- Language tutoring demand surges during school holidays
- Spanish and French lead as top choices, aligning with Brits’ travel habits
- Tutoring requests more than double in summer months compared to winter
As students prepare for their summer holidays, FindTutors, a major UK tuition platform operated by GoStudent, has recorded a sharp rise in demand for language tutors, particularly for Spanish and French, as families prepare for trips abroad.
With the academic year drawing to a close, more parents are actively encouraging language learning. According to FindTutors’ internal data, while around 15% of all tutoring enquiries during winter are for languages, this figure more than doubles during the summer period, peaking in June, July, and August.
The rise appears to be closely tied to holiday travel. Spanish, which accounts for 45% of all language tutoring requests, is also the UK’s most visited international destination. Similarly, French ranks second for both tutor demand (32%) and as a popular holiday spot for British travellers.
Current summer tutoring preferences show:
- Spanish – 45%
- French – 32%
- German – 13%
- Italian – 9%
Despite this seasonal increase, overall enthusiasm for language learning has declined. Research from the British Council in 2023 showed that just one-fifth of new secondary students intended to pursue a language GCSE, citing uncertainty about its relevance to future employment.
Albert Clemente, CEO at FindTutors, comments:
“Learning a language is one of the most rewarding things you can do, whether for work or just for an upcoming trip. There’s nothing better than finding you can connect with someone in their language, and even a few basic phrases can be incredibly useful when visiting somewhere new.”
He explains further:
“Kids have a remarkable ability to learn languages but with the rise of AI and automatic translation tools, these skills seem to be falling down the priority list. Now is a great time to try to reverse this trend, and this summer represents a fantastic chance to learn a language, enhancing not only career prospects but undoubtedly overall quality of life too.”
He adds:
“The data shows that when thinking about which language to learn it’s often easiest to go with the one that you are likely to need in the short term. As immersion is one of the best ways to passively learn a language, this exposure can turn lessons into a lifelong skill. FindTutors helps thousands of students every month to discover their passion for languages and also get a head start on the return to school in September.”
