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The EnglishCentral Difference for English Corporate Training

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The EnglishCentral Difference for English Corporate Training

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]EnglishCentral delivers premium live English lessons enhanced by AI-driven e-learning, specially designed for Corporate English training. Using a vast collection of 30,000+ video lessons, customized study plans, progress tracking, AI-powered technology, and live lessons, employees master the skills necessary to achieve English conversational fluency in a professional setting.

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30,000+ Video Lessons

The largest collection of authentic videos used for English learning anywhere (the “YouTube for Language Learning”), leveled into 7 CEFR levels, and covering over 50 topics and learning goals.

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Customized Study Plans

Study plans designed to meet each learner’s objective, with 7 levels of business English, and specialized topics for conducting meetings, negotiation, intercultural communication and more.

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Measuring Progress

Daily and weekly progress tracking and final Level Tests certify progress for administrators via our learning management system (LMS). Learners earn certifications mapped to levels for CEFR TOEIC, TOEFL and IELTS.

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AI-powered Technology

IntelliSpeech technology powers our AI-ChatBot, which enables conversation practice on key business topics and tasks, and gives instant feedback on pronunciation, fluency and grammar.

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1-on-1 and Group Lessons

Live 1-on-1 Lessons and Group Lessons provide 24/7 opportunities for learners to try out what they have learned in the video lesson with a trained teacher.

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Contact:
Larisa Derya, Business Development Representative, larisa.kilic@englishcentral.com, Phone: +90 (538) 085 68 32

Contact us for more information or to request a demo.

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ChatGPT Technology Now Enables True Conversational English Practice with Personalized Feedback

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[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]MiMi is now integrated into more than 20,000 video lessons on EnglishCentral. After each video, students engage in a spontaneous conversation with MiMi, which fully understands the context of each video and is especially architected for language education purposes, prioritizing content safety and task-based learning. Additionally, each interaction with the ChatBot involves set prompts that encourage students to share personal perspectives, express opinions, and relate the video content to their own experiences. These prompts are also correlated with internationally-recognized CEFR “can do” levels to measure the progress students make through the semester in their communicative language skills.

If you are a French speaker, and want to learn more, Telelangue’s Executive Director, Paul Webster, gives a great presentation on the use of AI in English Language Learning, here.

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Press Contact:
Irem Ugurlu, Marketing Director, press@englishcentral.com, Phone: +90 312 240 5045

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EnglishCentral Launches ChatGPT to English Learners at Scale

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EnglishCentral Launches ChatGPT to English Learners at Scale

ChatGPT now enables true conversation practice for over 20,000 interactive video lessons on EnglishCentral

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Boston, April 2, 2023. EnglishCentral today announced the launch of the first English language learning application using ChatGPT to enable AI-powered conversational English practice on thousands of topics. Millions of EnglishCentral users can now converse with a new AI-powered Chatbot, named MiMi, that engages learners in a manner similar to a human tutor. This release of MiMi incorporates the latest ChatGPT models from Open AI, combines them with EnglishCentral’s IntelliSpeechSM speech recognition engine, and marks a huge leap in learner engagement over previous versions of conversational chatbots.

The core of EnglishCentral’s platform is over 20,000 interactive video lessons, covering a wide-range of topics and levels for English language learners to practice conversational English. Using ChatGPT at its core, MiMi is now capable of engaging in authentic, conversations with learners on topics such as:

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row desktop_visibility=”hide” tablet_visibility=”hide” tablet_sm_visibility=”hide”][vc_column][vc_column_text]Boston, April 2, 2023. EnglishCentral today announced the launch of the first English language learning application using ChatGPT to enable AI-powered conversational English practice on thousands of topics. Millions of EnglishCentral users can now converse with a new AI-powered Chatbot, named MiMi, that engages learners in a manner similar to a human tutor. This release of MiMi incorporates the latest ChatGPT models from Open AI, combines them with EnglishCentral’s IntelliSpeechSM speech recognition engine, and marks a huge leap in learner engagement over previous versions of conversational chatbots.

