Sankei Online English Conversation "Business English" Textbooks Fully Renewed!
Sankei Online English Conversation Plus fully renews its Business English textbooks.
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- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 00:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 01:06 (1h 6m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 16, 2026 at 14:56 (373h 50m after Collected)
Sankei Human Learning Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Yuki Nakatani, hereinafter referred to as "the Company") has fully renewed the textbooks for its "Business English" course, a major offering of its online English conversation service "Sankei Online English Conversation Plus." This renewal focuses on "presentation skills in meetings" and "negotiation skills," which are essential in actual business settings, and has revamped the curriculum to be practical and aligned with the latest business environments, including essential expressions for online meetings and phrases for exhibitions.
【Key Points of This Announcement】
● Revised and supervised by Professor Yukio Tonoo of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, a leading figure in the popularization of CEFR (※1) in Japan. Learning items are arranged according to learning levels based on international standards.
● Thoroughly enhanced "English for Meetings." Covers all necessary elements for meetings, from agenda management to understanding and speaking "numbers" (a challenge for intermediate learners) and explaining graphs and charts, thereby improving presentation skills. New phrases useful for domestic and international "exhibitions" have been added, which can also be used for last-minute preparation.
● Introduced "Negotiation" scenes at the B2 level. Develops the ability to lead discussions through 50 realistic scenarios, such as one-on-one meetings with subordinates and coordination with other departments.
※1 An international standard that evaluates foreign language proficiency on a 6-level scale.
【Overview of This Announcement】
In the global business environment, the demand for "English skills that achieve results in work," beyond mere conversational English, is increasing. Communication "in meetings" is particularly cited as a challenge by many business professionals. According to a survey by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (※2), only 13.6% of Japanese people have a TOEIC® score of "B2" or higher, enabling them to lead global meetings. Furthermore, even those who have reached the B2 level in TOEIC scores often feel that their English speaking ability does not meet the "B2" standard.
With this renewal, the latter half of the A1/A2/B1 courses (Lessons 51-75) have been revamped to focus on "English for Meetings." The curriculum includes practical content directly applicable to work, such as handling "numbers" where digit grouping differs between Japanese and English, explaining charts and graphs, and expressions specific to online meetings. Additionally, at the B2 level, a curriculum has been developed to enhance "negotiation" skills, aiming for consensus building while fostering relationships with the other party.
Furthermore, to review whether the CAN-DO statements align with the CEFR definitions, Professor Yukio Tonoo, a leading figure in the popularization of CEFR in Japanese English education, was brought in as a supervisor to implement this course renewal, aiming to provide a more practical and effective learning experience.
※2 Reference: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology "Reference Material 4 Background Requiring the Development and Evaluation of Comprehensive English Proficiency" "TOEIC® Listening & Reading Test (Public Test) Total Score Distribution (Japan)"
https://www.mext.go.jp/content/20210216-mxt_daigakuc02-000012828_11.pdf
【Benefits of Using the "Business English" Course】
In this course, the 100 lessons for each level (A1-B1) are categorized into four areas. This allows learners to not only take lessons sequentially from the first but also to select lessons based on the areas they wish to strengthen.
In particular, the latter half of the renewed A1/A2/B1 courses, Lessons 51-75, the "Meeting & Presentation" section, has been revamped to focus on building "English for Meetings" skills. Learners will gain the ability to explain "numbers," "graphs, and charts," and the curriculum includes scenes useful for the latest office tasks, such as essential expressions for online meetings.
【3 Key Points of the Renewal】
1. Complete Renewal of CAN-DO Lists
Supervised by Yukio Tonoo, a leading figure in CEFR popularization in Japan and known for his NHK language programs (Professor at the Graduate School of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies), the course has been updated with a design appropriate for learners. Basic grammar and acquisition items for each level have been reviewed and incorporated into lesson activities.
Professor, Graduate School / Institute of Global Studies, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies / Director, World Language Center
Professor Yukio Tonoo
Specializes in corpus linguistics, second language vocabulary acquisition, and lexicology.
Leading figure in the popularization of CEFR in Japan and leader of the CEFR-J research project phases 2 & 3 (2008-2015).
Authored and edited works include "CAN-DO List Creation and Utilization: CEFR-J Guidebook for English Proficiency Indicators" (Taishukan Shoten, Editor, 2013) and "Understand Native Conversations! Super High-Frequency Phrases Selected by Big Data 100" (NHK Publishing, Author, 2025), among many others. Served as an instructor for NHK Radio's "Kiso Eigo 3" (2016-2020 academic years) and NHK TV's "English Conversation Feelinglish" (2023-2024 academic years).
