Toronto, July 1st, 2003

PEARSON EDUCATION CANADA AND SOUNDS VIRTUAL FORM STRATEGIC PARTNERSHP

Alliance To Provide Online Courses to Support Pearson Education Canada’s Modern Language Texts

TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA – July 1, 2003 – Pearson Education Canada, a division of Pearson Education, the world’s largest educational publisher (NYSE:PSO), today announced a strategic partnership with Toronto-based high-tech developer Sounds Virtual Inc. The partnership will offer Canadian customers the capability to teach and learn modern language courses based on Pearson Education Canada texts on an online language learning solution called CAN-8 VirtuaLab.

CAN-8 VirtuaLab can be used to teach any language to all levels of students in schools and universities, as well as immigration departments, government departments and large multinational companies. Pearson Education Canada’s modern language textbooks, exercises and audio files, enhanced with newly produced multimedia capability, will provide the content for Sounds Virtual’s CAN-8 VirtuaLab. These interactive environments will allow students and teachers of Pearson Education Canada’s modern language texts to work in a lab, or from home or office.

The labs allow students to listen and speak and to compare themselves with a recorded model at the click of a mouse, providing immediate feedback on their progress. Special features let instructors create personalized exercises, tests and lessons, as well as monitor and maintain discussions with the entire class and individual students.

David Jolliffe, Manager, New Media and Editorial Services for Pearson Education Canada, said, “Teachers and students have benefited from using our popular modern language texts. With this partnership, we can now offer Canadian students and instructors the added value of a convenient online lab that will reinforce concepts through self-paced practice, instant feedback, and clear example.”

Brian McElwain, Sound Virtual’s President and CEO, said the partnership builds on the strengths of the two companies. “With Pearson Education Canada, we find an experienced, knowledgeable and worldwide publisher of modern language educational products. Combined with our CAN-8 VirtuaLab platform, which is used by schools around the world, we are poised to deliver students and instructors a combination of online learning tools for all levels of modern languages.”


About Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Publishing such renowned imprints as Prentice Hall, Addison Wesley and Longman, Pearson Education Canada (www.pearsoned.ca) is Canada’s largest educational publisher. It produces textbooks and learning resources for K-12 and post-secondary students as well as instructional tools and professional development programs for educators. Pearson Education Canada embraces new technologies that enrich the learning and teaching experiences of its customers.


About Sounds Virtual Inc.

Since 1993, Sounds Virtual Inc. (www.sounds.com) has been at the forefront of online learning solutions. The company’s leading-edge product, CAN-8 VirtuaLab, is a software, multimedia, multi-language online learning system that employs streamed audio, video, text and pictures to help end users learn ESL (English as a Second Language), FSL (French as a Second Language), or, in fact, any language as a second language. CAN-8 VirtuaLab operates in a PC LAN and Internet environment. It is used by 50 universities and colleges in Canada and over 200 learning institutions throughout the world, including the University of Western Ontario, the London School of Economics, City University of New York and Hau Mei Bond International College in China.

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