Languages Connect

What Languages Connect does

Languages Connect is a government-funded awareness campaign for foreign language education in Ireland, launched in September 2018 and delivered by Post-Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI) under the Department of Education and Youth as part of Ireland's Strategy for Foreign Languages in Education 2017-2026. It is not a legal entity but operates as a brand and facility under PPLI (Registered Charity Number 20206586) and is staffed by a small core team of approximately 9 employees plus part-time associates and visiting Development Officers.

The campaign's core programmes include Say Yes to Languages, a 10-week primary language sampler module for 5th and 6th class pupils (over 316,000 cumulative participants, over 1,200 schools in 2026/27); #ThinkLanguages, a nationwide Transition Year celebration engaging roughly 12,000 TY students; Leaving Certificate Saturday language classes in French, German, Italian, Spanish and newer curricular languages; Language Summer Camps for heritage and lesser-taught languages; and Foreign Language Upskilling Courses plus Erasmus+ Job Shadowing for primary teachers. Distribution is through the Irish education system via Department of Education Circulars, Education and Training Boards, and partner networks including NCCA, State Examinations Commission, HEA, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, and Ibec. Schools receive €500–€2,000 per classroom in grant funding.

The underlying technology is a WCAG 2.1 Level AA-compliant content and resource website with extensive digital libraries of flipbooks, activity packs, vocabulary resources, reading lists, and bilingual (English/Irish) materials across 14 languages. Languages Connect maintains no commercial revenue stream: it is entirely publicly funded, has no paying customers in the conventional sense, and operates as a non-profit awareness and curriculum-support initiative whose continuity is tied to the renewal of national foreign-language education strategy.

Name

Languages Connect

Legal name

Languages Connect (Not a legal entity - awareness campaign facilitated by Post-Primary Languages Ireland)

Website

https://languagesconnect.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Languages Connect is a government-funded Irish awareness campaign operated by PPLI under the Department of Education and Youth, delivering foreign language programmes, resources, and teacher development to primary schools, post-primary schools, and teachers across Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foreign Language Education Services

NAICS

Language Schools (61163), Educational Support Services (61171), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

General Language Schools & Institutes (EDAMAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Language Proficiency Exam Prep (CEFR, TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo English Test, PTE) (EDANACAD), Youth & Teen Language Camps (Summer/Winter) (EDAIAEAF), Online Tutoring, Conversation Exchange & Language Coaching Platforms (EDAFAOAB)

Keywords

• Foreign language education
• Primary school programmes
• Teacher upskilling courses
• Language awareness campaigns
• School curriculum resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Fully funded by the Department of Education and Youth as part of Ireland's Strategy for Foreign Languages in Education 2017-2026. No commercial revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Languages Connect is Ireland's national awareness campaign for foreign language education, delivering school-based programmes and educational resources to primary and post-primary schools nationwide. Its flagship offerings include the Say Yes to Languages 10-week primary sampler module, the #ThinkLanguages Transition Year celebration event, Saturday Leaving Certificate language classes, funded summer camps, and fully funded foreign language upskilling courses for primary teachers. The campaign is fully funded by the Department of Education and Youth and operates through Post-Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI).

