What is HiNative Trek?

HiNative Trek is an English learning service that can be accessed via the HiNative app. The service is designed to help English learners improve their ability to output practical English. Students receive daily tasks (“homework”) that allow them to practice writing and speaking English. Teachers provide personalized feedback on students’ writing and pronunciation. We currently offer one Business English course and two IT courses. All three courses are year-long courses, but a monthly subscription plan is available. Check the “Coursework” section of the site for more information on course content.

How are HiNative and HiNative Trek different?

HiNative is a Q&A platform for language learners and people who are interested in learning about other cultures. Language learners can ask questions about the languages they are learning and receive answers from other users who natively speak those languages. People interested in learning about other cultures can use the service to connect with people who can answer their questions. HiNative Trek is an English learning service that is built on top of the HiNative platform. Trek subscribers (“students”) access their homework by logging in to the HiNative app. When students submit homework, it is reviewed by professional English teachers, not other HiNative users. There are free and paid versions of HiNative. HiNative Trek is a paid subscription service.

What makes Trek different from other English learning services?

English learners face a difficult decision when selecting a method of study. Traditional classrooms and conversation schools guarantee access to a professional teacher, but can be difficult to attend on a busy schedule. Language learning applications are often the most convenient option, but typically do not include access to a professional teacher. HiNative Trek offers the best of both worlds: students can do homework anywhere, anytime, and they receive personalized feedback from qualified English teachers who have professional experience working at American companies.

When does the course start?

The first problem will arrive on the day you register (and your payment is confirmed).
If you register on a Saturday or Sunday, the first problem will arrive on the following Monday.

All times and dates are based on Japan Standard Time (JST) (UTC+09:00).

Will I be able to speak English perfectly with just Trek?

The short answer is “no”.
However, we believe that you need to develop the ability to think in English if you want to be able to use English in real-world situations. Trek courses are designed to get you thinking and forming sentences in English so that you can do so naturally the next time you are in a situation where you need to speak English. In the Business course, the focus is on learning to think in and output English. You are not translating or memorizing sentences. Instead, you are learning grammar or idiomatic expressions, then practicing that language in a particular context. The IT1 and IT2 courses focus more on translation.

When will I get corrections?

If you submit homework by 1 p.m. on the day you receive it, you will receive corrections by 6 p.m. If you submit your homework after 1 p.m. on the day you receive it and it is not Friday, you will receive corrections within 24 hours. If you submit your homework after 1 p.m. on a Friday, you will receive corrections on the following Monday. If you submit homework on a different day than the day you received it and it is Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, you will receive corrections within 48 hours. If it is Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, you will receive corrections the following week. Please check the Trek Correction Policies page.
All times and dates are based on Japan Standard Time (JST) (UTC+09:00).

I want to learn English in the easiest way possible. Is Trek for me?

Trek is designed for people who realize that it takes effort in order learn.
We can't make learning English easy, but we can provide you with an efficient method that is guaranteed to help you improve.
For people who don't have the time or resources to live abroad, HiNative Trek is here to get you thinking in English.

What browser does Trek work on?

Use the latest version of Google Chrome when accessing HiNative Trek from a computer. You cannot upload voice answers if you use other browsers.

How difficult are the courses?

Trek is for people who can read an article in English with the help of a dictionary but can't figure out what to say when they attend a conference or try to speak.
Trek focuses on increasing your ability to output English in real-world situations. We encourage you to use a dictionary as you complete your homework.
Think of this as your chance to finally make use of your English knowledge on a daily basis.

Will I always have the same teacher?

Yes. You will have the same teacher throughout the year-long course. However, there may be times when a different teacher will correct your homework when your main teacher is unavailable. It is also possible to change your teacher if you wish.

I'm not confident in my English ability. Is Trek for me?

Trek is designed to get you writing and speaking so that you can build the confidence you need to use English in real situations. Even if you aren't confident in your English ability now, we think that with the support of your teacher and daily practice on Trek, you will be before long.

When is the latest I can turn homework in?

Even if you can't turn in the homework that's issued on a given day, you can still submit that homework and receive a correction. If you submit homework on a different day than the day you received it and it is Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, you will receive corrections within 48 hours. If it is Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, you will receive corrections the following week. Please check the Trek Correction Policies page for further details. While it is possible to submit more than one piece of homework per day, we do not recommend submitting a large amount of homework at one time. The goal is to spend some time thinking in English each day. It is difficult for students to study and learn when they submit a pile of homework on one day and receive a lot of feedback from their teachers all at once. Please note that teachers will only correct three submissions per day.

