Lingua Franca

What Lingua Franca does

Lingua Franca Pty Ltd is a privately held, founder-led French language school headquartered at 884 Brunswick Street, New Farm, Brisbane, Australia. Founded by Katrina Waugh (35+ years of French teaching experience), the company delivers in-person group lessons, private one-on-one or small-group tuition, and online lessons covering general French, specialist exam preparation (DELF), and cultural courses such as Club de Culture, Les Actualités, and Club de Lecture. The curriculum is delivered through 4- to 10-week terms priced from A$265 to A$630, with multi-term packages (2–4 terms) offering 10% discounts and champagne incentives, plus weekly payment plans via Ezidebit at A$55–A$66/week.

Beyond lessons, Lingua Franca operates an ancillary ecosystem comprising La Petite Boutique (a French-themed retail sub-brand selling stationery, gifts, gift cards, and proprietary learning workbooks such as the Cahier de Vacances series), cultural immersion trips to Francophone destinations (Nouméa, Lyon, Morocco, Akaroa) priced around A$3,180, and cultural events including the French Film Festival, cooking lessons, and an annual raclette dinner. Sub-brands include Social French (informal conversation sessions) and Le Nid (the physical boutique). The company has no proprietary technology platform, no app, and no AI integration — delivery is human-tutor-led via in-person and Zoom-based formats.

The business is bootstrapped with no external funding, employs 8 people, and generates revenue through six distinct streams: group lessons, private lessons, online lessons, travel packages, events, and retail. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, supported by content marketing (blog "Le Chouchou News," newsletter "Le Lowdown"), organic social media, a referral program (10% off + bottle of wine for new-student referrals), and free trial lessons (Échantillon for beginners, Tête-à-tête for assessment). The customer base is entirely individual adult learners in Brisbane plus Australia-wide online learners, with no enterprise accounts. The company supports World Wellness Group as its charity partner and emphasizes local supplier and inclusive-values positioning.

Name

Lingua Franca

Legal name

Lingua Franca Pty Ltd

Website

https://mylinguafranca.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lingua Franca is a founder-led, bootstrapped French language school in Brisbane offering in-person and online group, private, and exam-prep lessons, supported by a French-themed boutique, cultural trips, and events for individual adult learners across Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Language Education Services

NAICS

Language Schools (611630)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

General Language Schools & Institutes (EDAMAFAA)

Keywords

• French language education
• Language school lessons
• Cultural immersion trips
• French tutoring services
• DELF exam preparation

Headquarters

HQ city

New Farm

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Group Lessons: Group French lessons offered in 10-week terms covering General French, Specialist French (exam training), and various cultural courses. Classes are small to maintain quality. Revenue is generated through upfront term payments with early enrolment discounts available.
2. Private Lessons: One-on-one or small group lessons designed for individual needs. Can be purchased individually or in packs of ten. Provides flexibility with day or evening time slots.
3. Travel Packages: Cultural immersion trips to French-speaking destinations including Nouméa (New Caledonia), Lyon (France), and Morocco. Trips offer semi or full immersion experiences, Paris Summer School, and opportunities to meet locals. Prices around $3,180 per trip.
4. Events: Cultural events including French Film Festival, cooking lessons, annual raclette dinner, and immersion days. Events bring together French culture enthusiasts for food, drink, film and cultural experiences.
5. La Petite Boutique (Retail): French-themed gift shop selling unique French accessories, diaries, greeting cards, pencil cases, notebooks, and purpose-designed exercise books. Products are locally sourced and plastic-free. Also offers gift cards redeemable for lessons, products, or trips.
6. Learning Materials: Proprietary exercise books, summaries, cheat sheets, mémos, and learning resources designed for French language learners. Materials include a sense of humour and are beautifully designed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lingua Franca is a Brisbane-based French language school that delivers in-person group lessons, private one-on-one tuition, and online self-paced French courses in 6- to 10-week terms, supplemented by French cultural events, immersion trips to French-speaking destinations, and a French-themed retail boutique (La Petite Boutique) selling gifts, stationery, and proprietary learning workbooks. The school serves adult learners seeking structured French language education from absolute beginner to advanced levels, including DELF exam preparation.

