LinguaRead PDF Extension
Executive Summary
PROBLEM DISCOVERY
Problem: Despite wanting to improve their language, ESL learners seeking higher education report to rely heavily on translation devices ~85% and a rising 60% specifically use AI chatbots to translate and get their work done.
Solution: a PDF reading extension that rewrites dense excerpts into approachable English, provides synonyms for difficult words, translates with a click, stores pronunciation tips, educates on the nuance and context of the word in the excerpt and stores "learning words" to a personalized user dictionary, doubling as flashcards.
*Statistics are from my survey of 16 volunteers
PERSONAL CONNECT
After being an ESL graduate, I've taught English for ~6 years now. I was inspired to build this project because my mom is currently getting her MBA as a current ESL student. She relayed her anxieties about dragging down her team and I saw just how difficult reading long PDFs were.
% of ESL students in the U.S. (Genio, 2025)
PRD & User Research
Product Requirements Doc
The full PRD behind LinguaRead: problem framing, user stories, scope and success criteria for the extension.
Open the PRD (PDF) →User Feedback Form
The survey I sent out to ESL learners to source the feedback that shaped each iteration.
View the form →Demos
LinguaRead demo 1 — extension in use
Demo 1
In this iteration, I focused on the user feedback about "dumbing English down" to engage learners with easier English to gain familiarity with the language in an approachable form.
Demo 2
In the 3rd iteration I removed the CEFR levels completely, through volunteer testing, although this had less technical layering, the minimalist UI was much friendlier and easier to use for the testers and their purpose.
LinguaRead demo 2 — minimalist iteration
Retrospective & Next Steps
What I'd Change in V2
(project still in testing!)