The core of EnglishCentral’s platform is over 20,000 interactive video lessons, covering a wide-range of topics and levels for English language learners to practice conversational English. Using ChatGPT at its core, MiMi is now capable of engaging in authentic, conversations with learners on topics such as:

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row padding_top=”-240″][vc_column width=”1/3″ tablet_width=”hide” tablet_sm_width=”hide” css=”.vc_custom_1680876150231{padding-top: -120px !important;}”][vc_column_text]Elon Musk Buys Twitter

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[/vc_column_text][grve_video video_link=”https://youtu.be/WV3zKBHeAEc”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]Karlie Kloss: Coding is a Superpower

[/vc_column_text][grve_video video_link=”https://youtu.be/l_r8RiQdrGo”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row mobile_visibility=”hide”][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]To check out more examples of MiMi chatting about over 20,000 videos on EnglishCentral, Register for FREE here.

“We are at a real turning point in the use of AI in English language learning with the release of the latest chat models” commented Alan Schwartz, CEO & Founder of EnglishCentral. “We have been working on chatbots for several years at EnglishCentral, and this release represents a huge leap in capabilities with clear benefits for learners — we see already a 50% increase in engagement of our users when interacting with our ChatBot MiMi using the ChatGPT models.”

The benefits to learners of a chatbot powered by large language models come from their ability to be much more engaging thereby enabling many more turns of a conversation, in terms of context and relevance. The work EnglishCentral has done to build on the ChatGPT base models, includes both the prompt engineering in how to instruct the models, as well as the fine tuning of the generic model to make them specifically suited for speech-enabled language learning, both in terms of engagement and feedback.

To learn more about the R&D behind the MiMi ChatBot go here:

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The Teacher-Machine Learning Loop

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[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Steve Chambers, a pioneer in the natural language processing industry for over 20 years for companies like Nuance Communications and an ed-tech entrepreneur, commented: “EnglishCentral pioneered conversational language learning with both human and AI feedback. With ChatGPT, EnglishCentral introduces Conversational Depth, giving students human-like conversational dialog around the pop-culture and educational content proven to engage language learners the most.”

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]About EnglishCentral: EnglishCentral is one of the most widely adopted AI-powered English language conversation platform in the world, changing the way students and professionals across the globe learn to speak English. Adopted by over 1000 universities, schools and corporations in over 100 countries, the company delivers interactive, video-based language learning experiences for both self-study and one-on-one tutoring, providing one of the most widely adopted and complete platforms for practicing and mastering English conversation online. Its extensive library of video lessons, proprietary IntelliSpeech℠ speech assessment technology, and pre-built course modules guarantee results for English as a Second Language (ESL) learners.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Press Contact:
Shunsuke Furuyama, Marketing Director, press@englishcentral.com, Phone: +815038023236

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EnglishCentral Adopted by Brazilian State of Parana to Train English Teachers for K-12 Public Schools

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EnglishCentral Adopted by Brazilian State of Parana to Train English Teachers for K-12 Public Schools

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Over 4,000 English teachers will use EnglishCentral’s AI-powered video learning platform as well as Live! Online lessons

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Parana, Brazil. March 21, 2023. EnglishCentral, a leading provider of AI-powered language learning solutions, has announced its partnership with the Brazilian state of Parana to train English teachers for the public school sector. The state of Parana has adopted EnglishCentral’s video learning platform and Live! Online lessons to help over 4,000 English teachers improve their language skills and teaching abilities.

The partnership aims to strengthen the quality of English language teaching in public schools and ensure that students have access to high-quality English education. The program will offer a comprehensive solution to support teacher development, including personalized language practice, feedback, and live online lessons with EnglishCentral’s expert teachers.

“We are thrilled to partner with the state of Parana to improve English language teaching in public schools,” said Maurico Loth, General Manager of EnglishCentral Brazil. “Our platform and live online lessons will provide English teachers with the tools they need to enhance their language skills and offer high-quality instruction to their students.”

The state of Parana is committed to improving the quality of English language teaching in public schools and is investing in professional development for teachers. This partnership with EnglishCentral is part of the state’s efforts to ensure that teachers have access to innovative tools and resources to enhance their teaching abilities.

EnglishCentral’s AI-powered video learning platform offers a unique and effective way for teachers to practice and improve their language skills. The platform uses authentic, engaging videos to provide learners with real-world language practice and feedback. The Live! Online lessons with EnglishCentral’s expert teachers offer personalized instruction and feedback to help teachers improve their teaching abilities.

EnglishCentral has been recognized as a leader in the language learning industry, offering innovative solutions to support language learners worldwide. The partnership with the state of Parana demonstrates EnglishCentral’s commitment to providing high-quality language learning solutions to teachers and students worldwide.

