[Z Kai] Partners with Waseda University AI Startup "Ekumenopolis" to Significantly Revamp Interactive English Learning Service "AI Speaking" from July 1st

Z Kai Co., Ltd. (President: Takaaki Fujii), a group company of Zoshinkai Holdings Co., Ltd. (Z Kai Group), announced a major revamp of its interactive English learning service "AI Speaking," which has been offered since 2024 in its correspondence education courses for junior high and high school students. The revamped service, named "Z Kai AI Speaking powered by LANGX®," will launch on Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

This revamp introduces the conversational AI platform "LANGX®" from Ekumenopolis Co., Ltd. (President: Yoichi Matsuyama), a Waseda University startup with world-class multimodal conversational AI technology. This integration will provide high-quality original speaking content linked to Z Kai's curriculum units.

Enrolled members of the target courses can use this service at any time with no additional cost (included in the tuition fee).

Background and Purpose of the Revamp

Under the new Courses of Study and university entrance exam reforms, balanced development of the four English skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking) is essential. Z Kai has previously offered its in-house developed "AI Speaking" service, which has been well-received for providing conversational content simulating various daily scenarios like school classrooms and restaurants.

With the newly launched "Z Kai AI Speaking powered by LANGX®," lessons are set based on Can-do (specific achievement goals) linked to Z Kai's correspondence education study units. By practicing towards task achievement, students can more effectively develop speaking skills that are truly usable in real-world situations.

Furthermore, in addition to these practical conversation experiences, the feedback function has been significantly enhanced to visualize specific areas for improvement after lessons. This allows learners to recognize "what to fix" and apply it to their next study session, enabling them to feel their own growth, such as "I got my point across!" or "I've become able to speak better!" The service aims to transform the experience from "just trying to speak" to "continuing to learn because speaking English is fun."

Three Features of "Z Kai AI Speaking powered by LANGX®"

1. Original Content and Feedback Linked to Z Kai's Curriculum

Original speaking lessons tied to Z Kai's curriculum are built on Ekumenopolis's complete "LANGX®" platform. This allows students to immediately "output (speak)" what they have "input (read, written, listened to)" in their daily studies, enabling high-quality English learning unique to Z Kai.

Additionally, learners receive personalized feedback on their utterances, including task achievement status, expression corrections, and guidance for polishing their language.

2. No Reservations Needed, Anytime, Anywhere, Without Hesitation

Unlike traditional English conversation lessons, there is no need for reservations. Students can study anytime in their spare moments, 24/7, without disrupting the study flow of busy junior high and high school students or time-pressed university students and working adults.

3. Usable at No Additional Cost

This service is included in the "standard tuition fee" for target courses, with no extra charges. Students can utilize high-quality AI English conversation as part of their daily home study.

Z Kai will continue to leverage cutting-edge technology to provide a learning environment where members can effectively and continuously develop their four English skills in a balanced manner.

Service Overview

Available Courses: Z Kai's correspondence education courses: "High School Entrance Exam Course," "Integrated Junior and Senior High School Course," "High School Course," "Asteria," and "Asteria for Business."

Target Grades: Junior high school students, high school students, university entrance exam candidates, university students, and working adults.

Launch Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Fee: Available as a standard service with no additional charge.

For more details on courses offering "Z Kai AI Speaking powered by LANGX®":

▼ Junior High School Courses
https://www.zkai.co.jp/jr/

▼ High School Courses
https://www.zkai.co.jp/high/

▼ Asteria 4-Skill English Course
https://www.zkai.co.jp/z-asteria/

▼ Asteria for Business (Business English for University Students and Working Adults)
https://www.zkai.co.jp/ca/asteria/

About Ekumenopolis Co., Ltd.

Ekumenopolis is a research and development-focused AI startup from Waseda University, primarily engaged in developing conversational AI agent platforms and their applications. Its strength lies in multimodal conversational AI technology, which simultaneously analyzes and integrates multiple different types of data and communication formats such as text, images, audio, and video. Its platform "LANGX®" is adopted in many educational institutions, including regular classes at Waseda University. The service and technology have been highly evaluated by both industry and academia, receiving awards such as the Software Japan Award 2025, JEITA Venture Award 2025, 2025 Telecom Interdisciplinary Research Award, SIGDIAL 2024 Best Paper Award, and the 2024 University Venture Award (JST President's Award).

URL: https://www.equ.ai/ja/langx

* "Z Kai AI Speaking powered by LANGX®" is a service provided to Z Kai correspondence education students using Ekumenopolis's AI English speaking diagnosis and learning platform "LANGX®."

Contact for this Press Release

Zoshinkai Holdings Co., Ltd., Management Division, Brand Office

Phone: 055-976-8947 (Reception hours: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM, excluding weekends, holidays, summer vacation period, and year-end/New Year holidays)

E-mail: press@zkai.co.jp