Schools tapping smartphone and tablet apps to engage a new generation

Smartphone and tablet computer apps are seeing increasing use in Japanese schools as teachers look to capitalize on what has become many young people's preferred window to the world. Artificial intelligence-assisted apps have become prevalent in education, particularly in subjects many Japanese teachers struggle to teach well. One subject educators need help with is teaching English, a task that will become all the more important when speaking ability enters the joint achievement test in 2020, part of Japan's high-pressure university entrance exams. Nippon Sports Science University Kashiwa High School in Chiba Prefecture uses an app called TerraTalk to help students improve their English conversation skills. The school introduced the app last summer for use by students planning to study abroad.