“We are excited to work with EnglishCentral to improve English language teaching in public schools in Brazil,” said Alan Schwartz, Founder & CEO of EnglishCentral. “This partnership allows us to provide teacher training using both live instruction and the latest in AI-powered e-learning to improve the English communication skills of teachers in Parana.”

EnglishCentral’s partnership with the state of Parana is a significant step in improving English language teaching in Brazil and ensuring that students have access to high-quality education. The partnership is expected to have a significant impact on the quality of English language instruction in public schools in the state of Parana.

Press Contact: Mauricio Loth, General Manager, press@englishcentral.com, Phone: +55 51 98177-8056

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EnglishCentral in Thailand

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AI-powered English Conversational Platform Now Available in Thailand

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EnglishCentral will be at the Thai TESOL 2023. Learn about EnglishCentral’s new AI-powered English Conversation Platform, now with local support in the Thai language.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column tablet_sm_width=”1″ mobile_width=”hide”][vc_empty_space height=”32″][grve_single_image image=”24011″ image_size=”yes”][vc_empty_space height=”10″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column desktop_hide=”hide” tablet_width=”hide” tablet_sm_width=”hide”][vc_empty_space height=”32″][grve_single_image image=”24022″ image_size=”yes”][vc_empty_space height=”10″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column tablet_sm_width=”1″ mobile_width=”1″][vc_empty_space height=”10″][vc_column_text]EnglishCentral is an AI-powered English learning platform specifically designed to help improve conversational English, using the latest in speech recognition and natural language processing. It combines interactive videos, best in-class curriculum development, and the highest quality live teachers. The premise behind EnglishCentral’s “Youtube for Language Learning Approach” is to provide learners with engaging videos on topics they find interesting at their English level, and then have them engage in conversations about such topics.

In December 2022, EnglishCentral launched a Thai version of the product, with a fully localized Thai user interface as well as a Thai in-context learning dictionary. The Workshop will demonstrate how to select and set up classes, choose online courses, create weekly goals for watching (listening), speaking and vocabulary study, setting up weekly assessment tests, and tracking student progress, and generating grade reports. The Workshop will also share best practices from the over 1,000 schools that have deployed EnglishCentral, including use of game dynamics and scoreboards to motivate students and use of CEFR-based assessment tools to demonstrate student outcomes at the end of a semester of study.

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Alan Schwartz has over two decades of experience in the EdTech industry. He began his career as head of Nuance’s Mobile & Consumer division where he worked with a team at Sony to develop one of the first mobile language translation games using speech technology called Talkman. In 2009, backed by Google Ventures, he founded EnglishCentral, now one of the world’s leading AI-powered platforms for learning conversational English, with over 10 million registered users, and 200,000 paying customers. Alan has a B.A. from Princeton University and a J.D. from Harvard University.

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You can request for a customized online demo session with us and we’ll get back to you if in any case you are not going to be able to make it to the workshop.

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EnglishCentral Launches Comprehensive Vocabulary Learning System

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EnglishCentral’s Comprehensive Vocabulary Learning System

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Now includes study apps, progress tests and new assessment tests

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Fukuoka, Japan, November 14, 2022. EnglishCentral, a global leader in online conversational English learning, released an update to its comprehensive vocabulary learning system at this year’s Japanese Association of Language Teachers annual conference (JALT) held in Fukuoka, Japan. The update includes a new Vocabulary Level Test (VLT), to assess students’ levels at the beginning of study on EnglishCentral and then assess their progress, against internationally recognized standards such as the CEFR, at the end of their study on EnglishCentral.

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EnglishCentral’s Comprehensive Vocabulary Learning System

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Now includes study apps, progress tests and new assessment tests

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Japan, 14th November 2022. EnglishCentral, the leading provider of online English learning, has released a comprehensive vocabulary learning system at this year’s Japanese Association of Language Teachers annual conference (JALT) held in Nagoya, Japan.

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Learn words in-context

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The core of EnglishCentral’s vocabulary learning system is a corpus of over 20,000 authentic English learning videos, each word of which has been semantically tagged with its in-context meaning sense, and which also supports multi-words and collocations.
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Learn words in-context

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The core of EnglishCentral’s vocabulary learning system is a corpus of over 20,000 authentic English learning videos, each word of which has been semantically tagged with its in-context meaning sense, and which also supports multi-words and collocations.
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Wordlists ensure coverage of high-frequency words

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The system includes research-supported high-frequency wordlists, which cover 92%* of words students are likely to encounter in an average newspaper, book, magazine, TV show, movie or daily speech. The system also supports speciality wordlists.

