EnglishCentral enhances live tutoring with seamless real-time engagement powered by Agora

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EdTech / Language learning

Problem

High costs and lack of flexibility with previous video communication solutions created inefficiencies and limited platform scalability.

Solution

Agora’s Video SDK and no-code App Builder enabled fast, flexible integration, reducing development time and improving the user experience across platforms.

Results

20%-30% increase in conversion rates from free trials to paid subscribers

Minimized drop-offs and smoother lesson access for over 50% of users

2X faster integration than previous provider

About English Central

Revolutionizing English learning

EnglishCentral is a leading English learning platform that combines AI-powered e-learning with live human tutoring, transforming how students and professionals acquire language skills. With a presence in over 100 countries and adoption by more than 1,000 universities, schools, and corporations, EnglishCentral delivers personalized, interactive learning through video-based lessons, proprietary speech assessment technology, and AI-driven tutoring.

By integrating advanced tools such as IntelliSpeech℠ and AI Tutor MiMi, EnglishCentral ensures measurable results for learners of all levels. Its platform fosters self-paced study and live one-on-one tutoring, bridging the gap between technology and human instruction for a truly immersive language-learning experience.

The Problem

Overcoming lack of flexibility and long development times

EnglishCentral’s previous video communication provider posed significant challenges, limiting its ability to offer a seamless and scalable live tutoring experience. The platform struggled with high operational costs, which made scaling difficult without significantly increasing expenses. Additionally, the lack of flexibility in branding, customization, and feature control restricted EnglishCentral from fully optimizing the platform for its unique educational use case.

Another major challenge was the user experience friction caused by requiring students and tutors to download an external app for live video sessions. Many users—especially those on mobile—found this extra step inconvenient, leading to drop-offs and decreased engagement. As a result, EnglishCentral needed a solution that not only reduced costs but also streamlined the user journey, improved customization, and accelerated deployment to support its expanding global student base.

Key challenges before Agora:

High operational costs from the previous video service provider

Limited customization for branding, messaging, and user experience

A disjointed user journey requiring external app downloads

The Solution

Seamless integration and flexibility with Agora’s real-time engagement

EnglishCentral needed a cost-effective, scalable, and customizable solution to enhance its live tutoring experience. Agora’s Video SDK and no-code App Builder provided the flexibility to create a fully integrated, branded environment without the restrictions of previous providers. With Agora, EnglishCentral was able to move beyond a one-size-fits-all video solution and implement a platform tailored to language learning.

Agora’s solution enabled key platform improvements, such as lesson environments that are fully customized, branded, and integrated into the EnglishCentral platform. Agora’s global network also offered major improvements in scalability and the ability to reach users in new regions. Beyond technical capabilities, Agora’s dedicated support team played a crucial role in ensuring a smooth transition. By working closely with EnglishCentral, Agora provided API flexibility, helping the platform adapt real-time engagement features to its specific needs.

Agora Products

Video Calling Video Calling

App Builder App Builder

Why EnglishCentral chose Agora:

No-code App Builder accelerated migration, saving months of development time

Customization options allowed for branded themes, personalized messages, and enhanced user experience.

A scalable, globally supported infrastructure, allowing for future expansion without limitations

“Agora’s flexibility and seamless integration allowed us to provide an optimized learning experience while cutting costs, reducing development time, and enhancing platform control.”

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Alan Schwartz, Founder & CEO, EnglishCentral

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Results and ROI

Boosting conversions and streamlining user experience with Agora

The seamless integration of Agora into EnglishCental’s free trial customer acquisition flow resulted in improvements in key metrics, including a 20%-30% increase in conversion rates from free trials to paid subscribers.

With about 50% of EnglishCentral’s users on mobile, the integration of Agora allowed those users to stay within the platform instead of having to download or leave to another app for the video calling functionality. This greatly minimized drop-offs and made lesson access smoother. Additionally, the process of migrating to Agora was twice as fast as the initial process to implement their previous provider [Zoom], cutting deployment time from about 2.5 months to just 5 weeks and accelerating the go-to-market timeline.

Results after implementing Agora:

20%-30% increase in conversion rates from free trials to paid subscribers

Minimized drop-offs and smoother lesson access for over 50% of users

2X faster integration than previous provider

TEN

App Builder

Flexible Classroom