Ringle, an online platform that matches English learners with Ivy League tutors
Mon, January 17, 2022, 6:30 AM
What makes Ringle unique is its pairing of users with tutors from Ivy League universities or other top-tier higher education institutions in the US or UK. Ringle enables users to engage in thought-provoking discussions with the tutors and receive corrections and paraphrasing suggestions in real-time. Since its founding in 2015, Ringle’s service has more than tripled in size each year, earning a total of over 100,000 users worldwide. The company has been focusing on growth outside of Korea after finishing up a series A investment with USD 18 million funding. Launching the service in traditional Chinese for Taiwanese users is a part of Ringle’s global expansion effort.
Ringle is set apart from other language EdTech companies by its
- A pool of 1,000+ tutors who are current students or graduates of a prestigious university and capable of teaching advanced business/academic English
- Over 900 proprietary lesson materials on global current events on diverse topics including business and culture
- Live and on-demand webinars conducted by tutors
- Online/offline seminars on studying abroad or foreign employment
- AI-based feedback report that analyzes the user’s speech speed, vocabulary range, and syntax
In an article about Ringle, TechCrunch, a renowned global media outlet specializing in startups, said that the company had “created a niche for itself by focusing on adults first, with courses like business English and interview preparation” when “many of the highest-profile English tutoring platforms focus on children.”
Ringle selects its tutors through a strict screening process, vetting them based on their ability to teach advanced English for academic or business settings. Among other things, tutor candidates are required to submit proof of enrollment or graduation, verify their school email address and conduct a mock lesson.
Ringle provides over 900 proprietary lesson materials on current events or business-related topics. During the lessons, tutors use Ringle Docs, a tool developed by Ringle that enables tutors to correct and/or edit the users’ English in real-time. The corrections are available both throughout and after the lessons, helping the users with initial comprehension as well as post-class review.
After each class, Ringle provides an AI-based script, created using STT (speech-to-text) technology, along with a recording of the class. The service also provides a list of synonyms of words frequently used by the learner, as well as an analysis of speech pace, vocabulary range and frequently used words and phrases, to assist with diagnosis and maximize learning efficiency.
Ringle’s CEO and co-founder Sungpah Lee said, “In 2022, we will further enhance Ringle Docs and our overall learning platform to finally bring results of a joint project with KAIST’s HCI [Human Computer Interaction] research team, which will provide users with a fine-tuned diagnosis of complexity, accuracy, and fluency of their English.”
Ringle’s CEO and co-founder Seunghun Lee said, “Of Ringle’s current pool of users, approximately 30 percent live outside of Korea. Most users are employees of prominent companies, such as Google, McKinsey & Company, and Boston Consulting Group, or graduates of renowned universities such as Harvard or the Wharton School. As part of our efforts to address the needs of users all around the world wishing to attain a sophisticated level of English proficiency, Ringle is releasing our service in traditional and simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, and Japanese. We hope that many Taiwanese users working in the global market find our service helpful.”