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[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]*Based on the New General Service List and other lists provided by Browne, C. & Culligan, B.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][grve_single_image image=”23948″][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column desktop_hide=”hide” tablet_width=”hide” tablet_sm_width=”hide”][vc_column_text]

Wordlists ensure coverage of high-frequency words

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The system includes research-supported high-frequency wordlists, which cover 92%* of words students are likely to encounter in an average newspaper, book, magazine, TV show, movie or daily speech. The system also supports speciality wordlists.

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[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]*Based on the New General Service List and other lists provided by Browne, C. & Culligan, B.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][grve_single_image image=”23949″][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Diagnostic Mode Optimized for Individual Learners

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Unlike many vocab learning tools that demotivate students by repeatedly forcing them to learn words they already know, the EnglishCentral tools automatically mark words as known based on a diagnostic mode used when first introducing words to students to study.

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Enforced Review Mode

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Unlike other tools which encourage students to learn words just once for a test, the EnglishCentral system forces students to review their weak words 80% of the time they study.

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Speaking & Other Modes

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Includes a state-of-the-art “speaking recall” mode, powered by EnglishCentral’s IntelliSpeech SystemSM, which tests students’ ability to recall words correctly by speaking them in context. The system also supports multiple modes of increasing retrieval difficulty, including dictation, multiple-choice and typing, in each case with and without hints.

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Multilingual Support

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Supports eleven different L1 languages: Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish, Spanish, Polish, Thai and Portuguese.

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Placement, Progress & Assessment Tests

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Students start with a placement test, mapped to CEFR levels. Then, weekly in-class vocabulary progress tests seamlessly tie outside of class study with in-class progress tests. The tests ensure students properly review, as each weekly progress test contains 50% review words, covering the full range of all past weeks. Finally, at the end of the course, students take an assessment test again mapped to CEFR levels to demonstrate their overall progress.

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Placement, Progress & Assessment Tests

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Students start with a placement test, mapped to CEFR levels. Then, weekly in-class vocabulary progress tests seamlessly tie outside of class study with in-class progress tests. The tests ensure students properly review, as each weekly progress test contains 50% review words, covering the full range of all past weeks. Finally, at the end of the course, students take an assessment test again mapped to CEFR levels to demonstrate their overall progress.

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Teacher Tools

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]A full suite of teacher tools allows teachers to set weekly goals for students, track the number of words students study each week, view results of weekly progress tests and quickly identify students who are falling behind on their vocabulary study.

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Teacher Tools

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]A full suite of teacher tools allows teachers to set weekly goals for students, track the number of words students study each week, view results of weekly progress tests and quickly identify students who are falling behind on their vocabulary study.

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Contact Us

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For more information or to try out EnglishCentral’s Vocabulary Learning System, contact us

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EnglishCentral Teaches Global English

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Over 24 Accents are Available in the EnglishCentral Video Library

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English is the world’s most widely spoken language with approximately 1.5 billion speakers globally. However, there is a wide range of different accents and dialects represented in that figure — over 160 distinct accents and dialects by our estimates.

Not surprisingly, North American English is the most common accent at 340 million people, including Standard American, Canadian English and other distinctive accents such as the Southern accent, African-American accents, etc.

A bit more surprising is that there are an estimated 178 million Nigerians, 128 million Indians, 108 million Pakistani, and 63 million Filipinos who speak conversationally fluent but accented English. That is well ahead of the estimated 62 million that speak traditional British English, even including the 1.5 million Scots and 870 thousand Welsh, or the 22 million Australians and 4 million New Zealanders.

The global prevalence of accented “Global” English — different from accents one might think of as standard (Britain, North America or Australia) — is even more staggering when you consider that the number of conversational Chinese speakers globally is over 300 million, including Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Chinese diaspora.

Our team at EnglishCentral has pulled together data showing the most common accents grouped by what we consider to be phonologically similar from the learner’s perspective. We constructed these Accent Groups from the perspective of intelligibility to a listener of that particular accent of English. This isn’t a cultural or even geographic categorization; rather, it is a way to represent the different types of English accents you might hear if you picked a random English speaker out of the 1.5 billion English speakers on the planet.

