Busuu.com
 |
|
|---|---|
| The language learning community | |
| social network for language learning | |
| languages | 12 language versions: English , Spanish , French , German , Italian , Brazilian Portuguese , Polish , Turkish , Russian , Arabic , Japanese and Chinese |
| operator | Busuu Online SL |
| editorial staff | Bernhard Niesner, Co-Founder & Adrian Hilti, Co-Founder |
| user | approx. 45 million (May 2014) |
| Registration | required (free) |
| On-line | May 16, 2008 |
| https://www.busuu.com/ | |
busuu is a language learning social network where users can help each other improve their language skills. The website currently offers audiovisual learning material in twelve languages: English , Spanish , French , German , Italian , Brazilian Portuguese , Polish , Turkish , Russian , Arabic , Japanese and Chinese . Learners can create a profile, add one or more of these languages to their learning portfolio, work their way through the lessons at their own pace, and track their progress.
Origin of the name
Busuu is a language spoken in Cameroon . According to an ethnological study from the 1980s, only eight people were able to speak this language at that time.
busuu.com started a campaign to save the Busuu language in autumn 2010. A music video was recorded with the last eight Busuu speakers. In addition, a separate page was created where users could record their own song on Busuu for free. The language learning portal also made the first audiovisual learning units in this language available free of charge.
concept
busuu.com is a Web 2.0 - Web site provided by a startup company originally based in Madrid is operated, which is now located in London. It is aimed at users who want to learn languages or who want to improve their existing language skills. The site offers multimedia learning materials and an online community of native speakers for using the tandem language learning method via an integrated video chat function. Each user is not only a “student” but also a “teacher” of his or her own mother tongue.
Courses are based on the European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and cover levels A1, A2, B1 and B2. Each course is divided into learning units that cover more than 150 topics of daily life. Members benefit from different types of materials for each lesson, such as vocabulary and key phrases, dialogues, audios, podcasts and PDFs. In the course of their learning process, users can test their progress with small repetitions.
Prizes and awards
busuu.com participated at the UNESCO ausgelobten International Year of Languages in 2008 and launched in September 2008 a campaign to rescue of Silbo Gomero , a language based whistling sounds from the Canary Islands . This campaign won the Silver Lion at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival . In September 2009, UNESCO included Silbo Gomero on the World Heritage List of Humanity.
In September 2009 busuu.com received the European Language Seal , which goes to innovative projects in the field of language learning. This prize is coordinated by the European Commission and awarded every year by different member states.
In November 2012 busuu.com won both the jury award and the audience award at the Seven Ventures Pitch Day. The pitch was organized by ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG and is endowed with a media volume of seven million euros, of which four million euros for the winner. The audience award consists of a consulting package worth 600,000 euros.
development
The use of busuu.com is largely free of charge. After leaving the beta status in February 2009, a paid premium membership was introduced that offers additional functions. Premium members have access to additional learning materials and more extensive services.
The technology is based on the Drupal framework. busuu.com also has an easy to use interface with an interactive dashboard which changes as language skills improve and grow, which is considered the busuu language garden.
The website also offers iPhone / iPad and Android apps in two different models, as language learning and travel packages. The former deliver lessons at all levels from A1 to B2. The travel packages contain sentences and expressions for typical everyday situations on vacation, including situations in hotels or restaurants, for example.
Since September 2011 the latest product has been a paid business course in English and Spanish.
In October 2012, Busuu was able to collect EUR 3.5 million from PROfounders Capital and some unspecified private investors as part of a Series A financing round. The sum is to be used to further expand the international market and to optimize the network's services.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Learn a new language with busuu . www.lifehacker.com. Retrieved September 19, 2008.
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A-vAQxmZOA
- ↑ The making-of for the trip to Cameroon can be found here
- ↑ http://www.savebusuu.com
- ↑ Save Busuu - a language spoken by only 8 people
- ↑ Profile of busuu.com on the UNESCO website ( Memento of the original from October 22, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
- ↑ busuu.com: busuu.com wins a silver lion in Cannes June 24, 2009, accessed December 17, 2011.
- ↑ UNESCO: Silbo Gomero's entry in the World Heritage List , accessed on December 17, 2011.
- ↑ busuu.com wins the European Language Label for innovative projects
- ↑ Language learning platform Busuu wins Seven Ventures Pitch Day
- ↑ Busuu blog on website changes . www.busuu.com. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
- ↑ Busuu wants to be your language gardener . www.mashable.com. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
- ↑ http://itunes.apple.com/de/app/lerne-englisch-mit-busuu-com/id379968583?mt=8
- ↑ http://itunes.apple.com/de/app/busuu-com-reise-sprachkurs/id438203091?mt=8
- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from December 1, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from December 1, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Busuu collects 3.5 million euros . www.social-secrets.com. Archived from the original on December 31, 2012. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
