Languages at Learn&Co
Nine languages, taught around one person: you.
Bespoke language learning in London and online. Six ways in — private lessons, group classes, exam preparation, business programmes, Immersive Retreats and school trips. Our tutors are carefully selected specialists, and every match is personally overseen by our founder.
Why people come to us
You are not choosing a tutor from a list.
Most people arrive having already tried an app, a class or a marketplace, and stalled. Learn&Co works the other way round: we start with the person and the objective, then select the right tutor from the specialist network we have built over nearly ten years. The matching is not automated, and the programme is not off the shelf.
It is founder-led. Maria speaks to every client, personally oversees every tutor match, and comes back to you herself once the lessons are under way.
Our tutor selection and matching is reviewed by The Good Schools Guide, and Learn&Co is a member of The Tutors' Association.
A conversation with Maria
Our founder speaks to every client herself: your objective, your level, your history with the language and how you like to be taught. Nothing is quoted before that conversation.
A tutor matched to you
Every tutor in our network is personally interviewed and carefully selected by us, with enhanced DBS checks where required — never picked off a marketplace. The match then considers subject expertise, personality, teaching style and objective.
A chemistry call before you commit
You meet the tutor first. If the fit is not genuine, we introduce someone else. Matching is two-way: the tutor has to be right for you, and the brief right for them.
Objectives, then a programme
Learning objectives are agreed in writing and the programme is built from your life — your work, your family, your interests — rather than a course book.
A check-in at week six
Maria comes back to you at week six to ask what is working and what is not, and adjusts the tutor, the pace or the plan. Monthly progress reports run alongside.
Step one
What language will you learn?
Nine languages, each with its own tutors, its own examinations and its own reasons for being learned. Choose yours and we will show you every way into it.
- French
Relocation, a house in France, a French family, or the exam with a date on it.
Our deepest ecosystem: private lessons, GCSE to DELF and DALF, business French, immersion weeks in France and school exchanges.
- Spanish
A move to Madrid or Latin America, a bilingual school, or a language you already half-know.
Castilian and Latin American Spanish, taught by tutors from the country whose Spanish you actually need.
- English
Arriving in London, an international school place, or English that has to hold up at work.
ESOL and EFL for professionals and families, plus IELTS, Cambridge and GCSE / A-Level preparation.
- Italian
A house being restored, an Italian citizenship application, or a country you keep returning to and can no longer bear to visit as a tourist.
Private lessons in London and online with tutors who teach the language as it is actually spoken — from Milanese business Italian to the Italian you need for a house, a family or citizenship — plus Immersive Retreats in Italy for people who want a week inside it.
- German
A German employer, a posting to Berlin, Munich or Zurich, or a partner whose parents speak no English.
Precise, grammar-confident teaching for people whose German has to work in meetings and at the dinner table, from complete beginners to business fluency.
- Portuguese
A move to Lisbon or the Algarve, a residency application, or Brazilian family and business you want to meet in their own language.
European or Brazilian Portuguese — tutors matched to the variety you will actually be speaking, because the two are further apart than people expect.
- Mandarin
A long-term career bet, a posting to Asia, or a child whose school starts Mandarin early and expects support at home.
Tones and characters taught patiently from the first lesson, for adults and for children, by tutors used to teaching English speakers from scratch.
- Japanese
Work in Tokyo, a family connection, or an interest in the culture that has quietly become serious.
Spoken Japanese and the writing systems sequenced so neither overwhelms the other — conversation from early on, kanji at a pace you can sustain.
- Russian
Family and heritage you want to speak to properly, academic research, or a professional need for the language.
Cyrillic from the first lesson and cases taught without fear, with tutors experienced in bringing adults from nothing to real conversation.
Looking for a language that is not listed? Ask us — we may still be able to help through our wider network.
Step two
Then choose how you learn it.
Six routes, each with a different job. Most clients start with private lessons; plenty run two routes at once — weekly lessons before an immersion week, or exam preparation alongside general fluency work.
Private lessons
One to one, in London or online, at whatever level you are starting from.
The core of what we do. A tutor selected from our specialist network to suit you, a programme written around your life, and a pace set by your goal rather than a syllabus.
From £64/hrExplore private lessons →Group classes
A small group, a real teacher and a term with a beginning, a middle and an end.
Ten-week terms taught live in small groups — conversation clubs, structured courses by level, exam preparation and business programmes. The same tutors and the same standards as our private lessons, at a shared price.
From £690 / termExplore group classes →Exam preparation
Grades, diplomas and certificates — worked backwards from the date.
GCSE, A-Level, IB and AP, plus DELF, DALF, DELE, Goethe, IELTS and Cambridge. Specialist tutors who know the boards, the mark schemes and what strong answers require.
From £89/hrExplore exam preparation →Business & corporate
Language that holds up in the room, on the call and over dinner.
Programmes for executives, client-facing teams and companies with overseas offices — delivered around demanding diaries, with progress reported to whoever signs it off.
From £120/hrExplore business programmes →Immersive Retreats
A week inside the language that moves you further than a term of lessons.
Seven days in one private house with a small hosted group: a volcanologist on Etna, a Brunello cellar in Montalcino, a Provençal market. Italian retreats in Sicily and Tuscany; French weeks in Provence and the Alps.
From £6,000Explore the retreats →Schools
Curated trips and exchanges, with the logistics handled.
Designed with heads of MFL and run end to end: partner schools, host families, cultural programme, safeguarding, risk assessment and pastoral care.
From £790Explore school trips →
Guide prices. Every programme is quoted after the discovery call, once the objective, frequency and format are clear.
The evidence
Who already works with us.
Institutions first, then the people themselves. Both matter, and they say slightly different things.
Corporate clients
Trusted by global businesses
Language programmes delivered inside law firms, hedge funds, publishing houses and global property groups.
Partner schools
Working with leading schools in the UK and Europe
Exam preparation, tutor placement and curated exchanges with demanding independent schools here and with partner schools across Europe.
Real clients, real results
Learners, parents and professionals.
Verified Google reviews from Learn&Co clients across our languages and programmes.
“I engaged Learn&Co to help my daughter boost her grade in her French GCSE. She had previously been doing well in French at school but due to staff changes her marks started to fall. There was practically a year when the French tuition was…”
“I began being tutored by Maria in 2018 when I was getting ready to start French A level. I'd taken my French GCSE in year 9 so felt like I'd forgotten everything by that point 2 years later. Maria put me through my paces, coming up with…”
“I have been working on my french with Anne-Camille through virtual classes for the past few months, and I've absolutely loved the experience! As a Parisian, Anne-Camille has a rich, native comprehension of the french language. She has an…”
“I’ve been studying with Maria for just under a year now and couldn’t recommend her enough! She’s a wonderful person and a great teacher. I’d always wanted to learn French and finally decided to get going and start studying. I found Maria…”
“I wanted to start learning German as my boyfriend is from Germany but I struggled with languages at school, so I was hesitant. I had an initial call with Maria and explained my worries, my background in the arts and the creative world and…”
“After being lucky enough to get the opportunity to move to Paris, and having learned little/no French at school, I started lessons with my tutor with the goal of reaching conversational (and maybe one day being able to work in) French.…”
“As English isn’t my native language, I’ve always tried to improve my skills by taking different courses, whether group sessions or one-to-one. Working with Marianne and Learn&Co has been, without a doubt, my best experience. Marianne is an…”
“I started taking lessons with Maria about six months ago in order to try and get my rusty French to a good enough level that I could use it professionally in my work as a lawyer. I cannot recommend her highly enough. Her enthusiasm and…”
“We came across Learn&Co thanks to a recommendation from a friend at Hyperion Insurance Group. He was so happy with their corporate language training that we decided to contact them and set up a trial lesson. It’s now been over 6 months…”
“I have been taking classes to improve my French and Spanish with Learn&Co for the past year and I have to say I’m loving it. I’m impressed with the quality and structure of the lessons. I feel like I’m making great progress. A few months…”
“Could not recommend more highly — a wonderful tutor. I have been tutored by Maria through work for a year and it has been a fantastic experience. The lessons are well structured (split between grammar, presentation, conversation, question…”