Product overview

Lingua Franca is a Brisbane-based French language education company offering a comprehensive suite of French learning products and services. The core offering consists of in-person lessons at their New Farm premises and online lessons, available through private, group, and self-paced formats. Course products include Classic Learning (6 weeks), Classic Speaking (4 weeks), Consolidation, Challenge, Club de Culture, Les Actualités, and Club de Lecture (all 10 weeks), along with DELF exam preparation programs. The company also operates La Petite Boutique, a retail sub-brand selling French-themed gifts, stationery, and purpose-designed learning resources including the Cahier de Vacances workbook series. Cultural immersion experiences include international trips to France, Nouméa, Morocco, and Akaroa, plus local events such as French Film Festival and cooking lessons. A content platform (Le Chouchou News blog) and newsletter (Le Lowdown) support the learning community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• La Petite Boutique: A boutique shop selling French-designed gifts, stationery items, diaries, notebooks, pencil cases, and learning tools including workbooks, cheat sheets, and exercise books. Products are locally sourced and plastic-free.
• Social French

Products and services

• Private French Lessons One-on-one or small group French lessons designed for individual learner needs, offering flexibility in pace and scheduling with day or evening time slots. Targets adults seeking rapid improvement or personalized attention.
• Online French Lessons Self-paced or group-based online French lessons delivered via pre-recorded, live, and consolidation sessions, with supporting fact sheets, quizzes, and speaking practice materials.
• Group French Lessons Small group French lessons available in General French and Specialist French (exam training) formats, with day or evening time slots.
• Social French Informal French conversation sessions providing opportunities to chat in French with others in a relaxed social setting.
• Free Trial Lessons (Échantillon and Tête-à-tête) Free trial options including Échantillon for absolute beginners and Tête-à-tête one-on-one assessment sessions to help prospective students find the right level, with no obligation or commitment.
• Classic Learning Course Six-week core French language course priced at $395 full price or $66/week with payment plan, focusing on foundational language skills.
• Classic Speaking Course Four-week French speaking practice course priced at $265 full price, focusing on conversational skills.
• Consolidation Course Ten-week French consolidation course priced at $630, reinforcing and building on prior learning.
• Challenge Course Ten-week advanced French challenge course priced at $630, for advanced learners seeking rigorous practice.
• Club de Culture Ten-week French culture club course priced at $630, focusing on French cultural immersion through themed content.
• Les Actualités Ten-week French current affairs course priced at $630, covering contemporary French topics and media.
• Club de Lecture Ten-week French book club course priced at $630, where students read and discuss French literature.
• DELF Programs Official French language diploma preparation programs with multiple payment options including upfront, incremental, and weekly payment plans.
• La Petite Boutique French-themed gift shop retail sub-brand featuring unique gifts, learning tools, stationery, diaries, pencil cases, notebooks, and French merchandise, all locally sourced and plastic-free, available in-store at New Farm and online.
• Unique Gifts (La Petite Boutique) French accessories including diaries, greeting cards, pencil cases, and notebooks with French design aesthetics.
• Learning Tools (La Petite Boutique) Purpose-designed exercise books, summaries, cheat sheets, mémos, and learning resources with clear layouts and sense of humour.
• Gift Cards Gift certificates redeemable for lessons, events, or trips, available in custom amounts with gift wrapping and postage options.
• Cultural Trips Travel experiences to destinations including Nouméa (New Caledonia), Lyon (France), Morocco, and Akaroa with semi or full immersion options and Paris Summer School programs, priced around $3,180 per trip.
• Cultural Events French cultural events including French Film Festival, cooking lessons, annual raclette dinner, and immersion days.
• Cahier de Vacances (Holiday Workbook) First in a series of sixteen holiday workbooks designed for French learners from Absolute Beginner 1 to Advanced Revision levels.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• World Wellness GroupminorOthersLingua Franca students support the World Wellness Group, a Brisbane-based multicultural health and wellness service, by donating staple food items for their most at-risk clients through a Community Pantry initiative. This charitable partnership aligns with Lingua Franca's community-focused values.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/my-lingua-franca

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 Lingua Franca