Elias Majic is a man who is interested in seeking sensible solutions to difficult problems.
Majic, 30, is a second-year master’s student in Carleton’s technology innovation management (TIM) program, offered by the department of systems and computer engineering. As part of TIM, he started Ottercall, a language learning software program.
To use Ottercall, Majic says that players pick a themed lesson. Once a lesson is selected, a word and related picture are shown. Players can listen to the word, and click a “speak” button when they are ready to say the word.
After clicking “speak,” the players are recorded while saying the word. Then speech recognition software evaluates their pronunciation and gives them a grade.
Although Majic graduated with a degree in software engineering at Carleton, he says he decided to come back and enroll in TIM because he likes how the program focuses on “giving business knowledge to engineers.”
Majic says the other reason he wanted to return to Carleton is because he feels it is a lot more accessible than other schools. Being in a wheelchair with limited mobility, Majic says accessibility is very important in his life.
“Carleton is great for disabled people,” he says. “They at the Paul Menton Centre go above and beyond to ensure that disabled people get equal access to a quality education.”
Accessibility is also an important part of Ottercall. Although it’s still in its startup stages, Majic says he has designed Ottercall as an app for iPhones and Android phones, making it accessible at all times.
And while Ottercall doesn’t replace teachers, Majic says it allows players to learn and get feedback while having fun. But to be appealing, there also has to be an artistic side to the game.
Carleton student Ashley Tam works on Ottercall’s user interface as part of her co-op program. Tam, a fourth-year information technology student, says her role in Ottercall is “all the designing, art, animation, and drawing, creating the materials and the blueprint for where everything goes.”
Ottercall’s graphics show an otter fishing while users are playing. Depending on how well the player pronounces a word, the otter will either catch a fish and the player will earn points, or the otter will catch a boot and the player will not gain points.
The game is currently in English, but Majic says he hopes to include lessons for other languages in the future.
And despite a large field of competitors, Majic believes that he has an advantage. He says what sets Ottercall apart is that it will be free of charge, mobile and accessible.
“The idea is to make language learning fun again by using gaming elements,” says Tam.
“Ottercall is a great app for beginners of a language . . . It’s a fun and colourfully visual way to help learn proper pronunciation and phonics.
“[Majic] has some great ideas for Ottercall, and the future looks bright as he strives to always improve it. I think Ottercall has some amazing potential that other language learning apps don’t have.”
Majic says despite the difficulties of learning a new language, simplicity is the best way to tackle its challenges.
“In the end my goal is to make a successful company,” he says. “Ottercall is about learning simple things to solve simple tasks.”
