Wall Street Institute Celebrates 40 Years of Teaching English

BALTIMORE, May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Wall Street Institute, the world's premier provider of English language instruction for adults, is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year. The education company will mark the occasion with special events and student celebrations throughout 2012. 

Wall Street Institute's first English language learning center opened in Italy in 1972. The company revolutionized English language education by introducing the Blended Learning Method, which combines different educational techniques, including multi-media instruction and small teacher-led classes, to maximize a person's ability to learn a language.

The method taught in those first centers is very similar to the method still used today in all Wall Street Institute centers around the world. Studies have shown that blended learning education increases what a student learns. According to a study undertaken by the United States Department of Education in 2009, instruction combining online and face-to-face elements had a larger learning advantage relative to purely face-to-face instruction and purely online instruction.

Over 2 million people have successfully learned to speak English through Wall Street Institute's unique blended learning method.

"My dream was to create a language school that would offer a great experience for students, and I'm proud we have helped so many people change their lives by learning English," said Luigi Peccenini, Founder and Honorary President of Wall Street Institute.

Wall Street Institute has a current enrolment of 190,000 students across 450 centers in 27 countries. The company holds the first or second position for ESL learning institutions in most markets in which it operates.

As English is the international language of business and is more widely spoken and written than any other language in the world, Wall Street Institute expects its global reach and student enrollment to grow over the coming years.

Through its 40 year history, Wall Street Institute's language training has grown with the changing needs of its students. The company:

• was among the first to offer a global online student community
• offers social activities to help students practice English in a fun environment
• recently introduced curriculum focusing on professional skills as part of its standard course offering.

The Anniversary celebrations will include lectures by Mr. Peccenini. The first of these events will take place in Italy in early June, where he had the vision of teaching people English in a different way. He will also host lectures in major Universities in China this year. The company is also hosting student celebration parties and alumni events in several markets.

"Our mission at Wall Street Institute is to help people achieve their goals by learning English," said David Kedwards, Wall Street Institute's CEO. "For 40 years now we have met that mission, and we thank our dedicated staff and hard-working students and alumni around the world for that. We look forward to helping many more people unlock their potential by learning English with us in the years to come."  

About Wall Street Institute

Wall Street Institute is the premier provider of English language instruction for adults. Wall Street Institute has provided instruction to over 2 million students in 450 centers in 27 countries. The company is owned by Pearson, the education company.

About Pearson

Pearson is the world's leading learning company. Our education business combines 150 years of experience in publishing with the latest learning technology and online support.  We help people learn whatever, wherever and however they choose.