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English Speakers by Major Accent Groups

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[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column tablet_sm_width=”1″][vc_column_text]As our goal at EnglishCentral is to teach English as it actually is spoken around the world, we have assembled video lessons that cover 24 accents on the platform. With over 23,000 videos, the large majority, over 60%, are with North American accents. But we also have over 1000 videos with British English, over 600 with Japanese English, and over 500 with Irish, Scottish, Australian, varieties.

Here’s one of our favorites: two Scottish men in an elevator.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column tablet_sm_width=”1″][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column tablet_sm_width=”1″][vc_column_text]Try out some of these other favorites as well: Australian (Office Small Talk), British (Me Before You), Japanese (Exhausted But Happy), Chinese (What Jack Ma Regrets), Indian (Inspiring Girls to Believe), Nigerian (Staying in Rhythm), Pakistani (He Named Me Malala), and Polish (Grandpa Learns English).

Or, you can search through our entire database by accent by using our search feature, which we launched in September 2022.

Happy Learning!

EnglishCentral Team

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1000 603 EC Blogger

EnglishCentral Launches New Comprehensive Vocabulary Learning System

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EnglishCentral Launches New Comprehensive Vocabulary Learning System

Includes tools to learn high-frequency vocabulary effectively

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][grve_single_image image=”18512″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Nagoya, Japan – November 5, 2019. EnglishCentral, the leading provider of online English conversations solutions, announced a new suite of vocabulary learning tools at this year’s Japanese Association of Language Teachers annual conference (JALT) held in Nagoya, Japan.
The new suite of vocabulary tools were built on data collected from over 500 million learn events collected from over 1 million learners at over 5,000 learning institutions around the world using EnglishCentral.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”42px”][vc_column_text]Unique in context Learning with videos

The core of EnglishCentral’s vocabulary learning system is a library of over 14,000 authentic English learning videos, each word of which has been semantically tagged with its in-content meaning sense and which also supports multi-words and collocations.

[/vc_column_text][grve_single_image image=”18518″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”42px”][vc_column_text]Wordlists ensure coverage of high-frequency words

The system includes dozens of research-supported high-frequency wordlists, including a Core Vocab* list of 2800 words, which covers 92% of words students are likely to ever meet in an average newspaper, book, magazine, TV show, movie or daily speech.

[/vc_column_text][grve_single_image image=”16201″ image_size=”yes”][vc_column_text]Based on the New General Service List and other lists provided by Browne, C., Culligan, B. & Phillips, J. (2013).

[/vc_column_text][grve_single_image image=”16193″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”42px”][vc_column_text]Optimized for individual learners

Unlike many vocab learning tools that demotivate students by forcing them to learn repeatedly words they already know, the EnglishCentral tools automatically mark words as known based on a diagnostic mode used when first introducing words to students to study.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”42px”][vc_column_text]Speak Mode

Includes a state-of-the-art “speaking recall” mode, powered by EnglishCentral’s IntelliSpeech SystemSM, which tests students’ ability to recall words correctly by speaking them in context. The system also supports multiple other modes of increasing retrieval difficulty, including dictation, multiple-choice and typing, in each case with and without hints.

[/vc_column_text][grve_single_image image=”18521″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”42px”][vc_column_text]Multilingual Support

Supports eight different L1 languages: Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Arabic, Turkish, Spanish and Portuguese.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”42px”][vc_column_text]In Class Vocabulary Progress Tests

Weekly in-class vocabulary progress tests seamlessly tie outside of class study with in-class progress tests. The tests also ensure students review past words for each week’s test, as each test is based 50% on new words and 50% on review words, covering the full range of all past weeks. Research shows* that tying vocabulary study to weekly in-class tests can boost student engagement by over 100%.
Based on study by Prof. Stuart McLean at Osaka Jogakuin (2019)

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”42px”][vc_column_text]Vocab Assessment Tests

Third-party assessment tests (from VocabLevelTest.Org) are used to both onboard students at the correct level at the beginning of the semester and assess students’ progress at the end of the semester.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”42px”][vc_column_text]Teacher Tools

A full suite of teacher tools allows teachers to set weekly goals for students, track the number of words students study each week, view results of weekly progress tests and quickly identify students who are falling behind on their vocabulary study.

