International School of Languages

What International School of Languages does

International School of Languages (ISL) is a Bethesda, Maryland-based online language school founded in 2006 by Marian Zapata, a native Spanish speaker from Granada, Spain. It delivers live, instructor-led language education across 14+ languages (Arabic, ASL, English, Farsi, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish) to adult learners, children and teens, corporate clients, and schools/daycares. Programming is split between recurring 8-week virtual group courses (priced at $240-$336 per session, capped at 2-6 students per class) and private one-on-one lessons sold as fixed-hour packages ($420-$1,440), with an AutoRenewal subscription discount option ($30-$120 in savings) layered on private lessons.

The technology stack is deliberately lightweight: live instruction is delivered via Zoom, registration/scheduling/payment runs on WellnessLiving, the website is built on WordPress, and Google Analytics is used for traffic analytics. There are no proprietary learning platforms, no native mobile applications, and no disclosed AI/ML features. Distribution is dual-mode: a self-serve consumer channel via the website-WellnessLiving funnel for individuals worldwide, and a direct-sales motion into DMV-area (Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia) corporates, federal agencies, and educational institutions for customized contracts and on-site enrichment.

ISL is privately held, founder-owned, bootstrapped with no disclosed outside funding, and operates with 1-10 employees complemented by a network of 26+ (predominantly contractor) native-speaking instructors. Named customers span U.S. federal agencies (NASA, HHS, USDA, DoD, DoC), global enterprises (CAF, DAI, Hanover Company), nonprofits (Easterseals), and public schools (Montgomery County Public Schools). Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the combination of session-based subscription pricing, low-ARPU consumer flows, and episodic enterprise contracts points to a micro-cap online learning operator.

Name

International School of Languages

Legal name

ISL International School of Languages

Website

https://islanguages.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

International School of Languages is a Bethesda, Maryland-founded online language school offering live instructor-led courses and private lessons in 14+ languages to adults, kids, teens, corporate clients, and DMV-area schools via Zoom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Language Education Services

NAICS

Language Schools (611630), Educational Support Services (61171), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Live Online Language Tutoring & Small-Group Classes (EDAMAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

In-Person Language Tutoring & Small-Group Classes (EDAMAFAE), Group & Class-Based Live Tutoring Platforms (EDANAGAB), English Language Learner (ELL/ESL) Academic Intervention (EDAKADAF)

Keywords

• Online language school
• Corporate language training
• Virtual language classes
• Private language tutoring
• Language enrichment programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bethesda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Adult Group Courses: Live virtual group language courses for adults, meeting once weekly for 1.5 hours over 8-week sessions. Tuition is $336 per 8-week session. Revenue is session-based recurring.
2. Kids & Teens Group Courses: Virtual group language classes for children and teens, meeting weekly for 1 hour over 8-week sessions. Tuition is $240 per session.
3. Private Lessons: One-on-one personalized language instruction sold in packages of 6, 12, or 24 hours. Pricing ranges from $420 for 6 hours to $1,440 for 24 hours. AutoRenewal program offers discounted rates for automatic package renewal.
4. Corporate Language Training: Customized language training programs for businesses and organizations, tailored to specific company requirements. Revenue generated through direct corporate sales.
5. School & Daycare Language Enrichment: Language programs delivered at schools and preschools in the DMV area. Program enrollment and tuition handled by ISL with online registration for parents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ISL delivers live online and in-person language instruction through small group classes and one-on-one private lessons for adults, kids, and teens, plus tailored corporate training and school/daycare enrichment. Programs are offered in more than 14 languages across CEFR-aligned levels, scheduled in 8-week sessions or hour packages, and taught by certified native-speaking instructors via Zoom. Pricing is set per session or per packaged hour, with auto-renewal and early-bird discounts supporting recurring enrollment.

