Stevie-winner Meg Languages uses technology to transform language programs in schools, creating culturally aware, multilingual global citizens for an increasingly globalized and interconnected world.
Australia-based Meg Languages offers live, interactive language programs in Mandarin and Spanish to over 50,000 school students all over the world weekly. By live-broadcasting native language teachers directly into the classroom, Meg Languages helps nurture language proficiency while immersing students in a new culture.
Second-Language Learning in Australia
In an increasingly interconnected world, students need to become culturally aware. Global citizenship is more important than ever, and yet the study of languages in schools is increasingly under threat. In fact, Australia has seen a steady decline in foreign language proficiency over the last 60 years.
About 40% of Australian students studied a language in the 1960s; now it’s closer to 10%. One of the key reasons for this is a serious shortage of local language teachers. For schools, it’s become increasingly challenging to introduce a sustainable language program.
Meg Languages Learning Model
Recognizing that learning should not be restricted to the four walls of the classroom, Meg Languages tries to simplify the initiation and maintenance of a foreign language school program. Their language programs are purpose-built for state curriculums and involve live, interactive virtual lessons with native language teachers streamed directly into the classroom. Not only does this solve the teacher shortage issue, but it also serves to deliver a more equitable education experience, with those in disadvantaged school districts gaining access to tier-one language programs.
With an enthusiastic and highly skilled team of 90 native language teachers based in Columbia and Beijing, this learning model creates a fully immersive and authentic language experience, which plugs the student into the context of the language. Students get to regularly speak to a native speaker on the ground in Latin America or China, which is the next closest thing to being there. Students get real-world insight into what life is like in that part of the world by connecting with someone who lives and breathes that language and culture every single day. Students can enjoy the Beijing cityscape out of their teacher’s window or join their teacher for a virtual meal in a Bogota restaurant, which increases student excitement and curiosity, and engagement and motivation by extension.
Meg Languages is driven by its purpose to create a more interconnected, peaceful, and empathetic global community. This can only occur with cultural education, an accommodating outlook, and respect for the shared human experience. Language study can be powerful, especially when grounded in cultural context. Meg Languages rigorously pursues this purpose through its mission of creating global citizens via language and intercultural experiences.
Additional Support Services
Complementary to its Mandarin and Spanish language programs, Meg Languages’ Going Global offering supports schools to become globally competent through a variety of initiatives such as festivals, language competitions and virtual excursions. A core part of Meg Languages’ ethos is to recognize that learning is more effective when meaningful communities are created and engaged with purpose. By facilitating cross-border and inter-school connections, they are building strong communities of global citizens.
Meg Languages’ achievements in the past two years include:
- Largest provider of online Mandarin language programs
- Expanded offerings to Spanish language programs
- Continued expansion across Australia, New Zealand, USA and UK
- Partnered with school networks to expand teaching services
- 50,000 students now taught weekly
- 20% growth achieved in the last 12 months
Developing global citizens has never been more important, and schools across the Asia-Pacific region are increasingly looking for ways to use technology to expand the classroom beyond physical limits.
Since winning their Gold Stevie Award, the team at Meg Languages has continued to innovate their World Language programs and provide access to languages for a growing number of schools that have typically struggled to employ language teachers.
Meg Languages has spent the last 12 months developing a program of Virtual Excursions that will take students on live journeys through the Forbidden City in Beijing as well as other exotic places throughout the world. These activities are designed specifically to provide context to students about why learning a language and learning about culture are important.
Meg Languages won a Gold Stevie Award for Excellence in Innovation in Business Product & Service Industries - Up to 100 Employees in the 2022 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.
Interested in entering the 2023 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards?