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626 626 Alan Schwartz

Review of EnglishCentral in Language Learning and Technology Journal

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Review of EnglishCentral in Language Learning & Technology Journal

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Gregory Strong, Aoyama Gakuin University
October 2021, Volume 25, Issue 3 pp. 56–61
ISSN 1094-3501

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EnglishCentral

Product Type: a web-based learning platform
Requirements: a mobile device, tablet, or computer; a microphone and speakers
Access: a website with a mobile app from the Apple Store or Google Play syncing other devices so that learners can log on anywhere
Available From: EnglishCentral
Cost: academic or individual rates starting at $8 monthly per student per class for 4 months, $6 for 6 months, and $5 for 12 months. Additional charges for the Go Live! Lessons employing live tutors.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]EnglishCentral (EC) is a commercial learning platform (CLP) well-suited to individual learning, to language practice in class, or to integration in a course curriculum. Its website includes many authentic commercials, documentaries, movie trailers, news reports, and speeches that provide the extensive listening and speaking opportunities that are essential to language acquisition. Because educators cannot provide enough classroom time or even suitable resources, a CLP like EC can help bridge the gap. Conveniently accessible for tablets, personal computers (PCs), and smart phones, EC offers a strong pedagogy and its versatile platform enables teachers to conveniently monitor and respond to student efforts.

Founded in Japan in 2008, EC is not well known in countries where English is a first or second language, but it is reaching a growing number of students and educators worldwide. EC incorporates several key hypotheses from contemporary language acquisition research. First, it provides students with extensive exposure to authentic comprehensible speech in real-life contexts. EC also leverages learner motivation through letting students choose their own listening material. Finally, it promotes language acquisition through exposing students to the vocabulary essential to academic or business communication. Students learn of gaps in their vocabulary and create personal word lists that they review through spaced repetition activities.

The EC website, which the company sometimes refers to as “a YouTube for language learners”, consists of 15,400 videos that will cover a very wide range of student interests (see Figure 1). Some videos have been obtained through licensing agreements, but most (like Viola Davis’ 2017 Oscar acceptance speech or the big tech CEOs’ recent address to Congress) are in the public domain. These are high interest materials to students of popular culture and of business, while other videos cover such topics as science, travel, and food. They help motivate students to put in the many hours required to develop their listening comprehension and speaking proficiency.

Once they become familiar with the website, students find it easy to navigate it. They can synchronize their phones with other devices such as their PCs by downloading an app from the EC website, so that they can pick up their studies wherever they wish. After logging into the EC website, learners can choose a video from such themes as Business, Media, Social, and Academic, and select the video’s level of difficulty (Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced). They can control a video’s speed of play, listen to the video multiple times, and consult the video’s transcript. In addition, they can click on any word in the transcript and get a dictionary definition. After watching the video, students complete substitution and sequencing exercises based on the lines that they have just heard, as well as practice pronunciation by repeating these same lines aloud. EC enables students to track the videos that they have watched, the words that they have learned, the lines that they have spoken, and the progress that they have made on their course goals.

[/vc_column_text][grve_single_image image=”22110″][vc_column_text]Figure 1
The EC Homepage Menu and Toolbar

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]One of EC’s most powerful features is automated feedback on learners’ pronunciation and fluency provided through EC’s trademark IntelliSpeechSM which draws on an expanding database of more than 600 million utterances from EC users worldwide. Students with little experience or opportunity to speak English can try pronouncing a phrase from a video as many times as they wish without worrying about the reactions of their teacher or classmates. Figure 2 shows the feedback given to a student, congratulating the student on good pronunciation. By clicking on an underlined target word, a student can hear the word, repeat it, and view the word broken into its phonemes. Then by pressing the microphone icon, a student can make a recording, hear the recording played back, and receive automated feedback on it. The student also can save the target word for further review.

[/vc_column_text][grve_single_image image=”22111″][vc_column_text]Figure 2
Speaking Practice

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20x”][vc_column_text]Furthermore, and very innovatively, a student can use the vocabulary presented in the videos to develop an individualized word list and take short quizzes on the words, at spaced intervals, to achieve long-term recall. This approach to learning vocabulary is much more effective and efficient than the traditional approach to teaching vocabulary in a language classroom where the teacher instructs the whole class on the same words regardless of which words each student may already know. Figure 3 shows a student’s access of “My Words”, charting the number of times the student has taken a quiz on the different words, the difficulty level of each word, and videos in which the word appears.

