The New and Improved Hallo!

We are at the beginning of the next chapter in the language learning industry, and it’s the next chapter for our company too. 

In recent years, technology has given English learners the opportunity to learn from native speakers and practice English all virtually without having to travel or live in an English speaking country. When we launched Hallo in 2019, most English learners were spending more time in their textbooks than they did practicing speaking English. As the internet got better, students and teachers got connected through scheduling and popular video platforms. We’ve gone from 1-on-1 tutoring in person to virtual 1-on-1 tutoring. But this isn’t the end of the book.

The next stage will be even faster and more interactive – an on-demand platform where language learners are able to find opportunities to learn and practice with native speakers and other learners anytime, anywhere not just for 1-on-1 but also for group lessons all in real-time. At Hallo, since we believe that this is the future of language learning, we’ve been innovating and experimenting since the beginning of our venture. After a ton of iterations, we are happy to announce that we’ve finally found a business model that will help us continue to innovate and delight our customers through great services. 

Based on a lot of experimentation and data, we’ve decided to remove our loved features such as livestreams and Hallo Plus and focus on our on-demand lessons with native teachers. This will help us not only simplify the user experience but also delight our customers through razor sharp focus. Steve Jobs once said, “People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are”.

With these updates, in one click, students can start practicing with a native speaker in under 10 seconds or book lessons for 1-on-1s. They can also join live group classes with a teacher and other classmates to learn and practice English around topics they are interested in. Outside of classes, students can improve their speaking skills and meet new people by using Instamatch in under 10 seconds for 1-on-1s. By focusing on human interaction, students are able to build confidence, overcome their fear of speaking, and become fluent while learning how to communicate with others and advance their career opportunities.

I’m proud of what we’ve built so far, and I’m excited about what comes next as we move beyond what’s available in the industry today. We have built our platform that has brought people from all over the world together. We’ve also learned from struggling with English through in-person academies and learning English 1-on-1 through scheduling. Now it is time to take everything we’ve learned and write the next chapter.

At Hallo, we are dedicating our efforts to a future where language learners are able to find opportunities to speak and become fluent anytime, anywhere in the palm of their hands. We are here to empower others to find more opportunities in life and dream big. We appreciate your support and love in this exciting time of change. Here’s to a bright future of the language learning industry.

Cheers,

Joon Beh, CEO of Hallo