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ou’ve got the best chance of picking up a foreign language to a near-native level if you start studying before the age of 10, according to scientists. Meanwhile learning as a mother tongue requires an even younger age bracket. “We know that you only really learn a language as a mother tongue with the right grammar until the age of seven,” says Helen Doron, linguist and founder of Helen Doron Educational Group. “After that your brain loses ability and total flexibility there. It’s natural for children to be polyglots, to learn any number of languages from an early age.” However, in the UK school system, modern foreign language teaching is often sporadic and sometimes reserved until secondary school. “Having taught high school children for nearly a decade, [students] finds language learning difficult, having been exposed to languages too late,” confirms Andrea Baker, founder and franchisor of Les Petit Pois Fun French. “Pressure heats up in high school. It’s too much, too late, and they feel embarrassed and become opposed to language learning.” However, outside the walls of the classroom, there’s an established demand for services and products that supplement the in-school learning experience. For instance, the BBC’s language tutoring programme for children, Muzzy, has been running for the past 30 years. Meanwhile, second-language daycare facilities have been cropping up around UK cities; The German Kindergarten now has four locations in London. Meanwhile, usage of language apps such as Duolingo have grown tenfold, igniting a passion for linguistics in parents. Now, we’re seeing multiple brands capitalise on this interest by franchising, in hopes of scaling their tuition services across the country. But will demand really translate into a lucrative investment opportunity for franchisees? Y The reality of demand In 2023, the UK had the second largest percentage of language learners who were learning three or more languages on Duolingo, according to the app. It means some interest in foreign languages, at the very least from parents, is there. English, Spanish, and French are the top three most studied languages on the app, and we’re certainly seeing these catered for by child-focused franchise brands. However, German, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Hindi, Chinese and Portuguese also comprise the top ten most popular languages, and it’s here that we’re currently seeing a potential lack in offering. For Andrea Baker, it was French that seemed to be the right choice for her business, Les Petit Pois Fun French. She could speak the language and as a mother herself she quickly realised there was little on offer in St Helens and Warrington for those hoping to raise French-speaking children. In response, Andrea established Les Petit Pois Fun French which runs French sessions incorporating play aimed at children aged 0-8 years. This includes parent and baby, toddler, and after-school classes, as well as private sessions for schools, nurseries, child minders, and birthday parties. It’s a niche that’s proven popular within the community and customers have accumulated via word of mouth. “I’m usually sold out,” she says. “People can sometimes be a little unsure about what to expect but once they’ve seen what we do and how we do it, and how much the children love it, they’re hooked and tell all their friends.” In fact, it was this parent network that provided Andrea with her first franchisee, Beth, who is also a French speaker. Demand became so high that it was unrealistic to continue the business solo, and in 2021 Les Petit Pois Fun French became a franchise brand. “I was approached by a parent who used to attend my classes telling me she was being made redundant and asking if I had any opportunities,” says Andrea. “Fast forward six months and Beth became my first franchisee and is now in her third year.” Beth now runs 11 classes per week at her location in South Warrington. She runs these alongside an after-school club every night of the week and has several local schools on her waiting lists as she’s now at maximum capacity. For franchisees, Andrea says, they can look to earn around £450 if they choose to work a full day once they’ve established their business. Spanish is another language that seems to be increasingly remunerative. In fact, it’s “I’m usually sold out. People can sometimes be a little unsure about what to expect but once they’ve seen what we do... they’re hooked and tell all their friends” WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 17