Language schools

A language school is a place of learning where one can study a foreign language. In most cases, classes at a language school are geared towards, but not limited to, communicative competence in a foreign language. Language learning in such schools typically supplements formal education or experience in a foreign language.

Students vary widely by, among other factors, age, educational background and work experience, as well as language proficiency. Teachers are expected to possess native fluency or acquired comptence in their target languages; formal qualifications to become a language teacher, however, vary by school, region or country.

Business
Most language schools are for-profit; that is, students contract with a school for lessons in a foreign language. Costs vary depending on demand for the language in the area in which a certain school is located.

Language schools are either independent entities or franchises for corporations. Berlitz Language Schools is one of the largest franchises in language schools in the world. It purports to have over 600 schools worldwide, with classes teaching over 50 languages.

Amongst the privately owned schools, the Kings Schools UK group is one of longest established (50 years) and most recognised English Language Schools in the UK.

English Language Schools
Globally, English language schools have seen the greatest demand over schools for other languages. Over one billion people are said to be learning English in a second language or foreign language context. In the United States alone, ESL learners make up over one-third of all adult, non-academic learners.

English language schools are among the most numerous in Asian countries such as China, Japan and South Korea, as Western culture influences the rising demand for English in business and cultural contexts.

Other Languages
Chinese is one of the largest growing languages among second or foreign language learners, and demand for such classes has typically followed suit. Language schools teaching Mandarin Chinese in the United States and the United Kingdom have increased in number over the last two decades. Arabic is also a rapidly growing branch of foreign languages that are being sought globally in the last decade. Reasons include the rapid growing of Islam followers population worldwide, of which the holy book is written in Arabic, besides cultural, economical and political reasons.