Here, at Phoenix Languages, our Mission Statement is to provide a professional, fun and interactive way of learning foreign languages whilst experiencing a flavour of the foreign country and becoming part of a language learning community. We also aim to offer good quality, less expensive translation / interpreting services.

Phoenix Languages was set up in January 2001 by the Manager - Damien Tree as a simple venture to tutor French to adults in their homes or places of work.

Since then we have grown to cater for French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch and Chinese (mandarin) and have classes and individuals learning from Beginner to Advanced levels. We teach clients of all ages and backgrounds for business, personal and leisure purposes and have links with both the Medway and Kent County Councils, teaching or translating / interpreting within both organisations.

We now have six active teachers and are adding others to our team every month. My vision is to start up many small groups around the county with foreign language teachers visiting people in homes and businesses and combining this with social events where people are brought together on a regular basis and immersed in the foreign culture (such as French restaurant evenings or Spanish salsa evenings where learners have the opportunity to practice language skills with foreign language speakers).

We currently focus on the Medway / Maidstone areas but are looking to expand into other major towns in Kent in the near future. Not only do we teach in Businesses and Homes but we are now starting to teach in other social centres - we have a Spanish Class running in the David Lloyd gym in Maidstone and a Portuguese Class taking place in Portugalia (a Portuguese restaurant) in Maidstone.

We do continually endeavour to improve our courses, raising our teaching standards and seeking new ways to make language learning more experiential of that foreign culture.

One day we hope to open a language café as an operational base (a one-stop language shop if you will), where you can purchase resources (books, CD's etc.) or simply buy a glass of wine and chat with foreign staff. We also hope to incorporate language classrooms above the café.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring, but with God's help the Phoenix continues to rise.