Finnish language marketplace in St. Petersburg: the analysis of language centers’ activity

Finnish language marketplace in St. Petersburg: the analysis of language centers’ activity

Full analytical report
Date: December 2009

Who opens Finnish centers in St. Petersburg, why do they do that, and what kind of centers are they? The business peculiarities and profits. Main parameters of the given market segment and its trends. Language centers’ location geography. Tuition fees: what do the trainees pay for, “low-end” variants and most expensive language courses, optimal “price-and-quality” ratio (information and prices are given according to data for the fall 2009). Unique training techniques. Individual characteristics of each language center.
These and many other questions are answered in the present analytical report. In particular, the report makes it clear that different brands existing on the market, belong to one and the same group of owners (founders).

Content

Introduction. The Finnish language in St. Petersburg: the analysis of socio-political importance

Part I. Market review

Language centers’ activity, general review according to criteria:

1. General trends in the market development (volume, epigenetics)
2. Market participants: trade marks and legal entities
3. Language centers’ founders (individuals and legal entities, their business background, business groups owing two or more language centers)
4. Financial performance
5. Additional service provided by the centers – individual characteristics
6. Geographic distribution of language centers, distribution specifics and operating schedule
7. Training group size: average value, deviations
8. Teaching stuff: qualification, work experience, education, persons, trends
9. Training techniques and teaching materials
10. Training cost: average cost of one academic hour for team and induvidual training, cause-and-effect relations to the previuos items.

Part II. Language centers: personal mini-reports

Each of the 51 language centers in St. Petersburg is analysed as (see the full list below):

Language center as a legal entity:

• Registration data,
• Graphic presentation of interrelations of all individuals and legal entities
• License availability.

Analysis of educational constituent of a language center:

• Training cost
• Basic course paculiarities, special courses availability
• Time and days of classes
• Teachers
• Teaching materials
• Other foreign languages offered by the center.

Analysis of language centers activity in other fields not related to Finnish language teaching.

Part III. Conclusions and recommendations