Digital fabrication and linguistic mediation
[Translation : EPALE France]
Meet Yassin Aghani, fab manager at fable-Lab, who describes how digital fabrication can become a tool for inclusion in the field of languages and literature.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your role at fable-Lab? Incidentally, why the name “fable-Lab”?
My name is Yassin Aghani and I am the fab manager at fable-Lab. “Fab manager” is an English term that has not yet been translated into French, but it is the person who takes care of the machines in a fab lab and runs the place. Usually, the fab manager runs workshops and training sessions on the machines, and manages the shared calendar and schedule for introductory sessions, events, workshops, and training courses.
At fable-Lab, things are a bit different because we are not a traditional fab lab open to the public. We produce resources, so my job is to help design technical devices: machine prototypes like the Mo-Lubile, software such as language and digital exercises, or websites such as Yiotta. We also have an outreach programme: we organise workshops, for example on making multilingual word boxes.
As for the name “fable-Lab”, I didn't choose it, but it was a play on words by the co-founders based on the term “fab lab”. They used the word “fable” instead of “fab” to express the connection with literary and linguistic mediation. It’s funny because lots of people say “fable-Lab”, but sometimes they confuse us with a traditional fab lab they’ve seen on TV!
Our approach is quite unique. There are generalist fab labs, often with specific focuses, but to my knowledge, in France at least, there was no fab lab geared towards literature and language like ours.
Can you tell us about three technical tools that you helped to design and that promote digital inclusion for adults?
The first tool I can tell you about is Mo-Lubile, a multilingual word box. It consists of small cards with illustrations that you pass over a machine which pronounces the word in the chosen language. In general, there are three languages per box, they can be Turkish, Kurdish, Romanian, Arabic, French, etc.
We make these boxes in workshops, often during our sociolinguistic workshops. We ask participants to translate vocabulary into their own language and we record them, as well as in French. Once the recordings have been made, we build the box together and install the audio files. The last step is to programme the cards together: participants have to work on their vocabulary and reading skills to match the French word with the illustration. This is a joyful moment because it is always surprising to hear your own voice again! This is one of my favourite workshops because it is fun, combines fabrication and recording, and is different every time depending on the audience and languages.
The second tool is the Mo-nivèle, a wind-up story box. It involves a series of workshops with a writing component where participants write a story. This story is then printed on thermal paper (like receipts) and we make a small square box with two sticks that act as a crank. The story is attached to the sticks and can be unrolled like a scroll. It’s a really nice project because it’s very low-tech – no electronics, simple and inexpensive to make – so participants can take their creation home with them.
The third tool is Yiotta, a digital platform that we are developing. It is a shared database that provides access to all the resources we produce at fable-Lab. All our resources are in open format, so anyone can share, modify or download them. With Yiotta, we index and categorise these resources by language and by project.
Currently, more than 18,000 fable-Lab resources are available, mainly translations in more than a dozen languages, with lots of illustrations and pronunciations. For now, the content is mostly raw data used by people who produce resources, such as French as a foreign language teachers who need material for their classes, art students looking for illustrations, and individuals creating their own vocabulary lists. We are working on developing versions that are directly accessible to the general public, for example a “Yiotta Santé” project where healthcare professionals could access resources that they could use directly with their patients.
Which of these tools do you think best serves the digital inclusion of adults?
It really depends on the audience! Mo-lubile works very well in French courses because it allows participants to talk to each other, to speak French and to translate from their own language into French. For language teachers, Yiotta will be more interesting. Mo-nivèle, on the other hand, requires a more advanced level of French, as it includes a significant writing component.
How do you see the future of this alliance between fabrication and mediation?
I see that there are still lots of possibilities! We have only scratched the surface of what is possible. There are still hundreds and thousands of things to imagine and create. For me, this is just the beginning.
In fact, we are limited only by financial and human resources. There is no shortage of ideas or problems!
In your opinion, what are the essential ingredients if we want digital fabrication to become a genuine lever for inclusion?
I think we need to consider a variety of tools, as everyone has different issues and obstacles. We need to have resources that are adapted to as many people as possible. We see this with disability issues: if we only do things that are adapted to people with visual impairments, we exclude everyone with motor impairments, for example.
We need to continue to develop lots of projects and resources that are adapted to different audiences and different profiles, while continuing to be very inclusive towards everyone and thinking about projects that encompass everyone.
It’s somewhat paradoxical, but we need to be able to continue to have projects that meet specific needs, while being very open to all the audiences we come across.
Interview by Aicha KOURICHE
For more information:
- fable-Lab website: https://www.fable-lab.com/association/
- Yiotta Platform: https://yiotta.fable-lab.org
