Apps for learning Chinese writing popular with local Hong Kong and expatriate kids
App tested on Chinese and English-speaking children
When digital marketing specialists Venus Lee Lan-kiu and Royce Lee Yat-pui created their Chinese-language learning app last year, their first thought was to test the beta version on a focus group made up of local Chinese children.
But a chance encounter with an English-speaking boy showed them their digital learning tool had far greater potential than they realised.
The boy had been taking part in a session for another product, but the partners decided to also show him their new app, My Chinese Copybook: Elementary Class.
"Without much instruction, the child began to write, and was able to pick up four to five Chinese characters in a short time. His mum [an expatriate] thought it was really amazing," recalls Venus.
That was when the two Lees (no relation) realised that their app could benefit expatriates who want to pick up the language as well as Chinese learners. Before long, they had incorporated English instructions in the app.
The pair set up education apps developer Aedify in 2011, after their digital marketing firm was bought by another company. The partners decided the challenge lay in education.