diff --git a/examples/training/train_ner.py b/examples/training/train_ner.py
index bcc087d07..e50e36756 100644
--- a/examples/training/train_ner.py
+++ b/examples/training/train_ner.py
@@ -3,66 +3,26 @@ import json
 import pathlib
 import random
 
-import spacy
-from spacy.pipeline import EntityRecognizer
-from spacy.gold import GoldParse
-from spacy.tagger import Tagger
-
- 
-try:
-    unicode
-except:
-    unicode = str
+import spacy.lang.en
+from spacy.gold import GoldParse, biluo_tags_from_offsets
 
 
-def train_ner(nlp, train_data, entity_types):
-    # Add new words to vocab.
-    for raw_text, _ in train_data:
-        doc = nlp.make_doc(raw_text)
-        for word in doc:
-            _ = nlp.vocab[word.orth]
-
-    # Train NER.
-    ner = EntityRecognizer(nlp.vocab, entity_types=entity_types)
-    for itn in range(5):
-        random.shuffle(train_data)
-        for raw_text, entity_offsets in train_data:
-            doc = nlp.make_doc(raw_text)
-            gold = GoldParse(doc, entities=entity_offsets)
-            ner.update(doc, gold)
-    return ner
-
-def save_model(ner, model_dir):
-    model_dir = pathlib.Path(model_dir)
-    if not model_dir.exists():
-        model_dir.mkdir()
-    assert model_dir.is_dir()
-
-    with (model_dir / 'config.json').open('wb') as file_:
-        data = json.dumps(ner.cfg)
-        if isinstance(data, unicode):
-            data = data.encode('utf8')
-        file_.write(data)
-    ner.model.dump(str(model_dir / 'model'))
-    if not (model_dir / 'vocab').exists():
-        (model_dir / 'vocab').mkdir()
-    ner.vocab.dump(str(model_dir / 'vocab' / 'lexemes.bin'))
-    with (model_dir / 'vocab' / 'strings.json').open('w', encoding='utf8') as file_:
-        ner.vocab.strings.dump(file_)
+def reformat_train_data(tokenizer, examples):
+    """Reformat data to match JSON format"""
+    output = []
+    for i, (text, entity_offsets) in enumerate(examples):
+        doc = tokenizer(text)
+        ner_tags = biluo_tags_from_offsets(tokenizer(text), entity_offsets)
+        words = [w.text for w in doc]
+        tags = ['-'] * len(doc)
+        heads = [0] * len(doc)
+        deps = [''] * len(doc)
+        sentence = (range(len(doc)), words, tags, heads, deps, ner_tags)
+        output.append((text, [(sentence, [])]))
+    return output
 
 
 def main(model_dir=None):
-    nlp = spacy.load('en', parser=False, entity=False, add_vectors=False)
-
-    # v1.1.2 onwards
-    if nlp.tagger is None:
-        print('---- WARNING ----')
-        print('Data directory not found')
-        print('please run: `python -m spacy.en.download --force all` for better performance')
-        print('Using feature templates for tagging')
-        print('-----------------')
-        nlp.tagger = Tagger(nlp.vocab, features=Tagger.feature_templates)
-
     train_data = [
         (
             'Who is Shaka Khan?',
@@ -74,23 +34,35 @@ def main(model_dir=None):
             (len('I like London and '), len('I like London and Berlin'), 'LOC')]
         )
     ]
-    ner = train_ner(nlp, train_data, ['PERSON', 'LOC'])
-
-    doc = nlp.make_doc('Who is Shaka Khan?')
-    nlp.tagger(doc)
-    ner(doc)
-    for word in doc:
-        print(word.text, word.orth, word.lower, word.tag_, word.ent_type_, word.ent_iob)
-
-    if model_dir is not None:
-        save_model(ner, model_dir)
-
-
-
-
+    nlp = spacy.lang.en.English(pipeline=['tensorizer', 'ner'])
+    get_data = lambda: reformat_train_data(nlp.tokenizer, train_data)
+    optimizer = nlp.begin_training(get_data)
+    for itn in range(100):
+        random.shuffle(train_data)
+        losses = {}
+        for raw_text, entity_offsets in train_data:
+            doc = nlp.make_doc(raw_text)
+            gold = GoldParse(doc, entities=entity_offsets)
+            nlp.update(
+                [doc], # Batch of Doc objects
+                [gold], # Batch of GoldParse objects
+                drop=0.5, # Dropout -- make it harder to memorise data
+                sgd=optimizer, # Callable to update weights
+                losses=losses)
+        print(losses)
+    print("Save to", model_dir)
+    nlp.to_disk(model_dir)
+    print("Load from", model_dir)
+    nlp = spacy.lang.en.English(pipeline=['tensorizer', 'ner'])
+    nlp.from_disk(model_dir)
+    for raw_text, _ in train_data: 
+        doc = nlp(raw_text)
+        for word in doc:
+            print(word.text, word.ent_type_, word.ent_iob_)
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
-    main('ner')
+    import plac
+    plac.call(main)
     # Who "" 2
     # is "" 2
     # Shaka "" PERSON 3