to enhance the element of fun on the app. The unlocking of achievements also results in users scoring points and competing with each other.

Until now, Nikolov has invested about 15,000 yuan ($2443) in the project, with most of it going into programming. The app is a "minimal viable product", meaning it has the highest return on investment, and he expects to launch it next month, he said.

At first the app will be created for the Android platform. With the launch of the app there will be a crowd funding campaign on www.dreamore.com, a Chinese website, to gather resources and generate user interest for an iOS version, he added.

The app will have a free version with limited functions, but for more functions, users must pay. Nikolov also plans to keep updating the app with trends and open Wechat stores for easy user access.

"I'm not sure if the app will catch on, but hopefully it could be a fun way to use cellphones and learn languages."

Contact the writer at sunli@chinadaily.com.cn