Online English Conversation "Best Teacher" to Offer DET (Duolingo English Test) Preparation Course from May 12

Best Teacher Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Toshiro Takamiya), which operates the "write and speak" online English conversation service "Best Teacher," will begin offering a new "DET Preparation Course" specialized in preparing for the Duolingo English Test (hereinafter, DET) from Tuesday, May 12, 2026. This course focuses on the "Writing Sample" and "Speaking Sample" tasks within the DET, which are considered difficult to prepare for through self-study. Through our unique lesson flow of Writing → Correction → Speaking, we support all those aiming to study abroad to acquire the necessary scores for their target institutions early.

**DET Preparation Course to be Offered from May 12, 2026**

**[Background] Recovery of Study Abroad Demand and the Expanding Option of Duolingo English Test**

Following travel restrictions due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, the number of Japanese students aspiring to study abroad has significantly recovered. According to the "2023 Survey on the Status of Japanese Students Studying Abroad" published by the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) in April 2025, 89,179 Japanese students started studying abroad in fiscal year 2023, a significant increase of 53.3% compared to the previous year (*1)(*2). In addition, the government has set a goal in the "Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform 2025" and other documents to increase the number of Japanese students studying abroad to 500,000 by 2033, and it is expected that the momentum for studying abroad will further increase in the future (*3).

On the other hand, submitting English four-skill scores is a mandatory requirement for most applications to overseas universities, and obtaining "English four-skill scores" is a major hurdle that students aspiring to study abroad must overcome first. In addition to TOEFL iBT® and IELTS, which have a long track record worldwide, the Duolingo English Test (DET) has recently attracted rapid attention as a new, more accessible option, being available for online testing, relatively inexpensive, and taking approximately one hour to complete. DET is adopted by over 6,000 universities and educational institutions worldwide, and the number of universities in Japan adopting DET scores is also increasing (*4).

The expansion of available test options allows prospective students to choose a test that suits their study abroad plans and learning styles, providing a significant boost to their applications. We have previously offered various English four-skill test preparation courses, including IELTS, TOEFL iBT®, and Eiken®. Now, in response to the expanding options with DET, we have established a new course specialized in DET preparation to provide an environment where all those aspiring to study abroad can "acquire English four-skill scores early and efficiently" with the optimal test based on their goals.

*1: JASSO https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/ja/statistics/japanese-students/data/2504301000.html

*2: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/ryugaku/1412692_00003.htm

*3: Cabinet Office https://www5.cao.go.jp/keizai-shimon/kaigi/cabinet/honebuto/2025/decision0613.html

*4: Duolingo English Test https://englishtest.duolingo.com/test_takers

**Difficulty of "Writing Sample" and "Speaking Sample" in DET**

DET consists of various types of tasks, but the free-response "Writing Sample" and free-speaking "Speaking Sample" are important tasks that are difficult to prepare for and whose responses are directly reviewed by the target educational institutions. These tasks require test-takers to construct coherent English sentences and speeches in their own words on a given topic, making preparation and practice essential. It is also an area where self-study with workbooks alone is difficult. Memorizing model answers is not sufficient; training with third-party correction and practical feedback is required.

**Writing Sample**

A task where test-takers write an essay on a given topic in 5 minutes. It assesses comprehensive writing skills, from sentence structure to vocabulary.

**Speaking Sample**

A task where test-takers speak continuously on a given topic for 3 minutes. It assesses comprehensive speaking skills, from content to fluency.

DET Preparation Course 3 Keywords: