Context / Background

Traditional language schools are facing many challenges due to the transformation and digitalisation of the economy and changing customer needs. On one hand, the development of online language courses and platforms has resulted in a decline in demand for traditional language courses and the existence of online alternatives has also led to increased competition, which is reflected in a reduction in the price of traditional language school products. On the other hand, the customer, who can now choose different alternatives to online products, does not realise the value of face-to-face tuition. These circumstances threaten the long-term sustainability of the traditional language school business model.

Objectives

The project reflects the current changes in the business environment and focuses on the development of a new business model for the language school, based on the transformation of the product into a language learning product with more added value, combining language and vocational training. Such a transformation allows the language school to be not only a language education provider, but to effectively link it with vocational education focused on business and personal development.

Number and profiles of participants

The project participants consist of one university partner with long experience in business education and research activities in the field of business models, four different language schools and an NGO. The partners consist of 5 different countries - Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Poland and Latvia. The participating language schools have been carefully selected to cover different geographical and legal conditions, sizes and-structure of their products. This diversity allows the development of a universal business model valid across multiple types of organisations.

Description of activities

Methodology used
The methodology used starts with an in-depth analysis of the current business model, customers and market and the identification of the key constraints of the current situation. We plan to use the latest methods to develop new business models, such as using the Canvas tool. Based on the developed business model, we plan to develop several new products and validate the applicability of these products to meet customer needs.

Results

In the project we will deliver several professional outputs. The main output is a new business model for language schools, which should be generic and applicable to every language school in different settings. This business model represents a different perspective on business in a traditional language school. We will also support it with several new products for language schools that reflect the new conditions of the updated business model and the changing business environment in this field. These new products are expected to add more value to traditional language education through training, entrepreneurship and personal development. They will be supported by general guidance for lecturers and students on how to develop and use these new products.

In particular, we are working on the following tasks:

- create 6 intellectual outputs

1. carry out 3 analyses: the first of the current business models of language schools, the second from the external environment (including political, economic, social and technical factors) and the third is of the customers,
2. create 4 new development courses specific to the sector and/or to the development of people and trade,
3. develop guidelines for Learn & Lead trainer,
4. develop a portfolio of students,
5. establish an interactive Platform Learn & Lead Webinar Online,
6. create a new business model of an innovative language school and its marketing strategy.

- organise 1 pilot training course Train the Learn & Lead Trainer (16 trainers),

- organise 2 pilot training courses for final customers (60 participants);

- organize 1 Learn & Lead conference (80 participants).

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Planned output

We believe that the project will significantly contribute to the transformation of the traditional language school business into a new type of business model that reflects changes in the business environment, customer demands and the challenges of the new digital era. The outputs of the project will contribute to the development and promotion of the language school business and bring new value to language school customers. The project will contribute significantly to the strategic activities of Tomas Bata University, Faculty of Management and Economics. The project has a direct link to the new innovative study programme Business and Business Administration, which includes the course "Business Models". Entrepreneurship, sustainability and business models are also included in the key research areas of the faculty. This allows the faculty to directly link the practical application of business models with teaching and research activities. The university can also benefit from the project by offering the intellectual outputs and courses of the project to its business partners, and can use the outputs of the project to improve the quality of the staff, as UTB considers itself a bilingual university and offers a number of degree programmes in English.

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IO1 - Analytical study of market and business models

The intellectual output (IO1) led to the creation of an empirical study that deals with the analysis of the business model of language schools in the context of the market and its current development. The study of the market and business model of language schools combined a number of scientific approaches to data collection and processing. It was mainly a qualitative study of available literature sources, quantitative research based on a two-type questionnaire survey, analysis of the market, competition and external factors combining various strategic management tools.

‍DownloadBusiness model analysis (SK)

‍Download Business model analysis (LV)

‍Download Business model analysis (PL)

‍Download Business model analysis (HR)

IO2 - Four new products in L2 and L3

The Smart Mindset program is divided into four separate courses, each focusing on one essential component of transformation. The courses included are:

• Building excellence culture together
• Resilience
• Smart Managerevolution
• Empowering people at the Workplace

Each course is designed in an e-learning and a blended learning format (e-learningand a group interaction with a trainer).

