InstaEnglish: Improving Active Language Mastery for Japanese English Learners

Learning a foreign language provides an opportunity to connect with others and foster mutual understanding. Many students and individuals worldwide practice learning and speaking languages that are not native to them, but discrepancies in fluency and speech production still exist. Active vocabulary—words and phrases an individual can use in the context of the language—is essential for effective communication. By engaging in active learning practices, an individual can comprehend the language they are learning effectively and achieve proficiency.

Born and raised in Japan, Yutaro Nishiyama, Kellogg & McCormick ‘25 and founder of InstaEnglish, excelled in academics - particularly in his studies of the English language. When Yutaro came to the United States, he noticed the distinction between learning English by understanding the grammar and vocabulary in textbooks, versus actually being able to speak the language fluently amongst other English speakers.

“I realized that when I came to the United States, I could understand what the professors told us on slides and in text. But, when it came to speaking English, I noticed a huge gap between passive vocabulary and active vocabulary,” said Yutaro.

Joined by Evan Lai, Kellogg & McCormick ‘25, Yutaka Kawabata, Kellogg & McCormick ‘25, Hiko Hirano, University of Chicago ‘25 and Henry Park, Weinberg ‘27, this issue served as the catalyst for the creation of InstaEnglish, bridging the gap for intermediate English learners by turning their passive vocabulary into active vocabulary.

InstaEnglish aims not only to improve Japanese learners' fluency in the English language but also to enhance their conversational flow. By increasing effective communication among these learners, they can confidently improve their cognitive abilities and go beyond understanding English grammar and text.

InstaEnglish is an iOS mobile app that provides a specific coded learning method - providing instant English translation. When the user opens the InstaEnglish app, the app presents them with a question in Japanese. The learner must then translate that Japanese sentence into English instantly and speak into the app, which provides instant feedback on their proficiency.

InstaEnglish sets itself apart as a language-learning platform by employing a clearly quantified learning approach. It provides two specific metrics: active vocabulary size and words per minute spoken. Traditionally, the advice for improving English proficiency has been to engage in as much conversation as possible with native speakers. While this advice seems sound, it often results in learners spending time aimlessly with tutors, feeling satisfied merely by the interaction rather than experiencing measurable improvement in their speaking abilities. InstaEnglish, in contrast, offers objective metrics and customizes learning materials to most effectively enhance these metrics, taking into account each user's individual progress. This method ensures that learners see tangible growth in their speaking skills.

“Our core value is maximizing the efficiency of active vocabulary expansion,” shared Yutaro.

Jumpstart has provided a constructive space for the InstaEnglish team to work on their startup on a daily basis. They also noted the connections they’ve made with other founders and the Jumpstart speakers as instrumental elements in building the InstaEnglish platform.

The long term vision for InstaEnglish is to achieve global reach as a personal coaching tool for all non-native speakers in their journey to reaching fluency in any language. “I want to help these speakers explore the world more confidently,” shared Yutaro.