2. Enhanced Lessons for Meetings and Presentations!
"English for meetings" is considered one of the biggest hurdles in business English. This course comprehensively covers essential elements for practical business situations, from small talk before meetings, smooth agenda management, clear expression of opinions, to presentations within one's area of responsibility.
Furthermore, handling "numbers" is key to decision-making in business. Especially with large numbers, the way digits are grouped differs between Japanese and English, making them a challenge for intermediate learners to both understand and pronounce. This curriculum teaches the "patterns" for handling such numbers and explaining commonly used graphs and charts in the office, fostering the ability to convey information accurately.
In this renewal, the content of the A1/A2/B1 courses (Lessons 51-75) has been revamped to specifically focus on "English for Meetings." It includes essential expressions for online meetings and numerous scenes tailored to the latest office tasks.
Additionally, phrases useful for domestic and international "exhibitions," which are frequent opportunities for business professionals to use English, have been newly added. Combined with lessons for overseas business trips, these can be utilized for practical preparation just before traveling.
3. Discussion Themes for B2 Level Course Renewed
Communication at the B2 level requires the ability to "negotiate" in English.
Realistic scenarios have been created for 50 situations, ranging from interactions with customers and business partners to dealings with subordinates, superiors, and related departments, as well as negotiations within meetings. Furthermore, by repeatedly learning 30 expressions across 7 categories useful for discussions, learners will develop the ability to facilitate English discussions more easily.
■About Sankei Human Learning
Sankei Human Learning Co., Ltd. is a joint venture between Sankei Digital Inc., delivering the trust of the Sankei Shimbun Group; Human Academy Co., Ltd., supporting "learning," "working," and "support"; and Transcosmos Inc., "Your Global Partner." The company offers the secure, safe, and high-quality online English conversation service "Sankei Online English Conversation Plus."
Lessons are provided by Filipino, native, and Japanese instructors, catering to learners from beginner to advanced levels. To date, the service has provided lessons to over 500 corporations and 200 educational institutions.
● Sankei Human Learning Website: https://human.sankei.co.jp
■About Human Group
Since its establishment in 1985, Human Group has operated under the philosophy of "Serving the World, Nurturing People," engaging in a wide range of businesses centered on education, including human resources, healthcare, childcare, IT, beauty, and sports. Leveraging a network of over 340 domestic bases and 5 overseas corporations, the group tackles the serious issue of "declining working population" through unique synergies. By utilizing foreign human resources, securing domestic labor through healthcare and childcare, improving productivity through AI/DX, and promoting reskilling through adult education, Human Group innovates the working environment and provides high-quality services suited to the times.
Human Holdings is a supporting partner of the Japan Reskilling Consortium.
● Human Holdings Website: https://www.athuman.com/
Company Profile
Sankei Human Learning Co., Ltd.
● Representative: Yuki Nakatani, Representative Director
● Location: Nishi-Shinjuku Prime Square, 7-5-25 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
● Capital: 50,000,000 JPY
● URL: https://human.sankei.co.jp
FAQ
What is the purpose of the renewal of the "Business English" textbooks?
To meet the growing demand for practical "English skills that achieve results in work" in the increasingly globalized business environment. The renewal specifically focuses on improving "communication skills in meetings," which many business professionals find challenging.
What are the key enhancements in this renewal?
We have strengthened "presentation skills in meetings" and "negotiation skills." Specifically, essential expressions for online meetings, useful phrases for exhibitions, understanding and speaking numbers, explaining graphs and charts, and negotiation scenarios at the B2 level have been added or revamped.
Professor Yukio Tonoo, an expert in CEFR (※1), has joined as a supervisor. What is the impact of this?
Under Professor Tonoo's supervision, optimal learning items tailored to learning levels have been arranged based on the international standard CEFR. This allows us to provide a more practical and effective learning experience.
What are the learning benefits of the renewed "Business English" course?
Learners can now select lessons according to the areas they wish to strengthen. In particular, they can practically learn skills necessary for meetings and presentations, how to handle numbers, and phrases for exhibitions. Additionally, at the B2 level, advanced negotiation skills can be acquired.
Please tell us about the instructors at "Sankei Online English Conversation Plus."
We have Filipino, native, and Japanese instructors, catering to learners of all levels, from beginners to advanced.