Product overview

Languages Connect is an educational awareness campaign and resource hub rather than a single software product. Delivered by Post-Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI) and fully funded by the Department of Education, it coordinates a portfolio of programs including: Say Yes to Languages (10-week primary sampler module), #ThinkLanguages (national TY celebration event), Leaving Cert Language Classes (Saturday exam prep), Language Summer Camps (heritage and lesser-taught languages), Foreign Language Upskilling Courses (teacher professional development), and Erasmus+ Job Shadowing. These are supported by a comprehensive library of educational resources including flipbooks, activity packs, reading lists, and toolkit materials available through its website.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Say Yes to Languages A 10-week primary language sampler module offered to 5th and 6th class pupils, introducing them to a modern foreign language or Irish Sign Language through visiting Development Officers or nominated school teachers. Over 316,000 pupils have participated cumulatively, with over 1,200 schools taking part in 2026/27, representing more than a third of Irish primary schools. Schools receive grant funding of €500 to €2,000 based on number of classrooms, with applications managed through Department of Education Circulars.
• #ThinkLanguages A nationwide Transition Year (TY) event celebrating languages and cultures, in which schools form Champion Teams that organise events and activities to raise awareness of language skills. Features competitions, workshops, prizes, and an annual champion team competition (with the winning team travelling to Brussels in 2026), including a 2025 winners cohort and 2021 winners list including Saint Conleth's Community College.
• Leaving Cert Language Classes Saturday language classes for Leaving Certificate students preparing for exams in various languages including French, German, Italian, Spanish, and newer curricular languages (Polish, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese). Classes run as part of Languages Connect's nationwide school programme portfolio, with registration managed annually.
• Language Summer Camps Heritage and lesser-taught language summer camps funded by Languages Connect, featuring Chinese, Italian, Korean, and other languages delivered at universities across Ireland over a two-week period. The 2026 cycle served approximately 60 students across UCD and UCC campuses.
• Foreign Language Upskilling Courses Fully funded foreign language upskilling courses for primary teachers, aligned with CEFR levels A2.1 to B1.2, offered in partnership with various providers for the 2026/27 cycle. The courses enable primary teachers to develop personal language proficiency to support module delivery and broaden their professional skills.
• Erasmus+ Job Shadowing A one-week international mobility opportunity under Erasmus+ accreditation for primary teachers and principals to observe teaching practice in a French primary school, fully funded as part of Languages Connect's teacher professional development portfolio.
• Primary Module Resource Suite Comprehensive suite of teaching resources for the primary language sampler module, including the Primary Classroom Activity Pack, Primary Sampler Module Welcome Pack, MFL Teacher/Tutor Notes, Vocabulary-Building Activities, and My Language Passport materials, accessible as flipbooks and downloadable PDFs.
• Guidance Counsellor Resources Targeted resources for guidance counsellors, including lesson plans, a 'Languages in my Life' online activity, and Work Experience Activity Packs for TY, LCA and LCVP students, plus a QR Code Card introduced in April 2026 to support career guidance about language skills.
• Open Night Toolkit Toolkit packs for post-primary schools to promote languages at Open Days and Open Nights for incoming first-year students, including language-specific activities for French, German, Italian, and Spanish, designed for use by guidance counsellors and language teachers.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Department of Education and YouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder and strategic partner for Languages Connect. Provides funding and policy alignment for Ireland's Foreign Languages in Education Strategy.
• Department of Foreign Affairs and TradecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports international language education initiatives and cultural exchange programmes.
• Post-Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPPLI is the implementing body delivering the Languages Connect awareness campaign. Located at 3rd Floor, The Grainstore, The Digital Hub, Dublin 8.
• Education and Training Boards (Ireland)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports regional implementation of language education programmes across Ireland's ETB network.
• Higher Education AuthoritymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports higher education language programmes and funding for third-level language learning.
• Irish Business and Employers Confederation (Ibec)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnects language education with industry needs and career awareness for students.
• IDA IrelandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLinks language skills development with foreign direct investment and multinational company needs.
• Oide - Department of Education Schools' Support ServicemajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides school support services for language curriculum implementation.
• National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelops curriculum specifications for new Leaving Cert languages (Polish, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese).
• State Examinations CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublishes sample papers and examinations for new curricular Leaving Certificate languages.
• Enterprise IrelandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports language skills for export-oriented businesses and entrepreneurs.
• Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuality assurance and qualifications recognition for language learning programmes.
• Expert Group on Future Skills NeedsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides research on future language skills needs for Ireland's economy.
• Teacher Professional NetworksmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProfessional development and teacher networks supporting language educators across Ireland.
• Foreign Languages Advisory GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory group providing guidance on foreign languages policy implementation.
• SOLASminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFurther education and training authority supporting language learning initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Goethe-Institut: Germany's official cultural institute, operating worldwide to promote German language learning and cultural exchange. Comparable as a national-mandate language promotion body with school programs, teacher training, and exam preparation offerings, though at much greater global scale.
• British Council: The UK's international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities. Comparable as a publicly funded body that promotes language learning (notably English) and runs large-scale school engagement programs, though with a much broader cultural remit and global footprint.
• Alliance Française: Global non-profit network promoting French language and francophone culture. Comparable as a language-promotion network with school partnerships, teacher training, and exam (DELF/DALF) offerings that align with Languages Connect's exam-prep and awareness activities.
• Instituto Cervantes: Spain's official institution for promoting Spanish language and Hispanic culture worldwide. Directly comparable in mandate: school engagement, teacher training, DELE exam preparation, and a publicly funded operating model — and explicitly referenced in Languages Connect's exam-prep code list.

Regional players

• Oide: Ireland's Department of Education Schools' Support Service, supporting post-primary curriculum and teacher professional development. Comparable as a government-funded education support body operating in the same Irish market with a teacher-facing model, though with broader subject coverage.
• Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT): Ireland's dedicated support service for the Junior Cycle curriculum reform. Comparable as a Department of Education-aligned support body serving post-primary schools and teachers, with similar co-funding from government and European sources (including Erasmus+).

Emerging players

• Mother Tongues: Ireland-based non-profit supporting heritage and minority language revitalization. Featured on Languages Connect's 'In the Community' page as a partner; comparable in mission around lesser-taught and heritage languages but operates at significantly smaller scale.
• NALA (National Adult Literacy Agency): Irish non-profit focused on adult literacy, numeracy, and digital skills. Comparable as a publicly funded education-awareness organization in Ireland, with similar government-aligned mission and adult-learner focus that overlaps with Languages Connect's 'at work' and 'in the community' pillars.

Direct peers

• Education in Ireland: Irish Government national brand promoting Ireland as a study destination, run under the Department of Education. Comparable as a state-funded education awareness campaign targeting students and teachers, with similar cross-ministerial partnership structures and government alignment.
• Post-Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI): The implementing body that hosts Languages Connect at the same Dublin Digital Hub address. PPLI is itself a Department of Education-funded unit and serves as the legal and operational parent of the Languages Connect campaign, making it the most direct structural peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/LanguagesConnect
• Facebookfacebook.com/Languages-Connect-307517946676850
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/languages-connect-ie
• Instagraminstagram.com/languagesconnect

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Languages Connect