GoGuardian Launches Real-Time Language Support for ELL Students in Pear Deck

New translation and read-aloud features provide instant language support during live instruction, advancing equity in classrooms

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of GoGuardian’s best-in-class education technology portfolio, Pear Deck—the widely used instructional platform supporting more than 8.4 million students nationwide—today announced the launch of real-time translation and read-aloud features designed to support English language learners (ELLs) during live instruction. These capabilities, the first in Pear Deck’s new Student Toolbox, mark the beginning of a multi-phase rollout aimed at providing students with direct, in-the-moment accessibility support.

As the flagship product within the comprehensive Pear Deck Learning platform, Pear Deck is loved by educators nationwide, with 97% of teachers agreeing it supports active learning by helping students stay engaged and participate meaningfully in lessons. With the addition of translation and read-aloud capabilities, Pear Deck now empowers ELLs to follow along in real time without leaving the interactive lesson experience teachers and students already know and love.

Madison Weidner, first-grade teacher at PS 142 Amalia Castro, a New York City public school in District 1, has already seen transformative results: "Pear Deck’s audio recording tool creates translated summaries of my lessons so my ELLs feel engaged and included. With translation and read-aloud features built right in, I no longer have to spend extra time translating materials. My students can now follow along more easily, understand what’s happening in real time, and participate confidently with their peers while hearing lessons in both English and their home language. I’m excited to see my ELLs continue making strides in reading thanks to this new feature!"

The new tools address a critical need identified during one of the GoGuardian team’s regular school visits, where educators shared concerns about ELLs struggling to keep pace during live Pear Deck sessions. Recent research underscores that language barriers and technical challenges significantly impact student engagement, with studies showing the vital role of linguistic support tools like Pear Deck in reducing anxiety while improving participation among language learners.¹

“When teachers shared that English language learners could benefit from additional support during Pear Deck sessions, we knew we needed to act immediately," said Manny Sevillano, Director of Product Management for New Products at GoGuardian. "Every moment of learning matters, and this launch represents our commitment to building solutions that respond directly to educators’ needs and help every student succeed."

The translation tools enable students to instantly translate slide content into Spanish, Chinese, Cantonese, or Vietnamese with simple text selection. The read-aloud feature uses text-to-speech technology to help students hear English pronunciation, supporting both comprehension and language acquisition. Teachers maintain complete control of the feature through a simple toggle in their account settings, ensuring the tools integrate seamlessly into existing classroom management workflows.

The feature works across all device types commonly used in schools, including laptops, tablets, and smartphones, ensuring accessibility regardless of available technology. Unlike external translation apps that require students to navigate away from lessons, these built-in tools keep students engaged within the Pear Deck environment while receiving the support they need.

The Student Toolbox: Translation Tools are available now for all Pear Deck users. For more information about implementing these tools in your district, visit peardeck.com.

Footnotes
¹ Anggoro, K.J., & Pratiwi, D.I. (2025). EFL students’ perceptions of interactive slides (Pear Deck) in blended and online flipped classrooms. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 12, 101887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101887
(Open access)

About GoGuardian
With over a decade of experience, including pioneering the use of AI in K-12 education, GoGuardian delivers best-in-class solutions built with educators, not just for them. Our suite of products, powered by purpose-driven, customizable AI and actionable insights, enables what matters most: safer schools, empowered teachers, and thriving students. Trusted by over 2 million educators and more than 10,000 schools, GoGuardian supports 25 million students nationwide—representing 50% of all public and private K–12 learners in the U.S.

GoGuardian’s curriculum and instruction suite, Pear Deck Learning, is the only platform that offers teachers support for every instructional step in any topic—all in one place. From lesson planning to state testing, Pear Deck Learning helps teachers deliver engaging instruction, personalized learning tailored to each student’s needs, and meaningful assessment all with ease.

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GoGuardian Corporate Communications
press@goguardian.com

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