[/vc_column_text][grve_single_image image=”22112″][vc_column_text]Figure 3
My Words

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20x”][vc_column_text]EC’s vocabulary learning component is built on research into high frequency word lists drawn from the English corpora. Browne et al. (2013) analyzed the 2-billion-word Cambridge English Corpus (CEC) to develop the New General Service List (NGSL) of 2,800 high frequency English words. EC employs this list as its core vocabulary of which 960 words are very high frequency academic words (e.g., distribution, impact), 1,200 are essential for TOEIC test takers (e.g., client, conference), and 1,700 words are high frequency business words (e.g., equity, goods). EC claims that students learning their core vocabulary will understand 92% of the words they are likely to encounter in print media, TV shows, movies, or daily speech.

Not surprisingly, EC has a very robust appeal to individual learners who access EC’s self-study modules on vocabulary learning and TOEIC test preparation on their smart phones. These users, particularly the corporate ones, can purchase an additional service, EC’s GoLive feature, where students schedule Zoom lessons with a real tutor coaching them on pronunciation, stress, pitch, and prosodics.

For teachers and program administrators, EC offers a very sophisticated learning management system (LMS) that enables them to set class goals and track student engagement. A teacher or program administrator can use EC as the listening, speaking, or vocabulary component of a course. Also, a teacher can tailor EC to fit a course theme by choosing the videos that are available for student viewing. A teacher can assign student use of EC the way that teachers once assigned students time in language laboratories. The major difference is that this listening and speaking practice is far more interesting and efficient compared to the old approach. The teacher sets weekly and term performance goals and gives marks for achieving them. These assignments can be easily adjusted for groups of different ages, needs, abilities, and motivation (e.g., by weighting listening more than speaking and vocabulary).

The LMS shows the videos that each student has watched, the time each student has spent listening, the vocabulary items that the student learned, the number of lines that the student has spoken, the student’s overall progress towards meeting the course goals, and a comparison of each student to their classmates in listening, vocabulary learning, speaking, and attaining course goals. Teachers can also use the LMS to message whole classes or to email individual students.

Figure 4 shows part of a class list with the students’ names redacted. The teacher can see each student’s progress toward achieving the course goal of watching 71 videos. In addition, the teacher can view the individual videos a student has watched or peruse a student’s list of vocabulary words. Just as easily, the teacher also can check the number of lines that a particular student has spoken and listen to recordings of each line by clicking an icon. At the term’s end, EC provides teachers with downloadable class PDFs for ease of grading.

[/vc_column_text][grve_single_image image=”22115″][vc_column_text]Figure 4
Videos Watched

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20x”][vc_column_text]Recently, EC improved their interface so that a student logging on gets recommended videos based on their listening history and suggested daily goals. EC’s beta version, released in North America, transcribes students’ speech, shows the transcription to students, and provides further conversational prompts. Impressively, the EC platform is moving toward interactive speech like Siri or Google where student input will generate automated responses, simulating the interaction of a real conversation.

At present, EC includes videos for younger learners and some videos specifically created to teach English pronunciation and grammar. Videos for the latter two categories include, for instance, the “l and r” difficulty that Japanese speakers face in speaking English and grammatical points such as adjective ordering in English. By offering these traditional types of video offerings in addition to its authentic videos, EC is no doubt responding to a growing and varied consumer base. According to the EC website, 1,050 schools and businesses and 10,012,400 learners use it worldwide. Besides English and Japanese, the website supports nine other languages, including Korean, Turkish, and French. Like most CLPs these days, EC operates with a subscription model whereby students buy a monthly, school term, or annual subscription. EC also offers institutional pricing so that the cost per student for a term is roughly the price of a textbook.

Interestingly, one of the great strengths of EC also constitutes a weakness. It is extremely convenient to access the EC website via smart phones, but it is not as easy to read text on a smart phone as it would be while working on a tablet or a laptop. Second, although students can access the website anywhere and at any time on their phones, this can be problematic for some. They may feel embarrassed about speaking into their phones on public transportation and practicing English. In addition, students are often ambivalent about employing their smart phones which are so much a part of their social networks for educational purposes. Some students will no doubt worry about exceeding their data plans. Finally, students often use their smart phones in class for texting, reading e-mails, and surfing the Internet and may find it hard to stay on task and do their school work.