Who created the course material?

Course materials were written and checked by native speakers of American English who have experience working in American companies. Content is regularly reviewed and updated as necessary to ensure that the language you learn is natural, practical, and applicable in professional environments.

Do you have any recommendations for supplementary materials?

When you have the time, we recommend you practice the grammar you learned on Trek with conversational partners or through supplemental conversation lessons.

How should I review what I've learned?

We recommend trying to write your own short essays and posting them on HiNative. You can use the “Does this sound natural?” question template to get feedback on your writing and pronunciation from native English speakers.

Can I ask my teacher questions?

You can ask your teacher up to three questions per homework submission. These questions must relate to the homework, the sample answer we provide, or your teacher's feedback. If you still have questions that you want to ask, you can ask thousands of native speakers on HiNative.

I want to increase my overall English ability, not just my writing skills. Will I be able to do that?

HiNative Trek isn’t designed to teach you how to write. It’s designed to get you thinking in English and learning how to use it in business-related situations. In-depth explanations of grammar and idioms will help you expand your knowledge of how to form sentences in English and understand what your English-speaking colleagues are saying. The course content as well as your teacher's personalized feedback will expose you to all kinds of new and useful vocabulary. When you submit voice recordings of your work, your teacher will help you with pronunciation, tone, or intonation depending on what they feel would be most beneficial to you. Each homework has a vocabulary file linked to it. In it, we provide definitions, sample sentences, and explanations on how to use vocabulary used in each day's homework.

Do the teachers have business experience?

Every teacher has work experience with an American company.

I can no longer access homework on HiNative Trek. What should I do?

Please contact the HiNative Trek Support Team and include your inactive account username and the email address you registered to your HiNative account in the body of the email.

How long will I continue to receive homework after canceling my subscription?

You will continue to receive homework until the date when your next payment would be due. You can also review your old homework, answers, and corrections as long as you maintain your account on HiNative. Users who cancel monthly subscriptions have 30 days to submit unfinished homework that they have received and ask questions about homework that has been corrected. This 30 day period begins on the day that you cancel your subscription. Users who cancel annual subscriptions have 90 days to submit unfinished homework and ask questions about homework that has been corrected. The 90 day period begins on the day you cancel your subscription or on the day your subscription ends. Once the 30 or 90 day period has ended, homework will not be corrected and questions will not be answered.

Can I ask my teacher questions in Japanese?

There is no rule against asking questions in your native language, but please be aware that your teacher might not understand it.

I don't have a HiNative account. Can I still use HiNative Trek?

When you sign up for HiNative Trek, an account on HiNative will automatically be created for you.

If I decide that Trek isn't right for me after I register, can I get a refund?

Unfortunately, we cannot offer refunds at this time.

How much will I save by paying for a yearly subscription?

Students who pay for a yearly subscription will receive two months free compared to students who pay for a monthly subscription for 12 months. Students with a yearly subscription will save $32.67, or roughly 17%, each month. In total, they will save $392 during the year.

Will my yearly subscription automatically renew?

This depends upon the course you are currently subscribed to.
1) Students subscribed to Trek IT1 will have their yearly subscriptions automatically renewed and they will be switched to the IT2 course. (Students can cancel their subscriptions up until the day before their registration date the following year.)
2) Students subscribed to Trek Business or Trek IT2 will not have their subscriptions renewed. They will automatically expire after a year passes.
Even after their subscriptions expire, students will have access to their homework and corrections as long as they do not delete their accounts.

How long do I have to cancel my yearly subscription before it's automatically renewed?

Only students subscribed to Trek IT1 will have their subscriptions automatically renewed.
Students can cancel their subscriptions up until the day before the day they registered the following year.

Can I change from a yearly to a monthly subscription after I sign up?

Yearly subscriptions cannot be changed to monthly subscriptions.

What happens if I cancel my yearly subscription during my subscription period?

Students can cancel their subscriptions during their subscription period, but please be aware that the remainder of the subscription price will not be refunded and problems will continue to be sent out until the original expiration date.