Interview with Marketing Director, Berlitz Pakistan, Hamza Awan3 comments

a) You have recently joined Berlitz as Communications Consultant / Marketing Director – tell us why, and a bit about your role.

Firstly, I believe in the Berlitz Method® the core offering of Berlitz Language Centers worldwide. I have taught at Berlitz for 5 years so I have experienced firsthand that the method really works and the results are amazing! I joined in so that I could help the maximum number of people learn a new language via the Berlitz Method and motivate enough people to join the beautiful art of teaching and student counseling.

As a Communications Consultant, my work will involve helping individuals, organizations and governments with their communications problems. That is covering anything from international presentations to revamping internal processes. At a later stage, my teams and I can also train for sustainability.

As a Marketing Director, my task is primarily creating awareness of the Berlitz Method and make sure students get top quality experience for their trust in us as an organization.

b) What long term vision do you have for Berlitz as a Language and Communications centre in Pakistan?

My long term objectives are to help around 50,000 people a year learn three new languages. I want to open two further Berlitz Centers in Karachi and Lahore as well as one more in Islamabad. And I want to make sure people have fun while heading towards that goal.

c) What kind of a response has Berlitz enjoyed since its inception in Pakistan?

Tremendous! Our BerlitzEnglish and Berlitzkids programs have become the talk of the town. In the past eight years we have grown from 500 students in one language center a year to 3 language centers and 500 new students a month! If that’s not growth I don’t know what is!

d) Are you planning on doing some aggressive Marketing in the next few months?

Let’s put it this way. What you are seeing right now is hardly 10% of what Berlitz will be doing 2nd quarter onwards. Let’s keep those as a surprise.

e) In your opinion, why would /should anyone consider joining Berlitz? What all is on offer at present?

People should join in to experience the Berlitz Method. Not just as students, but as teachers and parents too. Also corporate trainers should learn from it. The method was invented 130 years ago and even today is being perfected. Language and communication techniques are transferred in as little as one minute. So in 15 minutes potentially a person can speak 15 new sentences of a new language. That is our Total Immersion® program. Fluency in a new language is transferred in a high intensity course in two weeks time. That is just awesome.

f) What activities will we see happening in Berlitz in the near future? Anything exciting?

We will be introducing two new offerings, Berlitz Professional Trainings and Berlitz Study Abroad Programs. In Berlitz Professional Trainings, skills transfer workshops and seminars will be conducted designed along the Berlitz Method to garner maximum results. In Berlitz Study Abroad programs, we will be sending students off to the cities of the choice to immerse in the culture and language of the city. The Berlitz Instructors there will be like their constant tour guides and companions making it like a learning vacation minus the formality. Initial countries for this program will be South Africa, Spain, France, Australia, United Kingdom and the United States.

Apart from that, we will be hiring lots of new Berlitz Instructors and student advisers. These will hopefully be some of the elite teachers that the country will produce both young and experienced. It’s fun when you have such a multi-cultural group of people to work with.

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