Expert's view on Russian foreign language courses industry
On today’s Russian market vis-a-vis other global markets
For us at EF, being the largest education company in the world, with offices in 57 countries on all continents, we can say with confidence that Russia is one of the most interesting markets in the world. In general, the Russian market, compared to all other global foreign language markets, is still only in its infancy and will continue grow with a steady pace. The growth is not likely to explode yet though. This is because there is a difference between Russian and Western companies established here, as the latter currently train a much larger part of corporate clients. However, this trend is slowly changing, as one can see that also truly Russian companies see the efficiencies in having more people being connected to the global market for knowledge and know-how.
On the increasing use of e-learning techniques in Russia
The e-learning techniques are growing rapidly and one now can see more and more clients in Russia opting for the flexibility of having teachers accessible 24/7. We expect a major shift to teacher-led online training within a couple of years in Russia, as this is the most efficient way forward for this country, not to say the only cost-efficient way. Only with teacher-led online training can a language school standardize and guarantee the same quality of training in all its locations and for all its employees. How else can a language school, for instance, guarantee the same teaching quality in Moscow, Irkutsk, Vladivostok, Tyumen and other places at the same time? This is really important for corporate training since it also enables clients to be able to see the return on investment in their language training.
“Our major competitive advantages include our global presence and the availability of all the teaching resources required to satisfy all the language needs of global organizations.”
On EF and its leading position in the industry
EF was established in Russia in 1995 and has since grown to become the market leader. It has consistently delivered the best English language training results to the lowest costs on the market. Also, EF is a full-service provider, and the only company in the world that offers all training methods such as teachers online, teachers in the office and abroad studies, using the same methodology, evaluation scale and progress measurement criteria. This means that we are able to take into account each individual’s training needs and choose the correct training method in order to achieve the goals in the most cost-efficient manner. For our clients, this means that they can choose the correct solutions for achieving their training goals within certain time and budget restrictions.
On EF’s exclusive competitive advantages
These include our global presence and the availability of all the training resources required to meeting all the language needs of global organizations, as well as delivering exceptionally high standards of services on a local level. This local presence is especially important when implementing online training. Besides, EF offers a unique learning solution, called Englishtown, which, unlike all other online training solutions, is completely based on increased access to highly qualified native teachers, and is the only solution on the market that guarantees a 24/7 access to conversation and writing classes with real, highly qualified native teachers. Also, EF has a proven capability and experience in handling large volumes. For example, during the Beijing Olympics, we trained 150,000 people. Also, EF invests heavily in R&D to stay ahead in the market, using the latest technologies to improve the effectiveness of its programs. And finally, it also works together with globally recognized educational institutions such as the University of Cambridge for product development.
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