The People
and the Story behind Lingumi
Learn more about the people and the story behind Lingumi.
Where it all began.
Toby, our CEO, decided to create Lingumi while studying Modern Languages at Oxford University. He spent a year teaching English in Russia and Italy during his studies, and found that children were beginning English in big groups, at the age of 6 or 7, and found it difficult to learn the words, accent, and structures of the language. His research back at Oxford showed that in early childhood, there is a 'magic window' when children can more easily learn foreign languages, and their accents. Toby began collaborating with academics, designers, and his co-founder Adit, who is a Computer Scientist from UCL, on a solution to this problem. Together, Toby and our team have designed a new way to help parents introduce their children to English in a more interactive, affordable, and effective way. We've turned teaching on its head, putting an English teacher in your home whenever your child wants to learn.
“While I was teaching English to kids in Russia and Italy in 2014, parents often asked me 'what can I do with my younger child?'. They wanted their younger children to begin English at home, before arriving in the classroom at age 6 or 7.”