Product overview

ISL International School of Languages is an online language education platform offering live instruction through two primary delivery formats: group courses and private lessons. The product portfolio includes Adult Group Courses (small virtual classes with 2-6 students, 1.5-hour weekly sessions over 8-week terms), Adult Private Lessons (one-on-one personalized instruction), Kids & Teens Group Courses (age-appropriate virtual classes for ages 5-17), Kids & Teens Private Lessons (tutoring with package options), Corporate Language Training (custom business programs), and Schools & Daycare Programs (in-person enrichment at educational institutions). The company delivers instruction in 14 languages (Arabic, ASL, English, Farsi, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish) via Zoom video platform to students worldwide, with additional in-person options in the DMV area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adult Group Courses Live virtual group language classes for adults meeting once weekly for 1.5 hours over 8-week sessions, with small class sizes of two to six students and CEFR-aligned levels from Beginner to Mastery across 14+ languages including Spanish, French, Mandarin, English, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, ASL, Farsi, Hebrew, and Russian.
• Adult Private Lessons Personalized one-on-one language instruction for adults with flexible scheduling, sold in 6-, 12-, or 24-hour packages covering Spanish, French, English, Russian, German, Mandarin Chinese, Farsi, Italian, and Portuguese, with optional auto-renewal and in-person delivery in the DMV region.
• Kids & Teens Group Courses Virtual group language classes for children ages 5-12 and teens ages 11-17, structured around age-appropriate activities, games, music, art, and informal conversations, meeting weekly for one hour over 8-week sessions with a multisensory approach to maximize engagement.
• Kids & Teens Private Lessons Personalized one-on-one language tutoring for children and teens providing individualized instruction, school homework help, and language skill building, sold in 6-, 12-, or 24-hour packages with the same core languages offered to adult learners.
• Corporate Language Training Customized workplace language programs for businesses, agencies, and organizations focused on professional communication skills, cultural awareness, and team development, with flexible scheduling and tailored curricula sold through direct sales to clients including NASA, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and other named enterprise and federal accounts.
• Schools & Daycare Language Programs In-person language enrichment programs for preschools, elementary schools, and daycares offering Spanish, French, and Mandarin instruction delivered by native-speaker teachers at the partner school's location across the DMV region, with online registration handled by ISL for parents.

Quantifiable outcome

• Small class sizes of 2-6 students ensure individualized attention and maximum speaking practice
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Babbel: Subscription-based language-learning app offering self-paced courses. Competes for the same adult self-directed language learner as ISL but via asynchronous delivery.
• Berlitz Corporation: Global language training incumbent with both in-person and online offerings across many languages and corporate clients. Highly comparable to ISL's adult, kids, and corporate language training product mix, though operating at vastly larger scale.
• Duolingo: Mass-market language-learning app with AI-driven self-study. Competes with ISL on the consumer adult language-learning demand, though not in live instructor-led delivery.
• Rosetta Stone: Established language-learning brand offering self-study software plus live tutoring and corporate solutions. Comparable to ISL across consumer, kids, and corporate segments at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• inlingua International: Worldwide language school franchise offering group and private lessons to adults, kids, and corporate clients across many languages. Directly competes with ISL on multi-language live instruction and corporate training.
• Language Stars: U.S.-based language enrichment program for children offering group and private lessons plus on-site school programs. Closely comparable to ISL's Kids & Teens segments and Schools & Daycares on-site delivery model.
• ABC Languages: Online and on-site language school serving adults, kids, teens, and corporate clients with live group and private instruction across many languages. Directly comparable to ISL's hybrid delivery and multi-segment customer model.

Emerging players

• Preply: Online tutoring marketplace connecting learners with native-speaking language tutors for 1-on-1 lessons. Overlaps with ISL's private lesson stream and offers broader language coverage with marketplace economics.
• italki: Online marketplace for 1-on-1 language lessons with community tutors and professional teachers. Comparable to ISL's private lessons in delivery format and language breadth.
• Open English: Online live-instructor language school focused on English for adults in Latin America. Comparable to ISL's live virtual group and private adult instruction model, albeit geographic and language focus differ.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ISLanguages
• Facebookfacebook.com/ISLanguages
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/islanguages
• Instagraminstagram.com/isoflanguages

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International School of Languages