The language school market is highly competitive. A new school must face a variety of rivals: from local institutions operating in a specific city, through nationwide networks with branches in many regions, to online schools and platforms accessible from anywhere.
Why is it worth conducting a competitive analysis in a language school?
Through competitive analysis, you will see the strengths and weaknesses of your rivals, learn where you can easily stand out and gain an advantage, and also in which marketing channels it is worth appearing.
Based on this, you will be able to consciously choose:
- the best places for promotion,
- optimize advertising expenses,
- invest in activities that yield real results,
- avoid channels where it’s hard to compete or where your rivals have a significant advantage.
Direct and indirect competition in the language school
Direct competition for language schools
This is the most obvious type of competition – a company that offers exactly the same as you do. In the case of language schools, these will be other institutions offering language learning in a similar form and scope.
Indirect competition for language school
Indirect competition (or second-degree competition) is one that does not offer exactly the same services as your language school, but satisfies similar customer needs, usually in a different way or with the help of other tools.
In the case of language schools, these are companies, products, or initiatives that can „take away” your potential customers, even though they are not classic schools.
Second-degree competition for language schools includes:
- language learning apps and platforms,
- private tutors,
- online courses,
- self-learning (self-learning),
- AI tools supporting language learning.
How to conduct a competitive analysis in a language school?
Competition analysis allows you to understand how other schools operate, what their strengths are, and how they attract new students. This will help you better plan the development of your offerings and marketing activities.
Most competitive analyses are based on 6 steps. In the case of language schools, these will be:
- creating a review of the competition, which means other schools,
- conducting market research,
- comparing the courses and classes offered,
- comparing marketing activities,
- SWOT analysis,
- determining your school’s position in the market.
1. Create a list of competitive schools
If you operate online, start by typing into Google the keywords your potential students might use, such as:
- online English course,
- English course [city],
- online language school for children,
- Cambridge exam preparation [city].
If the competition operates locally:
- walk around the vicinity of their premises and check how the location looks from the outside (banners, storefront, signage),
- check if the school is near other schools, bus stops, or places with high foot traffic,
- see if they engage in local marketing activities (e.g., open days, language workshops).
Initially, find out whether your competitors operate locally or offer online courses. Note the schools that most frequently appear in search results, as well as those that are most talked about in your city or area. These are your main competitors. If any of them is a limited liability company, check the National Court Register (KRS). There you will find financial data that can give you insight into how strong their market position is.
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2. Conduct market research
Primary (direct) research – gathering information „first-hand” from customers or through direct contact with competitors’ offerings.
For language schools, these activities might include:
- purchasing a trial course at a competing school,
- interviews with students,
- online surveys in local groups.
Secondary (indirect) research – this involves the analysis of already existing data. This can include information obtained by other individuals or companies.
For schools, this can include:
- analysis of competitors’ websites,
- review of social media profiles,
- industry reports and educational statistics,
- ratings and reviews on Google and Facebook,
- identifying new trends and utilizing technology (e.g., using AI).
If the competition operates locally:
- visit their premises and assess direct contact,
- participate in events they organize,
- talk to parents of the school’s students,
- pay attention to the competition’s presence at local events.
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3. Investigate the competitors’ course offerings
Visit the websites of selected schools and analyze:
- which languages they teach,
- what types of classes they offer (online, in-person, hybrid),
- whether they offer individual, group, corporate, or courses for children and teenagers,
- if they have specialized courses (e.g., medical, legal, business language),
- whether they offer promotions, discounts, loyalty programs, free trial lessons.
If the competition operates locally in your city:
- try to obtain their flyers, brochures, or price lists available on-site,
- check if they have partnership programs with local businesses or public schools (or nurseries and kindergartens),
- read reviews and look for information about their courses in them,
- talk to people who attended the school (feedback directly from attendees is invaluable).
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4. Compare marketing activities
Analyze all the marketing activities you can find. Use free tools that will provide you with insights into various marketing areas of the competition.
If the competition operates online:
- what content they publish on social media and how frequently,
- whether they run a blog, YouTube channel, or newsletter,
- whether they use paid ads (use free tools: Meta ad library, Google ad library, LinkedIn ad library),
- how they present customer reviews,
- what their website looks like,
- what additional materials they offer (e.g., free trial lessons, e-books, language quizzes, guides, etc.),
- whether they conduct promotional campaigns, sales, or loyalty programs,
- what tools they use (e.g., chatbots, online reservations, etc.).
If they operate locally:
- see if they promote in-person events,
- check their presence in local media,
- assess visibility in outdoor advertisements,
- check their Google My Business profile,
- see how high the competition’s website ranks in search results for your city.
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5. Conduct a SWOT Analysis of your school
Evaluate your position considering:
- S – strengths,
- W – weaknesses,
- O – opportunities,
- T – threats.
If your competition operates locally in your city:
- compare your location with theirs in terms of public transportation accessibility and parking availability,
- assess whether your school has a unique feature that they do not (e.g., smaller group sizes, greater emphasis on conversation, native speaker instructors),
- consider local customer preferences (e.g., in some cities, students prefer in-person classes, while in others they prefer online),
- check if you have better connections with the local community and institutions (companies, schools, etc.).
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6. Create a summary
Prepare a table or chart comparing your school with competitors. It’s best to do this in a visual format. It will facilitate illustrating the results and help quickly capture key conclusions from the analysis.
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What else is worth doing in the context of competitive analysis?
Once in a while, for example, once a year or every six months, it’s worth checking how your school fares compared to the best in the industry.
Benchmarking is a tool that involves comparing your school with market leaders in order to draw conclusions and adapt best practices. It’s not about copying solutions, but about learning from the experiences of competitors.
Summary – competitive analysis in a language school
Competitive analysis allows a language school to identify its rivals – both local and online – and understand their offerings, marketing activities, and market position.
The six key steps to conducting a proper competitive analysis are: identifying competitors, market research, comparing courses and marketing activities, SWOT analysis, and determining your own school’s position.
This makes it easier to make accurate strategic decisions, stand out, and more effectively plan marketing.
Get your copy of Independent Audit of Language School Marketing and learn how to use competitive analysis to strengthen your position and outpace rivals.
