ELSA Japan Supports English Learning for Youth Overcoming Adversity to Soar Globally with AI

ELSA Japan G.K. (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Dai Imao) has commenced providing "ELSA Business," its AI English coach for corporations, to the Global Education Support Fund (hereinafter "Beyond Tomorrow"), a public interest incorporated foundation that supports leadership development for young people in challenging circumstances. Background of the Initiative: "Global Opportunity Gap" due to Soaring Living and Study Abroad Costs In recent years, rising prices and living expenses have pushed the financial burden on university students to an all-time high, while family support has decreased by approximately 30% over the past 20 years, forcing many university students to rely on part-time work for income*1. Furthermore, the English proficiency of Japanese university students tends to decline after their first year of enrollment, creating a demand for learning opportunities outside of academia. However, about 80% hesitate to study abroad due to economic reasons, leading to a widening "global opportunity gap" due to the barrier of English proficiency between those who can afford high study abroad and English conversation school fees and those who cannot*2. With this awareness of the challenges, ELSA Japan has started supporting motivated young people to "communicate with the world in their own words" by providing its AI English conversation coaching app to Beyond Tomorrow's students. Overview of the Initiative and User Testimonials As a trial for future collaboration, "ELSA Business," the AI English coach for corporations, was provided to approximately 20 Beyond Tomorrow scholarship students. Provision Period: January 2026 ~ March 2026 Target: Approximately 20 Beyond Tomorrow scholarship students (high school and university students) Main Features Provided: - High-precision pronunciation correction by AI - Role-playing with AI simulating realistic business and daily scenarios - Personalized learning paths based on the learner's English level, learning objectives, and interests Akiteru Sekiguchi, 4th year, Faculty of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University (Image: Akiteru Sekiguchi, Waseda University) "I had tried online English conversation before, but I felt challenged in speaking due to time and cost hurdles, and a lack of confidence in my pronunciation. With ELSA, I can practice repeatedly without fear of failure because it's an AI opponent, and I get feedback not only on pronunciation but also on grammar and vocabulary, so I feel like I'm efficiently improving my speaking skills. Recently, I experienced the joy of communicating in my own words when I shared a joke in English with an overseas customer at my part-time job. I want to continue learning English and expand my world by interacting with various people." Stakeholder Comments Mr. Masatada Kobayashi, Director of Beyond Tomorrow (Image: Mr. Masatada Kobayashi, Director of Beyond Tomorrow) (Executive Officer, Group Chief Culture Officer, Rakuten Group, Inc.) "At Rakuten Group, where I have been since its founding, English was made the official language in the company after 2012, which significantly increased opportunities to interact with people from diverse backgrounds. Learning a language also leads to understanding various cultures and values, enriching one's life. I hope that all of you at Beyond Tomorrow will seize this opportunity to learn English using AI and challenge the world." Dai Imao, Representative, ELSA Japan G.K. "ELSA was born from the personal experience of its founder, Vu Van, who moved from Vietnam to the US and faced speaking barriers. I sincerely hope that all BEYOND Tomorrow students will be able to confidently communicate with the world in their own words through ELSA's technology." [About ELSA] ELSA (English Language Speech Assistant) is an AI English speech assistance service that helps users speak English more correctly and confidently. Founded in San Francisco, USA, in 2015, it received investment from Google's AI investment division in 2019 and is currently used by over 90 million users in more than 190 countries worldwide. In Japan, it has been adopted by global companies such as Ajinomoto Co., NTT Data Group, and YKK AP, as well as local governments like Kyoto Prefecture and Shibuya Ward, and numerous schools including Toshimagaoka-Joshi Gakuen, Mita Kokusai Gakuen, and Seikogakuin. [About Beyond Tomorrow] Established in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake, it is a public interest incorporated foundation that provides non-repayable scholarships and human resource development programs to young people in difficult circumstances, such as abuse, neglect, and parental bereavement. It supports "young people in adversity to transform their experiences into 'empathy' and become leaders who contribute to society," and has so far provided learning opportunities to over 200 scholarship students and over 600 high school and university students.