Apart from this free access for Basis users, busuu.com has now developed additional Premium functions to make the learning experience even simpler and more efficient. From just €7.99/month, Premium Users have exclusive access to the following features:
• audio for more than 3,000 key phrases and 150 dialogues
• printable PDF-transcripts for more than 150 learning units
• audio podcasts for more than 150 learning units
• access to more than 35 grammar units
The courses have been elaborated by language experts in accordance with the guidelines of the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR). Compared to traditional forms of language learning like books, CD-ROM’s or classroom learning the offer is highly competitive.
“Normally you pay around 120 EUR/month for 3 hours classroom teaching per week in a language school. At busuu.com you get unlimited access to online language material for four different languages, and all that for the price of a lunch!” says Bernhard Niesner, Co-Founder of busuu.com.
“In difficult times like these, investment in professional skills is more important than ever before.” says Adrian Hilti, the second Co-founder of the company. “Apart from the online material, you have access to more than 80,000 users from all over the world who are eager to help you in your language learning efforts. This is a great way to help each other out of the crisis!”
About busuu.com
busuu.com (http://www.busuu.com) is a free online community for learning languages. Users have access to audio-visual learning material covering more than 150 different day-to-day topics. Additionally, language skills can be directly improved together with native speakers from around the world. Users connect via an integrated video-chat with other native speakers of the community to practice their conversational skills. Each user is not only “student” of a foreign language but also a “teacher” of his own mother tongue.
The start-up was founded in Madrid at the beginning of 2008 and has currently more than 80,000 users from over 200 different countries.
In the year 2008, busuu.com was accepted as a project for the UNESCO´s International Year of Languages. As part of this commitment, busuu.com launched a campaign to rescue the nearly extinct whistled language Silbo Gomero (http://www.busuu.com/
The name of the site comes from the Busuu language of Cameroon, which according to an ethnological study from the 80ies is only spoken by 8 people.
About the founders
Bernhard Niesner (29), born in Austria, is responsible for Marketing & Sales at busuu.com. Before founding the company he worked for the international strategy consulting firm Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. During his international MBA at the prestigious ‘Instituto de Empresa’ in Madrid, he met his current business partner Adrian Hilti. Bernhard speaks his mother tongue German, fluent English and Spanish and is currently improving his Brazilian Portuguese.
Adrian Hilti (34), from Liechtenstein, a small country in the heart of Europe, is responsible for IT & Operations within busuu.com. He worked for the strategy consulting firm Arthur D. Little before founding busuu.com. Additionally, he gained experience in the Swiss High-Tech company Shockfish. Adrian also completed an international MBA at the ‘Instituto de Empresa’ where the initial idea for busuu.com was developed. Adrian speaks fluent German, French and English and is currently improving his Spanish.
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Photos & more press material: www.busuu.com/
