Harrogate entrepreneur develops new digital language learning platform

A Yorkshire-based entrepreneur who founded her own training company teaching languages to professionals and companies has taken her venture online.

Tina Kalantaridi, from Harrogate, is the brains behind The Language Pod – a new digital environment allowing business people to access bespoke teaching through a specially designed virtual classroom.

Lessons are delivered by qualified and vetted teachers in interactive classrooms that include whiteboards, chat functions and screen shares.

To develop The Language Pod, Tina carried out market research to determine the current needs of businesses and ran an online pilot programme in four languages.

She said: “Back in the day – particularly during the 1990s when in house corporate language teaching was in its heyday – I was sending out a fantastic team of language teachers to all sorts of companies.

“Languages were taught in conference rooms and private offices and the formula worked like a dream.”

Tina added: “Attitudes and behaviours have changed radically over the past few years and with more people working flexible hours and, in many cases, being home-based at least part of the working week, language lessons in the workplace are not as viable as they once were.”

Tina said the decision to invest in a digital platform was driven by growth in the online learning market, which is set to grow from its current value of around $165bn to over $240bn in the next six years.

She continued: “The platform is ideal for companies who are looking to enter a new export market or who have regular communication with foreign colleagues and clients but it is also useful for those recruiting from abroad and for individuals who want to learn for personal reasons, for travel or in preparation for moving overseas.”

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