“I had it in the back of my mind to start learning Spanish again having left it 15 years. Upon meeting Maria in person, her confidence and enthusiasm for her teaching convinced me to make the plunge and I began immediately with two 2hour…”
“I found Learn&Co when searching for someone to help me rediscover my lapsed Italian language. Maria was totally professional whilst being warm and approachable. She assessed my requirements and found me the perfect tutor. Having spoken…”
“When I was looking for help with my French DALF studies, Maria was the third personal tutor I tried and I was impressed by her enthusiasm and professionalism right from the start. After working with her for over a year and a half, I have…”
“Maria is such an inspiring and amazing tutor who helped me to achieve a high A in my French A-Level, something which I thought would never be possible. She always knew exactly which areas I needed to focus on in order to improve (something…”
“I was immediately drawn to Maria's professional website and once I spoke to her I knew that she would be a perfect tutor for my son who is preparing for Common Entrance having never studied French before! Her warm disposition meant that…”
“I started French tutoring with Maria about 4 months ago and it has been incredibly beneficial. I work for a large financial corporation and I wanted to increase our business presence in the French speaking countries in North Africa. Maria…”
“I was fortunate to get in direct contact with the owner of the school, Mrs. Maria, who immediately made herself available to arrange a video call during which she explained how the school works. Since we had limited time for my daughter,…”
“Working weekly with Maria for over a year was extremely advantageous and beneficial to my French speaking skills. Maria was always very patient, optimistic and dedicated to teaching me the various ways to improve my language. Over our time…”
“Maria is exactly what I had been hoping for in a French tutor. She is a lively, interesting and intelligent person so that we always have interesting and stimulating conversations on a wide variety of topics which continually expand my…”
“I took some group French classes, and despite attending for a couple of months, I didn't end up learning anything. I felt quite discouraged after wasting money and time on it. I decided to look for private lessons for a while, and although…”
“I have very much enjoyed my lessons with Anne-Camille over the last year. The sessions have been fun and always tailored to my interests/topics of choice and ability. She is a patient but very engaging teacher and there has been a good mix…”
“I always enjoy my French lessons with Anne-Camille. They are fun, varied and interesting. My interests, and other items that we discuss, are often incorporated and in a very natural way. She is very patient and always positive. With the…”
“My tutor was fantastic, she really helped me increase my confidence with French and our lessons were the perfect balance between grammar and chit-chat. My tutor would always recommend films/podcasts etc that were specific to my interests,…”
“Maria is a very talented language teacher who adaptable, motivating, and makes learning fun. I really enjoyed her teaching style; she geared the material to my interests using materials drawn from many real world sources as well as…”
“My son needed 3 As for his conditional offer for Oxford University and French was the weak link. We had had a tutor who just taught him general French. We chose Maria because she seemed to know more about what was needed for A-level. She…”
“Maria is a great tutor. She worked as my tutor for a few months, helping me prepare for my Spanish IB oral and final exams. Because I didn't do very well in IGCSE, I decided I needed extra help for this subject. In the relatively short…”
“Maria coached our son for his French iGCSE. She met him not long before the exam at a time when his school was predicting that he was unlikely to gain a good grade and he had convinced himself that he was simply no good at French. Within a…”
“Brilliant tutor service! My tutor was very profesional and organised, as well as being very clear in addressing areas I ought to work on. I had a tutor for Spanish as I struggled with the confidence to speak it out loud and also wanted…”
“I thoroughly recommend Learn and Co, I loved my sessions with my tutor. My tutor helped with my French GCSE, she made the lessons personalised and engaging, bringing in topics that I enjoy, as well as working on necessities such as grammar…”
“I strongly recommend Maria! Not only did I finish with an A* in Spanish A level but also a great friend. Maria is a passionate tutor who dedicates herself fully to improving her students linguistic ability. She is extremely capable of…”
“Absolutely wonderful. Tough but also insightful; I have worked with Maria over a few years and progressed from a word to A level. She is focussed and hard working and I happily continue to see her every week. I have had face to face and…”
“Couldn't recommend Maria more. We worked together for two years on my Spanish and French A Level, and she helped me get the grades I didn't think were possible! She knows how to adapt her lessons to suit each student and keep them engaged…”
