Lingotot welcomes first franchisees

http://www.thejournal.co.uk/business/business-news/lingotot-welcomes-first-franchisees-4414449

A BUSINESS set up to help toddlers learn languages has taken on its first franchisees as it begins to roll-out the idea nationally.

Lingotot was set up by mum-of-two Angela Sterling, from Stanley, to teach languages to children in nurseries and schools.

Initially offering French, the business is now expanding to include Spanish, as well as recruiting a team of LingoTutor franchisees.

Mrs Sterling said: “These are pilot franchises and once they are set up and running, I’ll be looking at expanding them further around the UK.

“In this country we tend not to start teaching languages until children reach secondary school, and we should really be starting it earlier than that, preferably from birth but certainly from Key Stage 1. Lingotot lessons help children learn from the earliest possible age, which will help tomorrow’s business leaders deal more easily with people from other countries.”

One of the first franchisees is Whitley Bay-based Susanna Buckley, who will be teaching in south Northumberland and will begin the roll out of Spanish lessons. She said: “Lingotot is a fantastic opportunity to combine my love of languages with the joy of working with children and their carers.

“I went into teaching in order to inspire young people to find enjoyment in discovering a new language and finding out about its culture. This is what Lingotot is all about.”

Husband-and-wife team David and Caroline Oswald will be leading sessions in the North Tyne area.

Mrs Sterling said: “The Lingotot family is growing and we are very much looking forward to the next 12 months.”

The business is one of the three winners of the Journal’s Local Business Accelerators competition.

As a result, it will be given mentoring by three respected local business leaders to help it expand.