#Japan #Tokyo #AI Education #English Learning #VerbSpark

VerbSpark: Transforming English Learning in Schools

In an era where technology is reshaping education, Spatole Corporation is excited to announce the upcoming launch of VerbSpark in 2025. This AI-driven English learning tool is designed specifically for elementary, middle, and high school students, fully compliant with Japan's curriculum. The demand for advanced educational tools has led to early implementations in public schools, all aiming to enhance English proficiency among students.

Background of Development

The GIGA School Initiative has made personal devices accessible to students, but new challenges have arisen. Specifically, there's an urgent need to expand students' opportunities to 'speak and write' in English while reducing teachers' workload. By leveraging our experience gained from supporting over 450 schools and more than 150,000 students in previous English programs, we created VerbSpark based on Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theories. The groundwork laid in 2023 with commercial AI implementations for online English classes paved the way for launching VerbSpark. Even before its official launch, this innovative tool has gained traction in advanced public schools through paid implementations.

Three Key Features of VerbSpark

1. Positive Scoring Instead of Negative Feedback: VerbSpark encourages students by utilizing a points-based system instead of traditional red-pen corrections that highlight mistakes. With fun daily challenges and opportunities to earn 'Stars', students can cultivate a love for learning English. This approach fosters engagement to the point where students voluntarily practice during breaks, and with AI as their partner, they can rehearse without the fear of embarrassing pronunciation errors.

2. Comprehensive Speaking and Writing Support: VerbSpark supports students from 5th grade to 3rd-year high school, offering over 120 pre-installed units that cover both speaking and writing skills. Its features include precise phoneme-level coaching for speaking and AI-powered recommendations for writing corrections. Teachers can easily tailor the content to match their lessons, making it an effective supplementary resource for assignments and school activities.

3. Zero Preparation Time for Teachers: Teachers can seamlessly initiate lessons by simply displaying a QR code without needing to manage usernames and passwords. This automated content generation feature enables instructors to create original conversational and writing exercises on the fly by inputting desired topics, from current events to school events. Furthermore, students' learning data is visualized in real-time, allowing teachers to output grade data in CSV format, significantly reducing their administrative burden.

Implementation Success

Since its anticipated rollout in 2025, VerbSpark has garnered praise from educational institutions, particularly public schools. The emphasis on practical usability has led to steady growth in paid implementations, even at the municipal level. The development team continuously enhances the tool by incorporating feedback from users in the field.

Service Overview

• - Name: VerbSpark
• - Target Audience: Elementary, Middle, and High Schools
• - Compatible Devices: Tablets, PCs, Smartphones (Browser-based)
• - Key Features: AI Speaking, AI Writing Correction, CEFR level assessment, Learning Management System (LMS)
• - URL: https://sptr.jp/verbspark

About Spatole Corporation

At Spatole Corporation, we are dedicated to eliminating educational disparities, ensuring that hard work leads to success for all individuals. We integrate cutting-edge technology with scientific learning methods to create impactful English education services.

Company Overview:

• - Name: Spatole Corporation
• - Location: 1-4-10 Uchikanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 5F ATS Otemachi Building
• - CEO: Marie Mukai
• - Established: May 22, 2018
• - Business: Development and management of English learning services, support for schools in English education.