Because it's with the games they love, they're naturally motivated to learn English! Changes parents have noticed in their children through eSports English

It started with voice chat during games. The beginning of eSports English

eSports English was born in May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, at the home of our CEO, Manabe. With schools closed nationwide due to the state of emergency and my own children unable to go outside, they had no choice but to play games all day long. I spent frustrating days wondering if there was any way to turn this time into something productive.

One day, seeing my child talking via voice chat while gaming, I realized, 'Could I teach them English through games?' That realization led me to look for someone who could teach English, and that is how eSports English began.

Three years later, the number of lessons taken has exceeded 50,000. A wide range of students, from first graders to adults, are working on their lessons every day, each with their own unique story.

In this media, we will share real voices about how each family engages with eSports English. For our commemorative first installment, we asked a family where both elementary school-aged brothers take lessons to talk about their experience and their thoughts on the service.

The older brother plays Fortnite, and the younger brother plays Minecraft. Making the most of the personalities of two elementary school students

— Taisei-kun, Takato-kun, please introduce yourselves.

Taisei-kun:I'm 9 years old and in the 4th grade. I'm currently learning English from Coach Nori through Fortnite. I love games, and I like (game titles like) Splatoon, Valorant, and Smash Bros.

Takato-kun:I'm 7 years old and in the 2nd grade. I play Minecraft in Coach Elias's class. I like Zelda. I like a lot of different games.

— From a mother's perspective, what are their personalities like?

Mother:My older son, Taisei, is very persistent. He's the type who will cry while working hard if there's something he can't do. He's a hard worker who won't stop until he achieves his goal once he sets one.

My younger son, Takato, is good at getting along with others. For example, if there's a part of a game he can't do, he'll ask his older brother, 'How do I do this?' and clear it with his help. But he's also honest and gets motivated when he's praised.

— The difference in the brothers' personalities is clear. Please tell us why they started learning eSports English.

Mother:They were already attending an eSports gym*1 and learning eSports on gaming PCs, so I felt that the people running it were wonderful. When they started something new (eSports English) and I heard that the number of students was increasing rapidly, I thought, 'I have to start this too.'

So, my eldest son started first, and my younger son was finally able to start when the Minecraft class was added, as Fortnite was still a bit difficult for him. But since they play different games, they can teach each other the words they use, so I feel it actually worked out for the best.

*1 A service operated by GeSePi Inc., separate from eSports English. It provided face-to-face instruction on how to start and improve at eSports. (Note: The eSports gym ended regular operations as of the end of June 2023.)

Games are fun, so they take the initiative, which is why they learn English

— How is eSports English going?

Taisei-kun:It's fun! Honestly, I'm not very good at English, but it's really fun to play games with everyone. English is difficult, and there are times when I get nervous while speaking, but it's still fun.

I also take notes so I can quickly say what I want to convey during the lesson. If I don't take notes, I forget things or can't remember them in the first place, so I record what I've been taught. It's super helpful because I can look back at them right away when I think, 'What was that word again?'

Amato-kun:The part where I play with my friends is fun. I was already playing Minecraft, and I'm really happy that I can play with my friends in a game I'm good at. English is hard when I don't understand something, but it's okay because I can have fun during the lesson.

—It's very heartening to hear that you enjoy it.

Mother:It's not just the notebook; it's a big help that he prepares for lessons on his own. He sets an alarm for 5 minutes before the lesson and starts getting ready busily, saying things like, 'Oh, that's right.' It seems like even among friends, they talk to each other saying, 'It's lesson day today,' so they don't forget.

If it were something he really hated, he wouldn't act on his own, and if I didn't notice, he'd probably just stay quiet and hope for the best.

Actually, he used to attend other English conversation classes in the past, but it became a weekly pain, thinking, 'It's scary, I don't like it, I don't want to speak in front of everyone.' I thought, this is meaningless for my child. Since he wasn't motivated, even if he repeated what was said, it didn't stick. It felt like he was just doing what he was told to fulfill the curriculum as an obligation.

On the other hand, with eSports English conversation, it starts with 'I want to convey this' while playing games, and it's all connected to what they want to do, like asking the coach, 'How do you say this in English?' or taking notes so they can say it next time.Combined with the games they love, the fact that communication with the coach and friends is fun creates a synergistic effect that leads to wanting to do it, so I think they are learning efficiently.

—Are there any other benefits you feel eSports English conversation has?

Mother:The fact that you can take lessons online. When he used to go to an eSports gym, it was really hard to adjust because of the time constraints, like picking him up or going shopping. It was frustrating not being able to go even if you wanted to.

That's why when we started online, I really felt, 'Oh, this is easy.' Plus, since the child starts it on his own, he takes the lessons on his own even when I'm out. It's a lesson that's fine even if my hands are full, so I'm really happy about that. After the lesson, I send a review survey*2, and I write down exactly what he said. *2 A system where a survey is sent by the management after the lesson, allowing you to convey any concerns, evaluations, or impressions.

Why a younger brother with zero English experience in elementary school can learn English conversation with peace of mind

—Do you feel any changes from when he started to now?

Mother:It's been about a year since my older son started, and he has started using English even when playing games privately. It seems he himself wants to be able to speak English, and he is challenging himself with English on his own.

My younger child has been doing it for about half a year. When they first started, even if the coach asked a question, they would ask me everything, saying, 'What should I say?' They were really afraid of making mistakes, but as they got used to it little by little, they understood that the coach wouldn't get angry and that the friends they were playing with didn't know the answers either.

