Take the next step on the journey ahead
We have been gathering experience for more than 140 years, getting people excited about languages and other cultures and accompanying them on their personal and professional journeys.
“It is a special feeling to be able to help people achieve their goals.”
In which Mr. Berlitz goes to America and starts a language school
Our founder, Maximilian D. Berlitz, was interested in foreign languages from an early age. When he emigrated from Germany to the United States at the age of 18, he not only spoke his native tongue, but French, Latin, and Greek as well. He quickly made a name for himself as a language teacher and became a professor of French and German.
The Berlitz Method is born
It was pure chance that the classic grammar translation method of language learning gave way to the dynamic and active Berlitz Method. When Berlitz hired an assistant who only spoke French, he discovered that the traditional form of instruction, which focused on rote memorization, learning grammar, and translating texts, was less effective than having his students speak the language actively from day one. From this point onward, he increasingly moved toward a style of instruction that allowed students to immerse themselves in the new language – and the Berlitz Method was born.
The first Berlitz School of Languages
1878 saw the launch of the first Berlitz School of Languages in Providence, Rhode Island. Today Berlitz is one of the leading global players in the fields of language learning, intercultural competence, and management and leadership skills, with more than 350 Berlitz Centers in over 70 countries.
In which Mr. Berlitz goes to America and starts a language school
Our founder, Maximilian D. Berlitz, was interested in foreign languages from an early age. When he emigrated from Germany to the United States at the age of 18, he not only spoke his native tongue, but French, Latin, and Greek as well. He quickly made a name for himself as a language teacher and became a professor of French and German.
The Berlitz Method is born
It was pure chance that the classic grammar translation method of language learning gave way to the dynamic and active Berlitz Method. When Berlitz hired an assistant who only spoke French, he discovered that the traditional form of instruction, which focused on rote memorization, learning grammar, and translating texts, was less effective than having his students speak the language actively from day one. From this point onward, he increasingly moved toward a style of instruction that allowed students to immerse themselves in the new language – and the Berlitz Method was born.
1878 saw the launch of the first Berlitz School of Languages in Providence, Rhode Island. Today Berlitz is one of the leading global players in the fields of language learning, intercultural competence, and management and leadership skills, with more than 350 Berlitz Centers in over 70 countries.
Find Out More
Contact us today with your questions. Your Berlitz team will contact you shortly.