“I was looking for a mix of help with social chat in french, developing my professional french and rebooting my grammar and written french that had suffered from years of underuse. Maria is funny, engaging and highly skilful as a teacher.…”
“Maria has been helping me learn Spanish this year and has also taught me French for a few years now. I have consistently received top grades (at A-Level and in university) because of her help. She provides lots of support and makes…”
“Maria is a superb, dedicated and gifted tutor with a meticulous approach to exam preparation--I cannot praise her highly enough. She worked with my sons in the month’s coming up to their French A levels –and worked miracles. She has a…”
“Maria (my tutor) was fun to work with, as she planned exciting ways to teach Spanish, pushing me to do spanish everyday. Maria is structured and organised as she had always planned the lesson ahead of topics in which will improve my…”
“I really enjoyed my lessons with Maria. They were fun and interactive even when they had to shift to virtual lessons because of Covid. I feel much more confident in my french grammar and listening abilities. Maria recommended some fab…”
“My tutor at Learn&Co supported me throughout my Spanish iGCSE with encouraging words and personalised work to improve on specific areas. It has helped me develop confidence in speaking Spanish and grasp new grammar and rules quickly. As a…”
“My son has been working with Learn & Co for around a year, to supplement his French GCSE studies. The lessons are well organised and tailored appropriately and we have seen a marked difference in his grades over that period, which he…”
“What can I say? Rosie is an amazing teacher! Not only is she friendly and understanding, but she always tries her best to help me improve myself. She is using different methods to make the lesson more interesting and challenging. I am…”
“Couldn’t recommend more highly. I have enjoyed my lessons for a year, and there is always a depth of material to improve all aspects of your studies. I look forward to my lessons every week and found I have vastly improved to a stage where…”
“Learn & Co helped me to create a good foundation in Spanish and now I am more confident to talk. Their approach is fun and interesting , and regardless the reason you are learning , the classes are always pleasant . I highly recommend…”
“Maria's enthusiasm and joy of expression are infectious. She works hard to find the most appropriate way to express the student's ideas in the target tongue, and delights in the detail of her mother tongue. This made classes enjoyable and…”
“Maria was really helpful. She made Spanish much more enjoyable for me and gave me useful techniques to learn grammar and vocabulary. She helped motivate me so I felt like I wanted to learn and increased my confidence. I really don't think…”
“Maria is an outstanding tutor - focused, professional, personable and thoughtful about the needs and learning styles of her students. We are very pleased with the tutoring our daughter has received as she moves towards sitting her French…”
“I was tutored for roughly six months and absolutely loved it. Great care goes into matching the right tutor with the student. My French improved massively in a few weeks and I made significant progress in the subsequent months. Would…”
“I had lessons of spanish in Learn&Co with Antonio Lara from Spain. He explains very well the grammar and answered every question I asked in the way that I could easily understand. He really knows how to engage to talk in Spanish and teach…”
“Maria helped me A level French and Spanish, and was especially helpful in improving my essays. I am now going to study French and Spanish at Cambridge next year after she helped me to get A*s in both subjects, I would definitely recommend…”
“I have really enjoyed the last few months with Learn&Co, having never learned Spanish before. Claudia is great to work with and provides a fun and structured learning programme. My improvement has been good with the benefit of written and…”
“My child jumped from a predicted grade 4 to achieve grade 8 in GCSE Spanish under the tutorship of Learn&Co. The tutor was a great match for my child and enthused and motivated them to achieve, employing equal measures of encouragement and…”
“Maria is an exceptional Language Tutor, with an eye for understanding the specific needs and abilities of her clients / students. I approached Maria for tuition in the French language at beginners level, and am very pleased with my overall…”
“I took some online Spanish lessons with Learn&Co around 1 year ago and I started from beginner level. The lessons were incredible well structured and my Spanish level increased dramatically after taking lesson for around 1 month with my…”
“Rosie taught me German for three years. She is kind, encouraging, and allowed me to progress at my own pace without pressure. Her lessons were always fun as well as practical, and her approach made me feel less nervous and self-conscious…”
“Maria helped my son hugely with preparation for his French GCSE. He went from a predicted grade 4 to a 6 - thanks in large part to 1 hour of French each week with Maria. Maria is also a really lovely person and my son enjoyed the lessons.”