IO3 - Guidelines for Trainers - Guidelines to a Happier Workplace

This document gives a full insight into the Learn&Lead concept as the core philosophy behind the transformation of a traditional language school into a happier and more successful organisation. The ambition of the Guidelines for Trainers is to provide a comprehensive tool for understanding and embracing the need to change and thus actively get the teachers involved in the transformation processes. The need for change is based on the multinational market analysis for language schools by Tomas Bata University as the lead partner in the project. The analysis showed that the vast majority of language schools in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Latvia and Croatia struggle with continuous survival issues, competitors and low course prices due to the growing disparity between the offer and demand.The document gives a practical introduction into the Learn&Lead transformation model by explaining the key terms used, the rationale lying behind the need to change, and why Learn&Lead is to be considered as a means of this change. It further gives a detailed description of the L&L course levels and structure as well as the teacher's career path through L&L.

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‍DownloadGuidelines for trainers (SK)

‍Download Guidelines for trainers (LV)

‍Download Guidelines for trainers (PL)

‍Download Guidelines for trainers (HR)

IO4 - Tutorial for students

This guide is a supporting tool for IO2 and IO3, together the results of these 3 outputs creates a complete portfolio for the Blended learning curricula. There are 4 students tutorials available, one for each developed course. The students tutorial consist of the general information about the course, detailed course script, general information about the topics, that are important to understand the terminology and a short guide on how to work with the e-learning platform.The students tutorial and the students material portfolio available in the e-learning platform help students to get individualised knowledge and together with the blended learning approach in the project is strengthening their digital and language skills and competences, and enabling the access to the didactic content that allow them to acquire knowledge and skills for the implementation in their current or future workplace.Links to download the tutorials for the courses are below.

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Resilience (SK)Resilience (LV)Resilience (PL)Resilience (HR)

Managerevolution (SK)Managerevolution (LV)Managerevolution (PL)Managerevolution (HR)

Excellence (SK)Excellence (LV)Excellence (PL)Excellence (HR)

Empowering people (SK)Empowering people (LV)Empowering people (PL)Empowering people (HR)

IO5 - Innovation Academy

The Innovation Academy platform has been created as the online platform for blended learning. You can find here all the courses created for the SMART Mindset programme, as well as more courses, that are being created over time, to which you may enroll.

IO6 - Business model Innovation of language schools

Business model innovation (BMI) of language schools reflected the findings of the market analysis. BMI is based on an analysis of market specifics, customers and competition. Related to this was also the identification of market opportunities, which were linked to the trends affecting the current language education sector.Changes in the business model of language schools are described in the BM Canvas tools, which clearly and simply illustrate the basic features of business and the way value is created in the field of language education.Five language versions of this canvas were created for the purposes of this project. The innovative design of the business model of language schools reflects the most important trends arising from our analyses of the market and business models of language schools.

‍DownloadBMI of language schools (SK)

‍Download BMI of language schools (LV)

‍Download BMI of language schools (PL)

‍Download BMI of language schools (HR)

C1 - Training for Trainers

As a first training activity in this project a pilot course for trainers Training for Trainers was organized by Pučko otvoreno učilište Vinkovci in Vukovar, Croatia, in the period from 21 to 25 of March 2022. Representatives, trainers, teachers, pedagogists and experts from every project partner organisation were sent to participate in the pilot course. The programme consisted of 5 teaching days distributed in 6 teaching hours and a follow-up discussion per day. Total number of training hours was 30 and the total number of participants was 24, in person and online.The first four days partner organisations (PA/SK, HA/SK, BE/LV and ECJS/PL) were in charge of presenting - delivering and facilitating one whole teaching day in the training week. On the last fifth day POU Vinkovci led the final summary and evaluation of the whole Training as well as presented and introduced The Guideliness for Trainers - draft version as the first complete document for trainers fully encompassing the process of new business model for L&L language schools.

C2 - Pilot training courses in Bratislava

In May 2022 in the beautiful capital of Slovakia there have again been conducted pilot courses in a hybrid form at the University of Economics in Bratislava. We have created and delivered the SMART MINDSET Transformation Program, which includes four separate courses.

Resilience - Jarka Vaculčiaková
SMART MANAGEREVOLUTION - Janka Chynoradská
Building Excellence Culture Together - Vanda Novokšonova
Empowering People at Work - Agnieszka Pędzimąż

Big thank you goes to our participants from Stellantis, Capital City of the Slovak Republic Bratislava, ZF Active Safety and also participants from Croatia.

C3 - Pilot training courses in Riga

The 3rd project learning-training event took place in Riga, Latvia from 6th to 10th June 2022.In class of the Riga Technical College, on the fifth floor, the international project team and registered participants from different countries listened to pilot lectures. The lectures were hybrid - live and online - so we had a typical Erasmus, colourful international team from Europe, but also from Nigeria.In total there were 50 participants from 7 countries. The summary of the pilot trainings is positively surprising reaching almost 100% satisfaction rate.

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