Summary
Hardly any name dominates Germany's education landscape on this day as visibly as Babbel. The language-learning app has once again generated buzz in early October with fresh press content, new learning formats and, above all, its group subscription, clearly positioning itself as a trendsetter in digital language learning. That an app rather than a traditional educational institution holds this role says a lot about the shift the German continuing-education market is currently undergoing: learning increasingly takes place on mobile devices, flexibly and app-supported, while established institutions must catch up to remain relevant. Right behind them, SAP is also making its presence felt, though from a very different direction: its half-year figures and the ongoing debate about enterprise technology in Germany put the software group into the education conversation, because corporate training and the teaching of digital skills have long been core business in this sector.
Details
While Babbel and SAP set the pace at the top, the midfield shows a broad range of institutions, each vying for attention in its own way. SRH University is strategically realigning itself and underpinning this change of course with a series of recent campus and research announcements, aimed at showing that private universities in Germany still want to prove their capacity for innovation. Duolingo is countering with ongoing product and course updates, remaining Babbel's most direct competitor in the German-speaking language-learning space, a duel that is now decided almost daily through new features and learning methods. On the publishing side, Cornelsen maintains visibility with current education studies, press releases and its connection to the Digitalpakt, reminding us that traditional textbook publishers still play a central role in Germany's school system despite app competition. Phorms, meanwhile, focuses on local presence: several locations of the private school network are holding information evenings and open days for the upcoming 2026/27 school year, specifically courting parents looking for an alternative to the state school system. In the continuing-education sector, RWTH International Academy is positioning itself with new certificate courses, including a program on AI in manufacturing that starts in October and specifically targets skilled professionals and companies. Macromedia University, in turn, is using the period around October 7 and 8 to raise its profile with campus and information events and win new students for its creative and media-oriented degree programs. Klett also remains present with further training offerings and educational formats, showing that established publishing houses are continuously adapting their offerings to current teacher training needs. And Lingoda rounds out the picture: with press and award communications, the language-learning provider deliberately positions itself as a German alternative in the international language-learning market.
- 1Macromedia University, in turn, is using the period around October 7 and 8 to raise its profile with campus and information events and win new students for its creative and media-oriented degree programs.
- 2Hardly any name dominates Germany's education landscape on this day as visibly as Babbel.
- 3While Babbel and SAP set the pace at the top, the midfield shows a broad range of institutions, each vying for attention in its own way.
- 4Klett also remains present with further training offerings and educational formats, showing that established publishing houses are continuously adapting their offerings to current teacher training needs.
- 5And Lingoda rounds out the picture: with press and award communications, the language-learning provider deliberately positions itself as a German alternative in the international language-learning market.
Conclusion
Overall, this day reveals an education market spanning digital language-learning apps, corporate training, private universities and traditional publishers. Babbel and Duolingo are competing for dominance in app-supported language learning, while SAP shows how closely corporate education and technology have become intertwined. In parallel, universities such as SRH University and Macromedia are trying to win over young students with campus events and realignments, while Phorms relies on personal encounters at information evenings. Publishers like Cornelsen and Klett demonstrate that classic educational media maintain their relevance despite digital competition. The overall picture is one of diversity: education in Germany today takes place simultaneously on the smartphone, in the lecture hall and in the corporate seminar.