Posted on Google
“I had a great experience with this tutoring agency. My tutor was very good and helped me to get an A* in my French a level. They have very good resources and my tutor offered me great support. I highly recommend this agency.”
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“Cannot recommend Maria more! I have been taking lessons with her for more then two years and the level of my French jumped significantly! I recommended Maria to all my friends and now we are fighting for her time! Nataliya”
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“To all those searching for a French tutor, I cannot recommend Maria Toubbe highly enough. She turned my French A2 around and got me from a low B to an A* on results day. She is absolutely brilliant and works wonders”
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“Marion has moved my understanding of french to a level that is giving me the confidence to push myself on a daily basis. I now try french books, music and movies, and I am really enjoying learning. A great tutor.”
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“My tutor was very professional and always had a well structured lesson with a clear plan addressing what I wanted to work on. The online set up also worked very smoothly and never posed any problems. …More”
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“Maria is really an exceptional tutor and her impact was not just academic success but also transformatory on confidence. Maria is patient, vested and able to create tutor plans to really inspire!”
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“My tutor helped me push my IB Grade from a 4 to a 6. I would most definitely recommend. They help you identity your weaknesses and provide you with the relevant exercises to improve your french.”
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“Maria has been a great teacher. I wanted to develop my tiny bit of tourist Spanish. She made it fun while using mixed media for teaching spoken and written Spanish. Even grammar was enjoyable!”
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“I had one month of Spanish classes in London Maria is very sweet person and has good ressources to help you practice and keep in touch with the language - she is very patient Best of luck !”
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“I cannot thank Maria enough for preparing me for my scholarship exams. Over the course of our lessons Maria mixed fun and work in the perfect balance. Again I say thank you.”
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“The lessons helped me so much in preparation for my French A-Level and I ended up receiving an A* in my French exam! I definitely recommend Maria for anyone studying French!”
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“A highly professional and bespoke teaching - would recommend this for anyone looking to either start, or to refresh on a language. Truly brilliant experience.”
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“Re-learning French with Learn&Co has restarted my curiosity of taking on a new language, and I was able to learn in such a friendly and thoughtful setting!”
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“Marie is a joy to learn with and is an incredibly nurturing and encouraging teacher. I would highly recommend her for anyone at any level of learning!”
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“Learning Spanish at the moment and find Maria has a great format on how to learn and is always encouraging you to stay sharp and on your game”
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“Great teacher. Engaging, patient and fun to learn with (key when doing something attritional like learning a language). Highly recommend.”
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“Maria found our daughter an amazing Spanish tutor who gave her the confidence to move to a fully Spanish speaking school with ease!”
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“Rosie has a keen intuition to her student’s learning style & needs. Her sessions are always engaging & fun!”
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“Highly recommended! I was a real beginner by my tutor was patient and great to learn with.”
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“My tutor explains everything clearly and is very patient with students. Learned a lot !”
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“Wonderful experience! Informative and enjoyable lessons. Would recommend!”
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“Amazing fun lessons that create an enjoyable learning experience.”
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“What a super company ! recommend to all”
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Investment
What you are actually paying for.
You are paying for the right tutor, the right programme and the oversight that keeps both working.
Guide prices for each route sit with the six routes above; monthly figures are based on one hour of private tuition a week and include VAT where it applies. What follows is the thinking behind them — how the plans are built, what every one of them includes, and how yours is decided.
A programme, not a string of lessons
Private and exam tuition are bought as hours, and the hourly rate falls as the number of hours rises; business programmes are quoted monthly. Group classes run as fixed ten-week terms paid in advance, and immersion and school programmes are quoted as a whole. In every case you are committing to a structure with an end in mind, not buying hours.
