Published in Forbes, May 27, 2011

Written by Michael Schutzler

Thanks to the Internet, even the smallest company can be a multinational. Over two billion people are online and an additional 500 million will connect for the first time this year. Over four billion people have a cell phone with SMS capability and many of them will upgrade to an Internet-enabled smartphone in coming years. Technology has unleashed a global market unconstrained by space, time or travel barriers.

Language is the one material barrier that remains. As technology delivers access to a worldwide arena of talent and customers, effective multilingual communication becomes an essential tool for productivity – and a competitive weapon for those who master it. English is clearly a factor…  read more

Published in Inc., April 11, 2011

Lou Dubois

Boasting nine million members in nearly 200 countries, LiveMocha is capitalizing on an ever-expanding market. CEO Michael Schutzler talks to Inc.com about his business.

“You don’t need to memorize the 20,000 words to be an orator. You just need to be able to ask the question you need to ask and understand the answer when it comes back.” – Michael Schutzler

As businesses go global, the market for second-language acquisition continues to grow due to both increasing globalization and an increasingly diverse U.S. population. According to the 2010 Census, the foreign-born population of the United States is approaching 37 million people. Meanwhile, approximately 280 million Americans age five and older speak only English in their…  read more

Posted in the Mental Fitness Blog, April 7, 2011
Learn a New Language Online with Livemocha
I’ve written a great deal about the benefits of learning a new language. Your brain loves to be challenged in new, fun, exciting ways and learning new languages MORE than fits the bill!  An online resource was recently brought to my attention and I thought it was pretty outstanding, so I knew I’d have to share it with you.

Livemocha launched in 2007 and currently has over 9 million members. Livemocha is the world’s largest online language learning community, offering free and paid online courses in 38 languages. Members can take introductory courses on the site for free. Or, if members want to advance their skills…  read more

by Gary M. Stern, posted in Information Today, March 31, 2011

Livemocha sounds like the latest neighborhood espresso bar. But in fact the website Livemocha (www.livemocha.com) appeals to anyone interested in learning a new language or teaching a foreign tongue.

Ironically, its two Seattle-based founders, Shirish Nadkarni and Krishan Seshadrinathan (both still connected to the company), brainstormed its name at a Starbucks, and thought it suggested two friends having coffee together. The name stuck.

Launched in 2007, Livemocha describes itself as the “world’s largest online language learning community, offering free and paid online courses in 38 languages.” It has 8.5 million members, and about 125,000 people use the site daily.

CEO Michael Schutzler said its goal is to “make language learning affordable, fun,…  read more

Reposted from Area Daily: http://www.area-daily.com/travel/em110323–How-to-Communicate-Multiple-Languages.html
LET’S TALK
Speaking a foreign language is a daunting task for most of us but as we’ve all learned, your experience is more pleasant if you make an effort. We’ve found the perfect options for the die hard enthusiast as well as the Cliff Notes master.

Livemocha is a free language learning website that mixes online instruction with a global community of language learners. There is a full range of reading, writing, and speaking exercises on the site as well as one-on- one instruction from tutors and native speakers. You can see fellow students online and work with them to complete your lessons and test your knowledge.

No time to learn another language? Have no fear as iTranslate…  read more

See full story from CBS News here: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-44241098/will-english-only-remote-teams-work-best-are-you-sure/?tag=bnetdomain

SEATTLE, WA–(Marketwire – February 2, 2011) – Livemocha™, the world’s largest online language learning community, today announced a partnership with goFLUENT, specialist in distance business English training, connecting Livemocha’s award-winning Active English curriculum and online community of more than eight million language learners with goFLUENT’s certified English trainers already serving 5000 corporations worldwide. The distribution agreement enables corporations to benefit from Livemocha’s unique community based language learning approach while integrating goFLUENT’s Certified Business English Trainers to provide high quality conversation practice and ensure learners achieve outstanding results. Tracking and reporting tools included with the combined offering offer corporations with the capabilities to measure the ROI of their training investments.

“The need for conversational fluency in our increasingly global workplaces has…  read more

Reposted from Brain Track: http://www.braintrack.com/online-colleges/articles/the-role-of-self-paced-learning-in-online-education

Kelley Direct’s online MBA includes an on-campus program for new studentsSelf-paced learning courses, in which students work through academic programs at their own pace with no scheduled lectures, assignment due dates or exams, are not a new concept. “Before the Internet, these self-paced courses were known as correspondence courses,” said Dr. John Kruper, president of Alpine Access University. “Students were sent materials in the mail…it could be very isolating and lonely.”

In contrast to online programs where students are required to follow the pace of the class, students in self-paced classes can go as quickly or as slowly as they need to. It is a model used at StraighterLine University, a provider of distance learning courses…  read more

Reposted from http://venturebeat.com/2011/01/13/the-king-is-dead-long-live-the-king/

January 13, 2011 6:00 AM
by Michael Schutzler

 (Editor’s note: Michael Schutzler is CEO of Livemocha. He submitted this story to VentureBeat.)

About a decade ago I was hired by the board of Classmates.com to rescue the fledgling startup from failure. We had a $350,000 monthly cash burn and about $1 million left in the bank. The VCs were understandably nervous.The founder, a 58-year-old former Boeing engineer, was not exactly happy about ceding control of his company—but he also didn’t want to watch it crumble. I was a brash bull of a young man eager to show off.

After two weeks on the job, I fired many of the executive team, of which some were the founder’s personal friends. I brought…  read more

Reposted from TechFlash: http://www.techflash.com/seattle/2011/01/livemocha-partners-with-telefonica.html

John Cook on Friday, January 7, 2011, 8:41am PST

Livemocha, which touts itself as the world’s largest online language learning community, is about to get bigger in Brazil. The company has inked a partnership with Telefonica Brazil in which broadband customers will receive significant discounts on Livemocha’s English courses. The partnership is part of a larger deal between Livemocha and Telefonica Worldwide, one of the world’s top telecommunications companies with more than 280 million customers.

Founded by Shirish Nadkarni in 2007 and now led by former Classmates.com CEO Michael Schutzler, Livemocha has been on a bit of a growth tear in recent months as it looks to dethrone Rosetta Stone as a top destination for those who want…  read more