Finally, as with integrating any computer-assisted instruction (CAI) into a classroom or using it as part of a course, teachers will need to thoroughly understand how EC works before teaching with it. EC’s versatility and its many features mean that learning how to use EC effectively might take time. Teachers also need to provide their students with a good orientation to EC’s features, perhaps by introducing them to EC in the first class of the term and then, in subsequent classes, providing class time for reviewing its features and trouble-shooting any problems that students might experience. Even with EC’s high interest videos, students will need frequent teacher encouragement to meet their weekly targets. Teachers might take time at the beginning of each lesson to review the class’s progress, perhaps highlighting the work of higher scoring students (without using their names or identifying them), or finding time during class to coach individual students who are falling behind.

Altogether though, EC represents a significant development in CAI, an example that will encourage other companies to create innovative educational technology. The use of so much authentic material in this program is commendable, particularly if used with adult learners who will appreciate its relevance to their lives. EC’s potential for teaching vocabulary is remarkable and unlike anything else available on CLPs today. Likewise, the technology it uses for speaking practice is very useful and its future development worth following. Those educators interested in this powerful, innovative learning platform should visit the EC website to explore its various features and affordances for L2 instruction.

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20x”][vc_column_text]Browne, C., Culligan, B., & Phillips, J. (2013). The New General Service List. New General Service List Project. http://www.newgeneralservicelist.org

About the Author

Gregory Strong, English Department professor and language coordinator at Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo for the past 26 years, now works as an educational consultant with research interests in curriculum design and faculty development. His numerous publications include chapters in various TESOL books, a biography, works of fiction, and graded readers.
Email: gregstrongtokyo@gmail.com

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You may also download the PDF version here

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626 626 Alan Schwartz

EnglishCentral and Tosho Group Establish an EdTech Joint Venture in Japan

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EnglishCentral and Tosho Group Establish an EdTech Joint Venture in Japan

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][grve_single_image image=”22001″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Tokyo, Japan – October 26, 2021.
EnglishCentral today announced a joint venture to develop and distribute English language learning solutions for the school market in Japan with Tosho Printing Co., Ltd (”Tosho”). Tosho is a subsidiary of the Toppan Group, one of Japan’s leading publishing and printing companies with more than $13 billion in annual revenue and more than 52,000 employees.

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As part of the joint venture, Tosho educational group and EnglishCentral will establish a venture dedicated to providing services for the K-12 and University school market in Japan. The venture will operate under the EnglishCentral brand and will focus on the K-12 and university students that Tosho touches every year, targeting 1 million students.

EnglishCentral’s IntelliSpeech℠ platform will be at the core of the venture. IntelliSpeech℠ uses AI-powered interactive exercises to help students develop their spoken English by given them instant feedback on their pronunciation and fluency. The IntelliSpeech℠ platform is already bundled with Kirihara’s most successful government approved Textbooks, Pro-Vision, WorldTrek and Empower. The goal of the venture is not only to expand the number of titles and reach of IntelliSpeech℠ but also to create a whole new set of products based on AI-powered chatbots that can effectively both train and assess students’ true communicative ability.

“EnglishCentral is proud to play a key role in Tosho’s digital transformation strategy, “‘ stated Hirofumi Matsumura, the General Manager of EnglishCentral Japan. “I am delighted to expand our partnership with Tosho to accelerate adoption of IntelliSpeech℠ into the K-12 market. The demand for EnglishCentral’s English speaking solutions has been exploding and we are delighted to have a partner with the size and reach of Tosho to help us dramatically expand our footprint in the Japan school market. With the support of Tosho in this new venture, we will exponentially increase our sales and support coverage for the school market in Japan, with seven local branches covering each region of Japan. I’m delighted to be leading this new venture,” he added.

“We are very impressed by how EnglishCentral is applying the latest in AI-powered learning and assessment technologies to the English learning products,” stated Seiji Yano, Senior Managing Director at Tosho. There is still a long way to go to bring the speaking level of Japanese K-12 and university students to compete effectively in the global marketplace. Through this new venture, we are proud to offer new, innovative solutions to Japanese students to help improve their spoken English.”

About EnglishCentral:

EnglishCentral is the most widely adopted AI-powered English language conversation platform in the world, changing the way students and professionals across the globe learn to speak English. Adopted by over 1000 universities, schools and corporations in over 100 countries, the company delivers interactive, video-based language learning experiences for both self-study and one-on-one tutoring, providing one of the most widely adopted and complete platforms for practicing and mastering English conversation online. Its extensive library of video lessons, proprietary IntelliSpeech℠ speech assessment technology, and pre-built course modules guarantee results for English as a Second Language (ESL) learners.

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