New smart language learning apps are everywhere. From the lazy Google translate functions (like taking pictures of foreign texts or recording “live conversation” while you are trying to speak with a foreigner) to free or inexpensive personal private app language trainers that remind you daily to learn new words and grammar. There are even new language apps that use Artificial Intelligence to help speed up the learning time for students. Aren’t those tools and trends hurting your offline Language School business?
Technology moves in such an amazing speed nobody of us can barely catch up with it. And with every trend, you have new opportunities to bring your Language school into the focus of possible customers and new students. If you do it right, new emerging technology can be your best friend. And you do not necessarily need to create and promote your own app, even that might be a valid option as well.
The key for you language school success is to recognize that people often explore different ways at the same time to learn a new language. People often start using an app to learn some simple basics and then realize that it is much more fun and effective to learn and improve language skills by interacting with others, one-on-one or in groups or by combining activities they already love to do like sports or travel.
While personal apps are helpful for people who want to stay independent, booking a language course locally where schools offer additional cultural experiences like city tours, flamenco dance classes or cooking courses can’t be replaced by any app.
The secret is to integrate existing solutions into your language school offers and to highlight those experiences that students can only make with your school. That is also why it is so important that your language school website can’t just can’t list boring static curriculums or credentials of diplomas that you can achieve. You need to show what experiences await and why those language experiences are so unique to your school, playing the location card of your school fully and inviting new potential students to go offline with you – while they still might continue to use personal language apps or still use Google translate in their daily activities.
Take the example of Google translate. For small simple phrases and single words it is often accurate, but if use it to translate complete texts or try to record and translate a complete conversation, it is often horribly incorrect to the point where translation is so absurd, that you can only laugh about.
But here is your chance or creating some fun interactive ways to expose the offer of your school. Offer a class that plays with Google translate, like an introduction grammar class where you show people how incorrect Google translate is and make it a fun experience. A valid alternative idea is to create some very fun Youtube videos about the topic and people would be sharing those videos in no time, because we all know how hilarious incorrect Google translate is at times.
Youtube videos also serve as a great bridge from people that search topics on their own or want to know more about language apps. So a great opportunity that most language schools ignore is actually recording Youtube videos and showing how some online language apps are working – and also showing their limitations at the same time. So instead of being afraid if websites like duolingo.com steal your business you could create highly informative videos about such tools and have the attention of eager language students that might realize how much fun it would be to additionally book language courses with your school for a fun language holiday break.
That is also the reason why our site languagecoursesguide.com is so popular for people to book such interactive language travel experiences.
So by understanding and openly discussing new and often what it seems “competing” tools and apps your Language school has great marketing tools where you can meet your potential language students online right when their interest in learning new languages is the greatest.
They will be more likely to move from their own private learning phase into the next level that would involve booking live classes with your language school.
