A few weeks ago we heard from a Duolingo rep that they had some big news coming for us soon. We haven’t heard from them since, but today we know what it is (via TechCrunch), as the company has launched version 4.0 of its language learning iOS app. The good news? There are now English courses for Chinese, Japanese, and Hindi speakers. We encourage you to give them a try and let us know if they are any good. The bad news? Still no Japanese or Chinese courses for English speakers [1]. Bad news for me at least, as these are two I was hoping would be added. ↩
A few weeks ago we heard from a Duolingo rep that they had some big news coming for us soon. We haven’t heard from them since, but today we know what it is (via TechCrunch), as the company has launched version 4.0 of its language learning iOS app.
The good news? There are now English courses for Chinese, Japanese, and Hindi speakers. We encourage you to give them a try and let us know if they are any good.
The bad news? Still no Japanese or Chinese courses for English speakers [1].
Bad news for me at least, as these are two I was hoping would be added. ↩
Japanese digital creative studio Kayac has just released an interesting mobile app to help English learners in Japan. It’s called Canary, and it’s intended to be a listening training app to be used for just a minute or two each day. Users will receive a video message from English speaking teachers [1], along with a text transcript. Given Japan’s preference for all things cute, the English speakers are (for the time being) female college students and models. Male speakers will be added soon. As for monetization, the app features a ‘berry’ virtual currency, which you can use to see more movies. The currency can be bought, or obtained by inviting friends or logging in regularly. Canary is available for both iOS and Google Play if you’d like to try it out. Similar to the English study platform Rare Job, teachers are based in the Philippines. ↩
Japanese digital creative studio Kayac has just released an interesting mobile app to help English learners in Japan. It’s called Canary, and it’s intended to be a listening training app to be used for just a minute or two each day. Users will receive a video message from English speaking teachers [1], along with a text transcript. Given Japan’s preference for all things cute, the English speakers are (for the time being) female college students and models. Male speakers will be added soon.
As for monetization, the app features a ‘berry’ virtual currency, which you can use to see more movies. The currency can be bought, or obtained by inviting friends or logging in regularly.
Canary is available for both iOS and Google Play if you’d like to try it out.
Similar to the English study platform Rare Job, teachers are based in the Philippines. ↩
When it comes to English language skills, Japanese people tend to be more book-smart. We learn English as a second language starting in elementary school, but it was only in April of 2011 that English became mandatory for elementary school students. Before that, English study began in middle school. As an island nation, there are a limited number of foreigners in Japan [1], and for the most part, you can pretty much live here without needing any other language except Japanese. Of course a lack of practice invariably results in a corresponding lack of skills. And to help address Japan’s English problems, a company called Roll & Move is trying to make English learning more fun. How? Its app Choho-Listening E.I.A. (E.I.A. stands for English Intelligence Spying Agency) is encouraging users to become spies on a secret mission! After starting the app, you’re welcomed by your secret agent boss who helps you jump into the plot. After some preliminary questions about your current English skills, you’re given a passport corresponding to your proficiency level. From there, you’re off on a secret mission to spy on people’s conversations and report back (answering questions about the conversation) to your boss about your…
When it comes to English language skills, Japanese people tend to be more book-smart. We learn English as a second language starting in elementary school, but it was only in April of 2011 that English became mandatory for elementary school students. Before that, English study began in middle school. As an island nation, there are a limited number of foreigners in Japan [1], and for the most part, you can pretty much live here without needing any other language except Japanese.
Of course a lack of practice invariably results in a corresponding lack of skills. And to help address Japan’s English problems, a company called Roll & Move is trying to make English learning more fun. How? Its app Choho-Listening E.I.A. (E.I.A. stands for English Intelligence Spying Agency) is encouraging users to become spies on a secret mission!
After starting the app, you’re welcomed by your secret agent boss who helps you jump into the plot. After some preliminary questions about your current English skills, you’re given a passport corresponding to your proficiency level. From there, you’re off on a secret mission to spy on people’s conversations and report back (answering questions about the conversation) to your boss about your findings.
With background noise and buzzing sounds, the audio environment seems very real. The illustrations and design of the app suits the exciting secret mission plot line, and the story settings motivate users to complete and study more. The app is not only fun but the content is very practical, created based on actual TOEIC problems.
Almost half the people I meet lament their lack of English skills. And admittedly, most study methods are pretty boring. But I definitely recommend this neat little app so aspiring students can say ‘Sayonara’ to English study of the coma-inducing variety.
The total number of immigrants was 7.1 million in 2011, minus 2.3 million from previous year. ↩
english study 
Rick Martin
Yukari Mitsuhashi