What happens around the lesson matters too
Excellent teaching is the foundation. Around it sit expert tutor matching, programme design, progress reporting and continuing oversight — included in our tuition programmes rather than sold as extras.
The right plan, decided with you
There is no generic checkout. The route and the plan are agreed in conversation, once the objective, the level and the frequency are clear — and the full pricing and commitment options sit on each service page.
What sits behind our tuition programmes
Personal tutor matching
Personally matched by Maria, with a chemistry call before you commit.
A programme designed for you
Objectives agreed in writing and material built from your life, not a course book.
Monthly progress reports
Written by your tutor, so progress is visible rather than assumed.
Ongoing oversight
A check-in at week six and beyond, with the tutor, pace or plan adjusted when needed.
Private, exam and business programmes. Group classes, immersion and school trips have their own structures, set out on their pages.
What happens next
Twenty minutes with Maria, then a plan and a price for your programme.
Detailed pricing and commitment options for each route sit on that route's own page.
Questions
Before you choose.
- Which language should I learn?
- Start from what you want to be able to do rather than which language sounds most useful. A move abroad, a family connection, a client relationship or an exam gives you a reason to keep going when motivation dips — and that, far more than talent, is what decides whether people get fluent. If you are genuinely torn, say so on the discovery call: Maria will talk it through with you honestly, including when the answer is not to start yet.
- How many languages do you teach?
- Nine: French, Spanish, English, Italian, German, Portuguese, Mandarin, Japanese and Russian. Every language is taught one to one by specialists selected into our network, and every language is available online worldwide as well as face to face in selected London areas.
- Do I choose a language or a programme first?
- Language first, then route. Once you know the language, the route follows from your objective — private lessons, exam preparation, a business programme, an immersion week or a school trip. Most clients start with private lessons and add another route later, and plenty of people run two at once, such as weekly lessons before an Immersive Retreat.
- Are lessons online or in person?
- Both, and they are treated as equals rather than one being a fallback. Online lessons are one to one, interactive and available anywhere in the world; face-to-face lessons are available in selected London areas subject to tutor availability. Many clients run a hybrid — in person when diaries allow, online when they do not.
- How are your tutors chosen?
- They are carefully selected into our network by us, personally interviewed and enhanced-DBS checked where required, and they are experienced native speakers with real teaching backgrounds — not a directory of profiles you scroll through. Your tutor is proposed to you by name, with a chemistry call before anything is committed, and if it ever stops working we rematch you.
- Do you teach children as well as adults?
- Yes. We teach children and teenagers one to one, for general language work and for school exams, and we match them with tutors who genuinely enjoy teaching that age group. Parents receive monthly progress reports, and we work alongside a school's syllabus rather than against it.
- What does it cost?
- Private tuition is bought in hours: 4 hours at £75/hr (£300) month to month, down to £64/hr on 48 hours used within up to twelve months (£3,060), VAT included. Exam preparation runs from £105/hr on 4 hours (£420) to £89/hr on 48 hours (£4,284), and business one-to-one runs from £120/hr on 4 hours (£480) to £102/hr on 48 hours (£4,896), with business group terms from £950 per person. Immersive Retreats and school trips are quoted programme by programme. Private, exam and business plans include tutor matching, a bespoke programme, monthly progress reports and founder check-ins.
- Do you offer group classes?
- Not for individuals to join at present. If you already have a group — colleagues, friends or a team — we can build a tailored group programme around it, and Immersive Retreats are run in small groups by design.
Ready to find your voice in a new language?
Schedule a chat with Maria.
Every Learn&Co journey begins with a conversation. Tell Maria where you are, what you have tried before and what you want to be able to do — she will tell you honestly how we would approach it, and who she would match you with.
Maria Toubbe
- 20 minutes
- A conversation, not a sales call.
- With Maria
- Our founder, every time — not a call centre.
- No obligation
- Advice you can use even if you never book.
20 min · video call · free
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