Arrive ready
A readiness assessment for every admitted student, followed by personalized 1:1 preparation that builds the English communication and academic skills they need to walk in confident on day one.
For schools, universities & precollege programs
Your students arrive ready to speak up.
Nao Now partners with institutions to prepare international students for English-medium classrooms β through live 1:1 mentorship with mentors from top U.S. universities. Not just language. Confidence, cultural fluency and academic readiness.
The gap institutions keep hitting
Students pass the test, then go quiet in the classroom.
Test scores measure comprehension. They don't measure whether a student will raise a hand in a seminar, push back on an argument, work in a lab group, or make a friend in the dining hall. That gap is where international students lose the value of the program you built for them.
Nao Now closes it before the program starts β and keeps supporting students while they're with you.
- βReadiness you can see. Every student is assessed before day one, so you know exactly who needs what.
- βZero load on your staff. We handle scheduling, mentor matching, delivery and reporting.
- βRuns anywhere. Fully online, across time zones β students start from home, months before they travel.
- βReported, not guessed. Lexile and CEFR movement per student and per cohort.
- βScales with you. From a 20-student pilot to a full annual intake.
How the partnership works
Support before, during and after your program.
Institutions plug in at any stage. Most start with pre-arrival preparation and expand once they see the first cohort's results.
Thrive on campus
Optional 1:1 mentorship alongside your coursework β helping students keep pace with accelerated material, participate in discussion, and get full value from the experience you designed.
Keep growing
Continued mentorship after the program ends, so students build on their progress toward their next academic goal β and stay connected to your institution as they do.
Beyond language
Three things a student needs. We teach all three.
Our interdisciplinary curriculum runs across 8 levels and 2,500+ topics β from the physics of a jump shot to AI, business, history and space. Students learn English through subjects they actually care about.
A
English fluency
Speaking, listening, reading, writing and debate across 8 levels β from first words to advanced academic English.
B
Cultural fluency
U.S. classroom norms, global perspectives, and the confidence to contribute in an unfamiliar academic culture.
C
Academic readiness
Critical thinking, STEM reasoning, research method and study habits that hold up under an accelerated load.
Measurable outcomes
Six weeks. Roughly 5β10Γ a typical year of growth.
Results from a six-week cohort of 30 high school students at Summit International School, Abu Dhabi.
+162LAverage Lexile gain in six weeks
92%Improved significantly in speaking or reading
58%Advanced one or more CEFR levels
30High school students in the cohort
Lexile growth: six weeks vs. a full school year
Nao Now cohort average against MetaMetrics grade 9β10 norms
Median annual Lexile growth for grades 9β10 per MetaMetrics norms. Bars are drawn to scale.
Summit International School, Abu Dhabi. 30 high school students, six weeks of live 1:1 mentorship. 58% advanced at least one CEFR level and 92% showed significant improvement in speaking or reading.
What school partners say
Trusted by Education Leaders Worldwide.
Long-term school partners describe how personalized 1:1 support fits into their academic programs and helps international students participate with greater confidence.
β
Over the last three years, Nao Now has been a substantive element of our integration of English Language Learners into our competitive prep school academic environment.
The class is set up like any other Northwood class and is designed to fit within our timetable. The tailored, one-on-one support allows for personal attention to students' needs in written and spoken English.
Students who have participated in the program feel that it is a great help to them in building their skills and confidence.
Noel Carmichael
Dean of Faculty
and Academic Affairs
and Academic Affairs
Letter of support
Northwood School
Official letter from Noel Carmichael, Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs.
β
I am writing this letter to express my full support for Nao Now Global Mentoring. I have seen firsthand the incredible impact that their program has had on our students.
Nao Now has a proven track record of success in delivering effective and engaging ESOL tutoring services that have helped our students improve their English proficiency, as well as their academic performance.
Their personalized instruction is designed to meet students at all levels of proficiency and is tailored to the specific needs of each student.
Ryan Grady
Director of
Secondary School
Secondary School
Letter of support
Pilgrim School
Official letter from Ryan Grady, Director of Secondary School.
β
Nao Now programs help our students improve their English proficiency and academic achievement, especially helping students in an EFL environment learn a global language without resistance to English.
Nao Now's innovative approach combines anytime, anywhere technology with personalized instruction. Their programs are designed to meet the needs of students at all levels, from beginners to English proficient.
Winny Kim
CEO of W Education
Letter of support
W Education
Official letter from Winny Kim, CEO of W Education.
β
Since meeting Nao Now, I have recommended it to all students at my schools because of its highly personalized and customized format, curriculum, and emphasis on making the learning experience enjoyable for students.
The use of technology, coupled with an excellent system for onboarding and training mentors, makes Nao Now highly effective in teaching English as a Second Language.
I believe that Nao Now has the secret sauce to help ESL students succeed.
Jonathan Lee
President & CEO
of AltioraMisa
of AltioraMisa
Letter of support
AltioraMisa
Official letter from Jonathan Lee, President & CEO of AltioraMisa.
Our mentors
Every student works 1:1 with a role model.
200+ mentors from Cornell, Brown, NYU and leading universities across North America β hand-picked, trained, and matched to each student rather than assigned at random.
JassaCornell UniversityB.S. Industrial & Labor Relations
Mira Y.Cornell UniversityB.S. Biological Engineering Β· Senior IB instructor
Jason A.Brown UniversityB.A. Education Β· TEFL certified
Dani A.UC Santa BarbaraB.A. English Β· TESOL Β· 3,000+ online lessons
Christina S.University of ConnecticutB.A. Linguistics & Psychology Β· 13 years ESL experience
Soobin C.New York UniversityB.S. Psychology
Shannon K.McGill UniversityB.A. English Literature Β· TESOL Β· ESL online since 2017
KevinSt. John's UniversityB.A. Special & General Education
Getting started
A simple path from discovery to launch
Week 1
Discover
We learn about your school, student needs, program goals, and priorities to shape the right approach.
Week 1β2
Assess
Each student completes an assessment designed to evaluate their current English level, proficiency, and individual learning needs.
Week 3
Pilot cohort
A defined group starts 1:1 mentorship on an agreed schedule. Mentors matched per student.
Week 9
Results & scale
Lexile and CEFR movement reported per student. Decide together what the full rollout looks like.
Common questions
What partners usually ask first.
How small can a pilot be?
Most pilots run with 20β30 students over six weeks β large enough for meaningful cohort data, small enough to approve without a long procurement cycle.
Are lessons really 1:1?
Yes. Every lesson is live and one-to-one with a matched mentor. We deliver over 15,000 of them a month. There are no group classes and no recorded content standing in for a teacher.
How do you handle time zones?
Our mentor network spans the U.S. and beyond, and scheduling is handled on our platform. Students in 40+ countries book lessons that fit their own school day.
What reporting do we get?
Per-student and cohort-level progress against Lexile and CEFR benchmarks, plus attendance and engagement. Reporting cadence is set with you at kickoff.
Who pays β the institution or the family?
Both models work. Some partners fund cohorts centrally; others make Nao Now an opt-in offer to admitted families. We'll walk through the trade-offs on the call.
Partner with Nao Now
Let's start with one cohort.
Tell us about your students and your calendar. We'll come back with a readiness plan and a pilot you can run this term.
Typical reply within one business day Β· admin@naonow.com