Furthermore, once they realized that if they just said 'I don't know' to ask a question, they would be taught kindly, their fear of making mistakes faded away. Recently, they've been able to take lessons calmly on their own.

--It's hard even for adults to feel that it's okay to make mistakes. Please tell us more about what the wonderful lessons are like!

Mother: The class with Coach Elias, who teaches my younger child, has four little kids. Since there are so many of them, they are really restless. They might jump around when they shouldn't, or when it's time to be quiet, they might fiddle with something and break it... Even as a parent, I think it's tough, but he skillfully tells them 'Let's be quiet' and kindly waits for the children to respond.

On top of that, he teaches them English. It might be natural since it's an English conversation class, but it's extraordinary to have English conversation lessons with children who have absolutely no foundation in English and can't even write their ABCs. Even in such situations, thanks to him watching over them without getting angry and his gentle encouragement, the children can take lessons with peace of mind. I feel a sense of tolerance like that of a kindergarten teacher..

A recommended extracurricular activity for parents worried about how to let their children start gaming.

--The presence of the coach is really great in the lessons, isn't it?

Mother: That's right. But even though they are coaches, the children seem to see them not as distant figures like teachers, but as older brothers or sisters. The lessons my older child takes with Coach Nori start with 'Halo Halo,' and they liked that phrase so much that they started calling the lessons 'Halo Halo' at school and at home.

During Valentine's Day, they even had a lively conversation about not getting any chocolate. They are good mentors who teach not only English and games but also manners. Their personality is great, and I can leave my children in their care with peace of mind.

--So it's not just English conversation and games that they can learn.

Mother: That's right. Recently, when other mothers asked me, 'What's eSports English conversation like?', one of the reasons I can wholeheartedly recommend it is definitely the wonderfulness of the coaches.

For example, when children are playing games freely, there are people online who use abusive language. But here (at eSports English conversation), they teach them from the basics, like 'Let's not click our tongues' or 'Let's cooperate with each other when we're in trouble.'

Because they properly understand the spirit of respect and gaming etiquette, they can realize that something is wrong even when they encounter a violation of manners in the future. I think this is a recommended way to start (gaming) for those who want to let their children play games but are afraid of them being exposed to bad things.

--Is there anything you want them to do once they can speak English?

Taisei:I want to travel to foreign countries and many other places. When I travel, I want to be able to speak English better as a tool for communication. My grandmother is Filipino, so I hope I can talk to her more.

Amato:I want to be able to play in English.

—Finally, what do you hope for your two children to become through eSports English conversation?

Mother:I hope it broadens their horizons. The range of people you can communicate with is vastly different if you can speak English in addition to just Japanese. I want them to keep talking to people from fields they couldn't talk to before. As a first step, I hope that just as they play games in their daily lives, they can also make daily conversation in English.

We also interview people who were not good at studying or English but came to love it by continuing eSports English conversation. Please take a look at this as well if you'd like.

🎮 Turning "game time" into "learning time".

The story presented in this article is set at the world's first (patent pending) online English conversation school for learning through games, "eSports English Conversation eSpi!".

Using eSports that children love, such as "Fortnite," "Minecraft," and "Roblox," as teaching materials, they learn living English communication from excellent bilingual coaches with a 5% hiring rate.

• An astonishing 97% continuation rate (even kids who hate studying get hooked!)

• Scientific learning effects that Waseda University and Kyoto University are also paying attention to

• Many achievements in passing Eiken tests and improving grades!

Why not turn the time you worry about, saying "My child only plays games...", into the best kind of learning?

🔗 Click here for the eSports English Conversation eSpi! official website

Postscript (Regarding obtaining Eiken Grade 5)

Taisei, who is still continuing eSports English conversation, has passedEiken Grade 5! Please let us introduce the content of an additional interview with his mother regarding Eiken.

—Please tell us the grade obtained and when it was.

Mother:Taisei passed Eiken Grade 5 in January of his fourth-grade year.

—Congratulations! Please tell us what triggered the challenge to take the Eiken test.

Mother:Since starting eSports English conversation, his listening skills improved, and he got good scores on school tests, so it seems he gained positive self-confidence. Taisei himself said, "Since I'm doing eSports English conversation anyway, I want to try taking the Grade 5 test, even if I fail!"

So, we decided to give it a try, and although the writing section was a bit shaky, he got a high score in listening and passed successfully!

We didn't study with past exam papers or check the flow of the test at all. Honestly, it was just eSports English conversation and his school classes.

--So Taisei-kun was the one who said he wanted to take it!

Mother:That's right. Even in his eSports English conversation lessons, there is almost no Japanese used anymore, and I feel his English ability has improved significantly. However, he feels like he's just having fun playing games during the lessons, so I don't think he's thinking about it as 'for the certification' at all, haha.

--Do you have any plans to challenge higher levels or other qualifications in the future?

Mother:Passing Level 5 seems to have motivated him even more, and he is enthusiastic, saying, 'I want to try for Level 4 too!'

By the way, his older sister, who is in her first year of junior high school, saw how Taisei was doing and said, 'I want to do it too!', so she started taking Splatoon 3 lessons last week.

I would like to continue enjoying eSports English conversation with my second son, Amato, as well.

--So all three of your children are taking the lessons! It's wonderful to see how you are all boosting each other's motivation within the family. Thank you very much.

Postscript date: April 1, 2024